Backing-up installed apps - how?

[Reggie]

Ok, while there is a backup utility, it seems like it doesn't backup installed programs (found in the Extras folder). What's the best way to copy apps to the card?

[gnuite]

Here's one (ugly) idea:

tar zcpf /media/mmc1/app-backup.tgz /var/lib/install

To restore from backup, use:

tar zxpf /media/mmc1/app-backup.tgz -C /

At least you don't have to be root. You do need xterm, though, or sshd. Note that this will backup/restore ALL installed apps (not just the ones that appear in the Extras menu). It will restore menu icons for those apps that have them in the Extras menu.

[Reggie]

Will that create the Extras menu structure as well?

Thanks.

[gnuite]

Will that create the Extras menu structure as well?

Thanks.

If you look inside /etc/others-menu, the Extras menu is actually a link into /var/lib/install, so tarballing /var/lib/install will indeed backup the menu icons in the Extras menu.

[ziggamon]

Has anyone actually tried this?
Also - will it be possible to use Application Catalog to uninstall things later?

[ks1g]

Has anyone actually tried this?
Also - will it be possible to use Application Catalog to uninstall things later?

I made a backup of /var/lib/install this way but haven't restored it; doing it this way defeats using a package manager as it will have no info that packages have been installed unless the data files the Application Catalog uses are also restored.

[aflegg]

The data on the installed applications is kept in /var/lib/install/var/lib/dpkg - so backing up, and restoring, /var/lib/install will act as if you'd re-installed the apps from the debs.

[fredoll]

don't forget to backup user's home directory at the same time ...
O Fred

[aflegg]

The way I do this is using rsync, details at:

http://www.bleb.org/software/770/#sync

[Gourmet]

My 2cts:
In order to prevent from reinstalling every thing when upgrading and to forget to restore something in the home directory (the backup software doesn't save the subdirectories from other applications than those installed by default, for ex, gpe) I'd written my own, one to save the whole home directory and one to save the miscellaneous files modified in /etc (ip-up.local, minircS, fstab, etc).
I do not need to save /var/lib/install since this directory is on the flash, so protected from firmware upgrade.
db

[ziggamon]

After doing two reflashes in a day, I finally hacked up this line of code:

(in /media/mmc1)
for i in `ls *.deb`; do app-installer-tool install $i; done;

That basically installs all deb files on the memory card.
Oh, and do keep a copy of all those debs on your PC ;-)

Takes a couple of minutes, but completely by itself, and works great!