Kup Backup System not working

[Morgenkaff]

I've installed Kubuntu 20.04 today. It went as smooth as one can expect this early in its life. But when I tried to start backup via the built in backup system ("Backups" in system settings), I got the error message:

The bup program is needed but could not be found, maybe it is not installed?

I tried to find bup via apt, but no luck. I could not find it at packages.ubuntu.com/ either.

What am I missing?

Best
Morgenkaff

[Snowhog]

Huh? "...built in backup system..."

I'm running a stock 20.04, and there is no 'built in backup system' in System Settings or elsewhere.

[Don B. Cilly]

Still, there is a bup:

~$ apt-cache search bup
...
bup - highly efficient file backup system based on git
...

~$ apt-cache policy bup
bup:
 Installed: (none)
 Candidate: 0.29-3
 Version table:
    0.29-3 500
       500 http://es.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/universe amd64 Packages

Therefore:

~$ bup

Command 'bup' not found, but can be installed with:

sudo apt install bup

[GreyGeek]

The name of the program is kup-backup.
Did you install using the EXT4 file system? If so, then kup-backup is one way to go. So is timeshift or backintime-qt.

I've been using Kubuntu since January of 2009 and your post was the first I'd heard of kup-backup.
It's in the repository and you can install it from there.
sudo apt install kup-backup

In checking the Internet on its use I found that some folks are having trouble figuring out how to do a restore, and, it doesn't support backing up to a remote site.

I also read that there are two types of backups: versioned and synchronized. The first keeps all copies of a file and if you make a change to a file and then decide you want to rollback to the previous, or a previous, version then versioned is the type that you should select. Synchronized means that when you make a change to a file that change is also made to the backed up version.

Here is a video of the program:

And, an interesting comment posted beneath it by a viewer:

barkingbandicoot 8 months ago
I was excited for this. Unfortunately it will not back up all files. Even the developer states it is not a comprehensive system back up. I chose Timeshift again.

Here is a tutorial for Kup-backup:
https://averagelinuxuser.com/kup-backup/

[Don B. Cilly]

Different one

kup-backup - backup tool for KDE's Plasma desktop

kup-backup:
Installed: (none)
Candidate: 0.7.1+dfsg-1
Version table:
0.7.1+dfsg-1 500
500 http://es.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/universe amd64 Packages

[Schwarzer Kater]

As far as I can see, the current repositories for (K)ubuntu 20.04 do contain kup-backup, but no bup - only 18.04 repositories contain bup…
If I did not miss it, this makes no sense to me, as kup-backup does need bup for its full functionality!

All theory though - I currently use Back In Time for my Linux-systems.

[Don B. Cilly]

Yeah, well I am on 18.04 (as a base, neon 5.18)
Still, what does
apt-cache policy bup
say there?

[EDIT] Friend of yours?

[Schwarzer Kater]

apt-cache policy bup

-> Kubuntu 18.04 (partner and kubuntu-backports repositories enabled)

bup:
Installiert: (keine)
Installationskandidat: 0.29-3
Versionstabelle:
0.29-3 500
500 http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/universe amd64 Packages

-> Kubuntu 20.04 (partner and kubuntu-backports repositories enabled)

bup:
Installiert: (keine)
Installationskandidat: (keine)
Versionstabelle:

That's it - and sorry for the German…

Perhaps the thread opener should give Back In Time for files or Timeshift for system backups a try untill bup is available for 20.04?

PS: @ Mr. Cilly
I dont' know him - yet… :-D

[Don B. Cilly]

Well, I don't know... but...

What if you try and install the 18.04 version? It might work...

[EDIT] This one: https://packages.ubuntu.com/bionic/bup

[GreyGeek]

Since kup-backup uses a git method to make backups and, I assume, restores, why not avoid the middleman and use git directly. I used to use git for a backup tool for both my development directories and my personal files before BTRFS came along. It worked fast and was easy to use. It could move a copy of the tree to a remote site if your git was configured to do so.

[claydoh]

Bup is older, Python2 code, which looks to have been removed from Debian, and by osmosis from *bunut.


One can install kup without bup ( which is marked as a 'recommend' as opposed to a 'depend')

sudo apt install kup-backup --no-install-recommends

My guess is that this software, which is direct import from Debian, not by Ubuntu themselves, is using the normal packaging conventions of Debian --Ubuntu differs from Debian in that packages marked as 'recommend' are automatically installed. In Debian they are not. And no one has noticed this and reported it yet.

[Schwarzer Kater]

Well, one could use kup without bup for the "Synchronized Backup" with rsync, but without the option of a "Versioned Backup" with bup in Kubuntu 20.04 then…