The importance of making backups

Inspired by my success with Fedora Linux 10 on //deliliah and the upgrade from SuSE 9.2 to SuSE 10.0 on //grendel, I upgraded //grendel to SuSE 10.2. Without making backups of key files on //grendel.

The install of Fedora Linux 10 on //delilah was straightforward, as it was an empty machine. (The install even noted that there was no partition table and asked if it should create one.)

Upgrades are a different animal. With upgrades, there are files present, partitions present, and all kinds of things are changed, not merely written.

I use //grendel as my server for web pages, databases, and version control. It runs Apache (and PHP), MySQL, and Subversion. It holds the web page content, the database files, and the subversion repository.

When I started the upgrade, I had the little thought: I should back up my files, at least the subversion files. (The web pages and MySQL data are all test files, easily re-created.) But no, I said. I've upgraded SuSE before and each time it has worked. I will take the risk. And so I took the risk.

And lost. The update completed, but it had problems. Something is not happy, and now //grendel boots and then stops. I lose all keyboard and mouse control, and all activity (blinking cursors) stops. Oddly, the screen remains, so the video card is running.

Worst case, I re-install an OS on //grendel. Probably SuSE Linux, maybe version 11.0 if I can find a DVD reader. (I could borrow one out of //delwood.) Before that, I will try the Linux BBC (Bootable Business Card) to start a small Linux, mount the disk, and save the subversion files. (Where? Can I also mount a location on //desdemona? I'll need NFS for that.)

In other news, I attended the local CALUG Linux User group meeting last night. The speaker presented a program called "GNU screen" and another called "byobu". The first allows for multiple windows in an SSH session; the second allows for easy configuration of the multiple windows. A rather useful tool for administrators.

Yesterday I also found an article on Network World that listed a bunch of useful job sites. Some I recognized (dice.com, indeed.com, simplyhired.com, and theladders.com) and most were new to me. The article did not list the "biggies" (careerbuilder.com, monster.com, jobster.com) either because they wanted to focus on IT-specific sites or because there is a (non-obvious) sponsorship. I plan on checking out the new sites. If they make sense, I will add them to my routine.