[Question] TimeShift like full system backup profile?

[mkkyah]

Hi,
I have configured 1.2.0 alpha12 with Germar's help to backup my Ubuntu 16.04 laptop to my Qnap Nas over ssh. After a few tests and trials to understand, I'm using BiT to backup my Data and Home with a few add/exclude rules. It's working like a charm. Thanks for the really fast and efficient support.
My new question:
After getting used to BiT and it's configuration I have uninstalled Time Shift from my laptop. I was using it for system backup. It was nice and easy, but there are also downsides like backup path limitation, having a second backup software and backups taking too much space than I expected.
How should I configure BiT(or is it possible) to have a full system only snapshot profile? Will everything covered as in Time Shift? How will a restore process to same and different laptops be?
(I have read somewhere that this full system backup is planned, but couldn't find the thread.)

[Germar]

You'd need to use Back in Time (root) and include /. Default excludes should normally cover all parts that can't be backed up or don't need to be backed up. Downside of this (in case of a disaster) is, you still need to recreate partitions and filesystems and restore from a LiveCD. You could additional create an Image with Clonezilla and restore this first so you only need to restore all changes since the Image was created with BiT.

But IMHO this is a bit overkill. Most of the system are static files, that can be installed again quite fast. My personal system-backup strategy is to only backup /etc and /usr/local (that's where all my custom scripts live) as root and also backup a list of installed packages. Take a look at our FAQ How to backup Debian/Ubuntu Package selection?

The Full system backup is a contribution which is not ready yet (#480)

[mkkyah]

Dear Germar,
I have added that 2 system folders and trying to follow the
  tutorial for user-callback.apt-backup.
 I'm running BiT as root

 I have created /root/.config/backintime/user-callback
  folder, 

copied user-callback.apt-backup to that folder,
 executed sudo chmod 755 /root/.config/backintime/user-callback
 and run snapshot, but there is no  ~/.apt-backup
      created. Am I copying the file in a wrong
      structure or with wrong name?

[Germar]

The script itself must be /root/.config/backintime/user-callback. No subfolders!

[mkkyah]

Ok,
I have already tried that, too. I have downloaded user-callback-master.zip and extracted, copied user-backup.apt-backup file to /root/.config/backintime folder and renamed as user-callback. Than run sudo chmod 755 /root/.config/backintime/user-callback
Still not working.

[mkkyah]

solved.
I have cleaned everything and started from scratch for the process. This time I have created the script file with nano (probably not related) and it worked. I have a /root/.apt-backup folder now.

[Germar]

👍

Don't forget to include /root/.apt-backup, too.

[mkkyah]

I did that, thank you.
Regarding to system restore,
Will restoring these backups be enough to a new fresh Ubuntu installation, without permission setups etc?

[Germar]

To restore your whole system you need to follow the FAQ How to restore Debian/Ubuntu Package selection?

I don't understand what you mean with permission setups!?

[mkkyah]

I did mean to restore the backup (including the system files, not only data) to a new laptop. Will it be working straight after restore or do we need some tweaking with uid, guid settings.

[Germar]

It will work straight as you restore /etc, too.