How to back up your installed applications with APTonCD

APTonCD is a very cool application that will backup the packages (software) on your system to a CD or DVD. This will not backup any personal, user created files. This is very handy for example, if you’re re-installing Ubuntu for whatever reason, but you don’t want to have to re-install every single peice of software that you’ve accumulated over time. All you do is back them up with APTonCD, and then re-install them onto your new system. This could also be useful with setting up new machines, they can benefit from all the cool software that you’ve scoured the web to find. To install APTonCD you can…go to the Add/Remove menu, or you can go to System > Administration > Synaptic Package Manager, or you can install from the command line by opening a terminal and entering…

sudo apt-get install aptoncd

Now that you have it installed you can find it in System > Administration > APTonCD.

Upon opening it up you’re greeted with 2 options. To make a backup of your programs, click Create.

Now you simply check everything you want to make a backup of (everything is checked by default). A right-click gives check all, and uncheck all options. Click Burn to begin the backup process.

APTonCD has created an *.iso image of your packages ready to be burnt onto a CD or DVD. You can then choose your burning application. I just use the default nautilus cd burner.

Now choose whether you want a CD, or DVD, and the name of your image. The box marked Create a meta-package is a useful tool. It will create a little package on the disc that you can then use upon installation to install every package at once without having to select each and every one of them.

Choose your drive, and write speed. A lower speed will allow a greater chance for disc integrity, I always use 4x. That’s it, your backup disc will be done shortly. Later, we’ll cover how to install or restore from this disc.

dannybuntu

January 20th, 2009 at 4:29 am

Will it backup the settings too?

eli

January 20th, 2009 at 5:59 pm

@ Danny, no it won’t. It won’t ignore any user generated settings, or info. That can be a bad thing if you want to restore your own machine. However, I’ve found it helpful when sharing apps with other people.

January 21st, 2009 at 5:57 am

oh well, ill just copy the home directory then. Thanks for taking the time to share this. ive had some near scrapes with hard drive failures lately thanks again.