These are instructions on how to set up "Backup Monitor" so that it helps
you in regularly making a backup of your valuable data.

FOREWORD:

Backup Monitor has been designed to make a backup of directories
arranged in the following way:

$HOME/
  Documents/
    mydocs/
    mywhatever/
    bla.txt
  Videos/
    ...
  Images/
    ...
  Music/
    ... 

So the following two points must be clearly understood:

   a. the data that is not in a directory called Documents, Videos,
   Images or Music won't be backed up

   b. in the named directories, the data that is not stored in
   subdirectories will not be backed up ! For instance in the
   "Document" folder the content of the "mydocs" and "mywhatever"
   directories will be backed up but "bla.txt" won't !
  
If you want to change this behaviour you're of course free to do so by
modifying the scripts.


REQUIREMENTS:

Depends on python>2.4, pygtk, rsync, and xdg-utils
(more info about xdg-utils: http://portland.freedesktop.org/wiki/)


INSTALLATION:

1/ Decompress the archive (if you're reading this you've probably
already done it already)

2/ Run the script of installation:

$ ./install_script.sh

..note: This will install all the needed files in your home folder.

3/ Make sure that "Backup Monitor" is launched every time you log in
on your desktop.

..hint: To do so on a GNOME desktop go in Preferences->Sessions and
add the backup-monitor.py script (installed by default in $HOME/bin/)
to the startup list.

4/ Connect the device (e.g. external hard disk) that will be used to
store a the backup copy of your data.

5/ Let's assume it's detected with the name MyDrive, then you should:
   
   a. Create a specific backup directory (e.g. called
   "MyBackupFolder") on this drive (optional but surely good practice)

   b. Create a symolic link named backup_destination in you home
   folder. Here is the command needed to do so in a terminal:

$ cd $HOME; ln -s /media/MyDrive/MyBackupFolder backup_destination

Now "Backup Monitor" should start automatically at your next desktop
session. However if you're impatient to do your first backup, you may
already launch it on the command line like this:

$ cd $HOME/bin; python backup-monitor.py