How to Backup a Linux Computer to a Windows Computer Without Losing Permissions

You are going to need a way to transfer files from your linux box to your windows box. For this I used ftp, and more specifically, I used filezilla. You could use any other ftp server if you want, but directions for filezilla are below.

Here is the link to download filezilla.

You want to download the server version, and install it on your computer. When you install, you will have the choice to start the server every time windows boots. For me, I only use the server sporadically, so I choose the manual start options instead of the automatic startup.

Once filezilla is installed you will need to start it by selecting "Start Filezilla Server" on your start menu. Next you will want to configure it by running the "Filezilla Server Interface" from your start menu.

To configure your ftp server go to the "Edit" menu and select "Users". Add on the general page click "add" to add a user like below. This will be the ftp login name you use.



Next you will choose which folders to share by clicking on the "Shared Folders" page as below. Then you enter what directory you want to be your ftp directory. To the right of the Shared folders, I choose to allow all permissions for the ftp site. If you are behind a firewall this should be ok temporarly (but don't leave it up). If you are not behind a firewall then this will not be secure.



Ok, your ftp server is set up. To test it you can ftp to it by typing "ftp://127.0.0.1" in your web favorite browser. You can replace the 127.0.0.1 with your computer's ip address. (You will need to know your windows computer's IP address later anyway.) If you don't know your computer's ip address then you can type in "ipconfig" in the "Command Prompt". The command prompt is under "Accessories" in Windows XP.

Be sure to stop filezilla's server when you are finished.

OK, you have your ftp server running, now it is time to get ready to backup ALL of your files.

If you were to simply log onto your linux box an start transferring files, then you wouldn't be able to get all of them. This is because in a working operating system, so files will be in use. To get around this problem I use Knoppix.

Knoppix is an entire operating system on a cd or dvd. When you boot from a knoppix cd it runs as the operating system (OS) on your computer until you restart your computer, and your computer's native OS is not touched.

To get Knoppix started you need to:
1. Download Knoppix
2. Burn it to a CD or DVD.
3. Put the burned CD or DVD into your linux computer.
4. Restart the linux computer.
5. At the command prompt press enter to boot knoppix, or type in knoppix.

You should see something like below.


Sometimes the default options don't work for everyone on knoppix. I had to use the command line:

knoppix xmodule=vesa noswap

Here is more info on knoppix options.

OK, now the fun part. It is time to backup all of those files. Here are the steps.
1. Mount your linux hard drives
You could do this from the command prompt, but the easiest way is to click on the hard drives shown on your desktop. They will say something like "hde1" or "hda2", etc. All of these drives are your linux hard drive partitions. An error message may pop up, but it always mounts them.

2. Find tar
Tar is the program in linux that will compress all of your files into one file for transfer. You will need to know it's location. To do this, open a terminal and type:

which tar

It should give you tar's location.

3. Connect through FTP to your windows computer.
To start ftp type:

sudo ftp 192.168.1.100 21

Replace "192.168.1.100" with the ip address of your windows box. If you don't know it's ip address you can use ipconfig as explained above.

4. Backup your files
To zip and transfer your files in one step you can use the following lines while connected through ftp:

binary
put |"sudo /bin/tar -cvlOo /media/hde7" stuff.tar

The binary line sets the ftp program to binary mode instead of text mode.

The second line tells tar to compress the files, and ftp to send them to the windows computer. (Keep the quotes). You will need to modify this line. The nice thing about doing this in one line is that the large compressed file does not get saved on your linux hard drive before transfer.

First, replace "/bin/tar" with the location of your tar found in step 2.

Next, replace "/media/hde7" with the location of your hard drives. They will all be in the media directory, and will start with hd. They are the ones listed on your desktop. You will have to back each partition up individually.

Finally, replace "stuff.tar" with whatever you want to call the new backup file that will be saved on your windows box.

Congratulations, you have backed up all of your files.

You could backup your windows files to your linux computer, but I personally want a little more security for my files. To get even better security, I use Mozy. With mozy I can backup all of my files on my windows box (it will also work for a Mac) online. With online backup my files are protected even in the face of some catastrophic like a fire at my home. Also, they have the capability to backup large files, which not all online backup places have. Here is there link:

The also offer 2GB of backup space for free to try them out:

Mozy Online Backup. 2GB Free or $4.95/mo for Unlimited Backup. It's simple, automatic and secure!


I have also heard a lot about carbonite, but I can't personally vouch for them. Here is there info:

Will your business survive a PC Disaster? Carbonite Online Backup protects your important files. Start your free trial!

How can I look at my backed up linux files on my windows computer?
I personally use 7 zip to view the files from windows. This can also be a good way to verify your files were transfered properly.
What if I can't open my files in windows?
It is probably because you didn't use the binary command. You will need to back up the files again.

I don't know what spec requirements there are for this process, so I though I would give info about my computers just in case people want to know.

The Windows Box:
OS: Windows XP Professional Service Pack 3
Processor: Overclocked Athlon MP 2800+
RAM: 1GB
Backup Software: Mozy
Antivirus/Firewall: McAfee

The Linux Box:
OS: Mandriva Linux 2007 (yea I know I need to upgrade)
Processor: Celeron 1.4GHz
Motherboard: Asus P2B-F with Powerleap adapter for the processor. (old, but still going strong)
RAM: 1GB