Systemback is a winning deployment tool!

John Hupp lubuntu at prpcompany.com
Sat Jan 24 14:36:10 UTC 2015


On 1/24/2015 2:25 AM, Nio Wiklund wrote:
> Den 2015-01-24 00:02, John Hupp skrev:
>> Two thumbs up for Systemback!
>>
>> See http://sourceforge.net/projects/systemback/ and
>> https://launchpad.net/systemback for simple instructions to install it
>> from a PPA.
>>
>> Systemback is designed for several purposes (system restore points and
>> backup) but I have tested it and like it as a deployment tool. Set up a
>> one-user model system just the way you want it, create a Live System
>> from that, then write that to USB flash drive or DVD. Now boot that on
>> another machine that you want to deploy to, run Systemback again and it
>> will automatically prompt to install the system on that machine with
>> user credentials and host name that you enter.
>>
>> It will install with all of your custom settings and added programs.
>>
>> There is an option to capture the user files in the Live image.
>>
>> The developer Kendek is very active and responsive.
>>
>> In my case I set up a Lubuntu 14.04.1 32-bit desktop and then used a
>> Live DVD to install on Intel and an AMD test machines.
>>
>> Just a couple special notes to date:
>>
>> 1) If you have an older video card the program may not start initially.
>> Just run it again.  See https://bugs.launchpad.net/systemback/+bug/1413661
>>
>> 2) The program is QT5 and downloads a bunch of dependencies.
>>
>> 3) The Live DVD does not boot nearly as quickly as the Lubuntu Live
>> DVD.  (I also created a Live USB flash drive, but my test targets did
>> not support USB boot.)
>>
>> Apart from those quibbles, I have found nothing else like this program!
>>
>> Thanks to Eric Bradshaw for reporting on his own usage of the program,
>> which set me on this path.
>>
> Hi John,
>
> Thanks a lot for sharing this information about Systemback. I intend to
> test it. Maybe it can replace the One Button Installer (possibly even
> for very low RAM computers).
>
> Best regards
> Nio
>

Hi, Nio.

I never got around to having a close look at or trying out your OBI, so 
I'll be interested in hearing your take on how they stack up.

One quibble I should have added re Systemback is the mere fact that you 
have to install it.  It's not currently a priority for me to use the 
program for ongoing system restore points.  For me right now it is a 
deployment tool, but it ends up installed on the target system.  I 
haven't found out yet whether it installs anything that autostarts and 
thereby slows down the performance.

But still, even with 4 quibbles, I don't know of anything else that will 
achieve this sort of deployment.

--John



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