How can I easily sync two external HDD backups on Linux Mint?
Asked by
CuriousCat42
I'm using Linux Mint for my daily tasks and I have two external HDDs that hold identical copies of my personal files, like photos, documents, videos, and dotfiles. Each backup is about 500GB, and managing updates—like copying, deleting, or adding files—manually is a real hassle. I'm worried about making mistakes and losing sync between the two backups. I prefer having physical backups since I don't trust cloud storage for sensitive files and want to avoid extra costs. I'm looking for a software solution, preferably with a user-friendly GUI, that allows me to manage the backups more efficiently, ideally by updating the second disk automatically when I change the first one. Any suggestions?
Answers
Just a heads up, there's a difference between backups and syncing! You'll want to clarify what you're doing with your files. If you're looking for a tool to keep both HDDs up to date with identical copies, that sounds like syncing. Make sure to find a tool that allows for this so you don't have to do any manual copying or pasting.
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Have you tried using the `rsync` tool? It's really efficient for syncing files between directories. If you prefer a GUI, check out the Pika Backup app. It's a Flatpak that lets you select your source and destination drives easily. You can even schedule backups at specific times, like setting it to sync the drives every Friday. It's very flexible and gives you various options for how and when to back up your files, so you'll have peace of mind knowing both drives are up to date.
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For a reliable sync solution, look into the Syncthing application. It runs in the background and automatically syncs the files between your two HDDs without manual intervention. Just set it up to monitor the folders where your files are stored, and it will take care of the rest!
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