On Fri, 10 Jan 2025 09:36:04 -0500, Dan wrote in message
<Z4EwVAx4Z1VTMSVS@???>:

> On Jan 10, 2025, Arnt Karlsen wrote:
> > On Fri, 10 Jan 2025 05:15:59 -0500, Dan wrote in message
> > <Z4DzX4HO31TSUhRj@???>:
> > > On Jan 09, 2025, Walter Dnes wrote:
> > > > 3) What critical portions of the system should I back up
> > > > regularly? Right now I expect that it should be something
> > > > like...
> > > >

> > > > * /etc
> > > > * /root
> > > > * /home/user2
> > > > * /home/waltdnes    

> > >
> > > Yes, No, Yes, Yes.
> > >
> > > "/root" is the homedir for the "root" user. I wouldn't expect any
> > > actual data there, especially given your above comment about using
> > > sudo.
> >
> > ..root's command line history, package management history and
> > config change history warrants rsync cron jobs, IMNTHO, say
> > into /home/configtracker, on both boxes.
>
> Insofar as I am aware, none of which exist when doing "sudo
> whatevercommand", since everything is being executed by the calling
> user (i.e. "sudo vi /etc/theconfigfile" shows up in my user's
> history,

...making it visible to any cracker visiting either one of your boxes.

> not the root account's).
>
> Now, obviously, if one is using an actual 'root' user to do admin
> tasks, backing up /root can make some degree of sense.

..it would make more sense to limit that back-up to what's needed for
an automagic install on a new iron to recover the working environment
you had in say 5 minutes until Musk or Trump or Xi or Putin decided to
blow up your current box, without having to recover those tweaks you
forgot how and when and why etc you did over the last few decades...

..play with VMs to start getting an idea of what you want, virt-p2v
(physical-to-virtual machine converter) may be worth checking out.

--
..med vennlig hilsen = with Kind Regards from Arnt Karlsen
...with a number of polar bear hunters in his ancestry...
Scenarios always come in sets of three:
best case, worst case, and just in case.