Systemback make a bootable .iso of your current system configuration

Systemback is a great utility for making backups of your system to USB drives, and ISO files to install on other computers. Below is a tutorial how to backup to a USB drive.  To create an ISO, select Live System Create, Create New, select the live created image from the window, select Convert to ISO, then burn the ISO to a DVD.

How to Install Systemback on Ubuntu 18.04 and Ubuntu 18.10

Last Updated: December 18, 2018 Xiao Guo An (Admin) 

1 Comment

Ubuntu

This tutorial will be showing you how to install Systemback on Ubuntu 18.04 and Ubuntu 18.10. Systemback is a simple system backup
and restore application, released under the terms of GPLv3 license. Features of Systemback includes:

• Create backups of the system and the users configuration files
• Restore the system to a previous state, just like the snapshot function of Virtualbox
• Create bootable ISO file from existing installation
• Copy the system from one partition to another partition.
• Upgrade software

Install Systemback on Ubuntu 18.04 and Ubuntu 18.10

Ubuntu 16.04 and 14.04 users can install Systemback from PPA by running the following commands in terminal.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:nemh/systemback

sudo apt update

sudo apt install systemback

The author of Systemback stopped its development in 2016, so Ubuntu 18.04 and 18.10 are not in the supported list. If you run the above command
on Ubuntu 18.04, you will see the following error,

E: The repository 'http://ppa.launchpad.net/nemh/systemback/ubuntu bionic Release' does not have a Release 
file.

or

E: Unable to locate package systemback

To install systemback on Ubuntu 18.04/18.10, first remove the PPA.

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:nemh/systemback

The Systemback binary for Ubuntu 16.04 is compatible with Ubuntu 18.04/18.10, so we can add the Ubuntu 16.04 PPA on 18.04/18.10 with the following command:

sudo add-apt-repository "deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/nemh/systemback/ubuntu xenial main"

Then import the GPG signing key of this PPA so that the package manager can verify signature. The signing key can be found on launchpad.net.

sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 382003C2C8B7B4AB813E915B14E4942973C62A1B

Update package list and install Systemback

sudo apt update

sudo apt install systemback

Then you can start Systemback from your application menu. You need to enter your password to use this software. After you enter the password,
click OK button.

As you can see, you can create restore points of your system, restore to a point, copy the system to another partition,
install the system to a new partition, create live system (bootable ISO image), repair the system and upgrade software on the system.

How to Create a Bootable ISO Image From Your Current System

Systemback can create a customized ISO image file from your current system. Every program and file can be included in the ISO.
Click the Live System Create button, then give a name to your ISO file. You have the option to include the user data files. Click the
Create Newbutton to create live system.

After the live system is created, you can convert the sblive file to ISO file. Note that if the sblive file is too big, you can’t convert it to ISO file.
The sblive and ISO file are stored under your home directory by default, but they are not visible.

You can also insert your pen drive to your computer and write the sblive file to pen drive. (Click the reload button to detect USB drives.)

Because my system has many programs and files, this process can take some time.

Once it’s done, you can use the bootable USB to install your customized Ubuntu system on other computers.

I hope this tutorial helped you install Systemback on Ubuntu 18.04 and 18.10. As always, if you found this post useful, then subscribe to our free newsletter to get more tips and tricks. Take care 🙂

Source: https://www.linuxbabe.com/ubuntu/install-systemback-ubuntu-18-04-bionic-18-10

Timeshift A System Restore Utility Tool Review

TimeShift is a system restore tool for Linux. It provides functionality that is quite similar to the System Restore feature in Windows or the Time Machine tool in MacOS. TimeShift protects your system by making incremental snapshots of the file system manually or at regular automated intervals. 

These snapshots can then be restored at a later point to undo all changes to the system and restore it to the previous state. Snapshots are made using rsync and hard-links and the tool shares common files amongst snapshots in order to save disk space. Now that we have an idea about what Timeshift is, let us take take a detail look at setting up and using this tool. ​​

How to install Timeshift in Linux?

For Ubuntu and Ubuntu based distros such as Mint

Packages are available in my Launchpad PPA for supported Ubuntu releases. Run the following commands in a terminal window:

sudo apt-add-repository ppa:teejee2008/ppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install timeshift

Interface and Usage

​Timeshift is available as GUI but it can also be used from the terminal. Timeshift will require root or administrative permissions on startup as it allows you to modify essential parts of your system. With TimeShift, you can make snapshots automatically or manually. You can configure it for an automatic snapshot on an hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Or you can schedule snapshots to be made on every bootup. You can also configure how often snapshots should be removed.

Setup Wizard allows you to create Automated Snapshots

Select Snapshot Type

​Timeshift supports 2 snapshot formats. The first is by using Rsync and the second is by using the in-built features of BTRFS file system that allows snapshots to be created. So you can select the BTRFS format if you are using that particular filesystem. Other than that, you have to choose the Rsync format.

Select Snapshot Location

​The next thing you do is select your snapshot location. You can choose to have your snapshots on your local disk or on an external storage device.

Select Snapshot Levels

​As I mentioned earlier, Timeshift allows you to create snapshots on hourly, daily, weekly, monthly or on boot basis. So you can select the frequencies you want and the number of snapshots to keep.

​And then foward to the next screen to complete your setup.

Main Screen

​Timeshift presents a very simple main screen. From here, you can create, restore or delete your snapshots.

Creating a Snapshot

Creating a snapshot is simple. Just click on the Create button and then a snaphot will thus be creaated. Depending on what should be included or excluded from the snapshots, it will take a couple of minutes for the process to be completed.

You can add comments to your snapshots so you can have a description of the snapshot.

Timeshift Settings

​Timeshift allows users to customize how snapshots are made, what is included or not. Same as with the setup wizard, you can choose whether or not to use the Rsync or the BTRFS format.

You can also specify the location and then the schedule for automatic backups.

Filters

​You can also specify filters to include or exclude files or directories from the snapshots. TimeShift is designed to protect system files and settings. User data such as documents, pictures and music are excluded by default. This prevents you from overwriting your documents when you restore a snapshot or using all of your storage to backup media (pictures, music, and video) files. But you can change this using the Filters option in Settings.

Clicking on the summary option under Filters will give you a fair indication of what is included or not.

Restoring Backup

​Restoring a Backup is as simple as selecting the snapshot you wish to restore and clicking on the Restore button.

Target Device

​And then you will select your target device where files will be restored. You will have to specify your root device and whether or not to keep the boot and home files on the root device or on another partiton.

Bootloader options

​You then specify the bootloader options as to whether or not to reinstall GRUB2, to update or not intramfs and the Grub Menu.

Exclude Application Settings

​You can select to exclude some applications especially Web browsers and Torrent clients or others from the restore process.

Complete Process

Finally, you accept a disclaimer about things going wrong and then applying the restore.

Snapshot Restore

​The snapshot will be applied and then your computer will restart to complete the process.

Conclusion

​Timeshift is an awesome software around. It allows you to restore your PC to a previous state without any devastating consequences especially when something breaks or is not working well. I hope you find this tool useful. Thanks for reading and kindly share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.

Source: http://www.linuxandubuntu.com/home/timeshift-a-system-restore-utility-tool-review

Installing Timeshift into Linux Mint 18.2 non-BTRFS

In a previous article it was stated that the next version of Linux Mint would include a piece of software called Timeshift, a very popular and powerful backup utility. However, currently Timeshift is not included with Linux Mint, and so an article about how to install it, and use it, is in order.

What is Timeshift?




Timeshift is a system backup and restore utility similar to Windows System Restore, or Mac OSX Time Machine. Essentially, Timeshift will allow you to make routine backups of your system, and restore them at any time, as well as the option of making manual backups if needed.

Installing Timeshift

Timeshift can easily be installed on any Ubuntu based system by use of a PPA:

• sudo apt-add-repository -y ppa:teejee2008/ppa
• sudo apt update
• sudo apt install timeshift

Setting up Timeshift at first run

Timeshift is very straightforward with no confusing setup, thankfully. When first run, a short set of questions are asked.







The first box asks if you want to use RSYNC or BTRFS, unless you are running a BTRFS system (If you even have to ask, you are not running BTRFS), simply select the RSYNC Option.






Next, we are asked for the snapshot location, simply select where you want to store your snapshots, and move on to the next screen.







The next window, asks when snapshots should be taken, and how many should be stored in rotation. The default settings are usually fine for most people, opting to take a new snapshot each hour, storing 5 before they are thrown away. This means that at all times, you will have your last five hours constantly at your disposal, so if you do something you might regret, you can rollback to a previous hour, and not have (hopefully) lost much of your work you did after the snapshot was taken.

Using Timeshift

Once the setup is finished, you’ll be taken to the main Timeshift window, which again is very simple to use. For the purpose of this tutorial, let’s make a snapshot, and then restore it (Please don’t be doing anything super important at this time, as restoring the snapshot will cause your machine to reboot!)
Click the ‘Create’ button, and voila, a snapshot is automatically created with no mucking around. It took my system around 30 seconds to make a snapshot of my entire 600GB Linux partition on my new Desktop.
Now, at the main Timeshift screen you will see your snapshot we just made (and in the future, your other snapshots that were automatically made at the times you specified, such as every hour AND every boot.) To restore the snapshot we just took, simply click the snapshot you wish to restore and then click ‘Restore’ to be taken to the next screen.






On this screen you’ll be given the option to select where files will be restored (usually default is fine) as well as whether you want to keep the /boot and /home folders on the Root Device. If you have your /home folder in a separate partition or device, then change this accordingly, but if your system is not customized so heavily and it’s all stored in the same place; simply leave the defaults and click next.
Next, select any applications you wish to exclude, such as web browsers, torrent clients etc.
The next screen will notify you about what is about to happen, and give the typical “If your computer blows up, or takes over the world, we can’t be held responsible,” type disclaimer. Scan it over to make sure you’re all set, and then click next. You will then be given a black screen with scrolling text as Timeshift does it’s thing, before your machine is rebooted automatically. Upon logging back in, you are now loaded back into that snapshot of how your system was!

Last words

Timeshift is incredibly easy to use, and I for one am glad that it’s making its way into the upcoming Linux Mint by default, as I think everyone should be using it personally, as it’s simply invaluable to keep backups of your system.
What about you? Do you use a different utility? If so, will you be using Timeshift in the future on your Mint system, or will you stick with your current way of doing things?


Source: https://www.ghacks.net/2017/10/04/installing-timeshift-into-linux-mint-18-2-non-btrfs/

Foobar Music Player available on Linux

The popular Foobar Music Player is available for Linux. It uses Wine to run. It is also a Snap application, so it easy to install .
For fans of this small yet powerful and flexible music player, this is music to our ears!

foobar2000 v1.4.1 - Main features
Supported audio formats: MP3, MP4, AAC, CD Audio, WMA, Vorbis, Opus, FLAC, WavPack, WAV, AIFF, Musepack, Speex, AU, SND... and more with additional components.
Gapless playback.
Easily customizable user interface layout.
Advanced tagging capabilities.
Support for ripping Audio CDs as well as transcoding all supported audio formats using the Converter component.
Full ReplayGain support.
Customizable keyboard shortcuts.
Open component architecture allowing third-party developers to extend functionality of the player.

How to install it: From a terminal:

sudo snap install foobar2000

How To Test or Install Linux Distro's On A USB Drive

Linux includes the Startup Disk Creator. Burning DVDs can be time consuming and get expensive if you routinely try various Linux distributions and new releases (like I do). I found the boot up process works much faster than DVDs also. And if you have an aging PC that has a slow DVD drive, using a USB stick is a great option.

1- Start Startup Disc Creator
2- Insert a USB storage stick (use a 4 GB or greater capacity drive)
3- Select the Linux Distro ISO file from your hard drive
4- Select Make Startup Disk




If you need to install it, you can open a Terminal and install it:

sudo apt-get install usb-creator-gtk

13 Best Ubuntu Web Browsers: Which One is Right for You?

Who doesn’t know about web browsers in this advanced modern technology? I know all of you are aware of it but let me inform you in brief about that. Here we are going to give focus to a list of Best Ubuntu web browsers that allowed you help to choose the fastest and lightest one for the Ubuntu system.
Generally, web browsers allow you to visit a wide range of information by accessing the online web.  As there is plenty of browsing software available for Linux, undoubtedly it will puzzle you to choose the best one for your Ubuntu system.
To make your task more comfortable, we have narrowed down the list of it. In this article, we will describe the best 13 Ubuntu web browsers to surf the web with comfort. Let’s have a close look at it.

13 Best Ubuntu Web Browsers

---

Here I will discuss a well-researched comprehensive list of Linux Web Browsers that may appear attractive for you. This Ubuntu Web Browsers list is not any specific order. This article helps you to get known about various web browser that available for Ubuntu Linux.

1. Chromium or Google Chrome

---

Chromium is a widely used web browser application that you have ever used. It has fantastic features such as a tabbed window, Theora, different WebM codes for the latest audio and video of HTML5 including useful bookmarks.

Google chrome is also a favorite Ubuntu browser that supports both in PC and smartphones. It has nice featuring of wonderful bookmarking and synchronization. Google Chrome is a closed source web browser based on open source Chromium which is also backed by Google Inc.

Both the web browsers come with malware blocking that ultimately ensures personal information security. Moreover, there are lots of plugins in the chrome store which eventually let you increase the functionality of the browser in the Linux system. Users always choose this one than any other web browser in the market. This is one of the best Ubuntu web browsers available in the Linux world.


Install Chromium on Ubuntu Linux

sudo apt install -y chromium-browser

Run the following command if you need flash support:

sudo apt install -y pepperflashplugin-nonfree
sudo update-pepperflashplugin-nonfree --install

Install Google Chrome on Ubuntu Linux
Download Google Chrome
If above link doesn’t work, get the direct link
Direct Download Google Chrome for Ubuntu

2. Firefox

---

Firefox is another Best Browser For Linux.  This is available for some main operating system such as Linux, Windows, Androids and OS X. 

This Linux browser features with tabbed browsing, spelling check, private surfing on the internet, etc. Moreover, it widely supports XML, XHTML, and HTML4 etc.

Install Firefox on Ubuntu Linux

sudo apt install firefox

Install Firefox Quantum on Ubuntu Linux

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mozillateam/firefox-next
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt install firefox

3. Midori

---

Midori is widely used as a default browser for many Linux distros, especially for lightweight Linux distributions. The key features of it incorporate HTML5, Private browsing, speed dialing, proper management of tabs and sessions as well.

Install Midori on Ubuntu Linux via PPA

sudo apt-add-repository ppa:midori/ppa
sudo apt-get update -qq
sudo apt-get install midori

Download .deb file and Install
Download Deb File

4. Opera

---

This established web browser has been written in C++. It supports in Windows, Linux, MacOS, and also in Android phones.

It widely includes maximum tabbed cycling, Speed- dial, Unlimited VPN service and Ad block as well as opera turbo for faster surfing. You can comfortably install this Ubuntu browser for the convenient use.
Download Opera browser for Linux

5. Vivaldi

---

Vivaldi developers introduced this new browser to the modern world in 2016. The ultimate goal of this Linux web browser is to provide the fastest browsing experience including the contemporary features like quick commands, Nice tab management, etc.

The web developers use HTML5 and node.js in it. Blink layout engine has been used here. It allures you to choose a theme and appear thumbnails for every site you are likely to operate.
Download Vivaldi for Ubuntu Linux

6. Qupzilla

---

If you are looking for a browser that feels ease with KDE application, then Qupzilla should be the right choice for you. It initiated the Journey as a research project in 2010. The functions which are much needed to present in a modern web browser. This Qt based browser shows a simple interface to the users.

The most attractive feature of it is the user-friendly approach. Also, this best lightweight Linux browser provides bookmark management, speed dial, add blocks, etc.
Install Qupzilla in Ubuntu Linux

sudo apt-get install qupzilla

7. Brave

---

Mozilla co-founder Brendan Eich made this browser by using JavaScript, C, C++ languages. The primary goal is to concentrate on blocking trackers.

Users can suitably operate it on Linux, Windows, MacOS, and Android. It provides faster websites loading and makes you pleased with ad-less browsing experience.
Download Brave for Ubuntu Linux

8. Pale Moon Browser

---

If you are tired of using your older browsers, Palemoon should be the excellent recommendation for you. This open-source browser mainly focuses on the efficiency and the compatibility with various Firefox extensions as well.

Again, it offers excellent visual feedback with a robust and manageable configuration.
Download Palemoon for Ubuntu Linux

9. SeaMonkey

---

SeaMonkey has been created mainly by the Mozilla codebase. In technical growth and performance, it excels in its strategy. High speed and compatibility are to be found here with the updated version as it will use latest Mozilla code.

You will find the user interface is neat and clean. You can use the features with manageable large icons. Tab management and email component are easy to handle for the users.
Download SeaMonkey for Ubuntu Linux

10. Waterfox

---

This web browser is based on Firefox that supports Linux, Windows, MacOS, and Android. This open-source browser was developed in 2011 following the Mozilla Firefox Code.

It is available in XUL and XPCOM extensions too. It secures the privacy as well. Leading streaming services such as Netflix can be suitably used with the Waterfox.
Download Waterfox for Ubuntu Linux

11. Web (Epiphany)

---

GNOME community had developed this simple but powerful Ubuntu browser maintaining the standard assent. This lightweight Linux browser manages the extreme simplicity by displaying excellent designing and faster user interface to the people. This Webkit based official web browser is easy to use and offers a large scale of compelling features.

Install Web Epiphany on Ubuntu

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:gnome3-team/gnome3
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install epiphany-browser

12. Yandex browser

---

Yandex is the most standout Russian web browser. It offers the latest user interface and speedy browsing experience with Blink engine.

This Chromium-based web browser provides extraordinary service about quick page loading even in poor internet connection. This browser is available for Linux, Windows, and iOS.
Download Yandex Browser for Linux

13. Iridium

---

Iridium is the best privacy-focused web browser for Linux. This simple Ubuntu web browser is one of the best Linux browsers which is very user-friendly and easy to operate. This Chromium-based browser widely handles complicated sites with speediness.

Install Iridium on Ubuntu Linux

wget -qO - https://downloads.iridiumbrowser.de/ubuntu/iridium-release-sign-01.pub | sudo apt-key add -
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install iridium-browser

Final Thought
Here we have come at the last stage of the Ubuntu web browsers list. I sincerely hope and believe that the article will help you a lot to find out the best one for you.
In this list, are you missing your favorite one? Please leave your valuable feedback here in the comment section regarding the article. This will let me know about your experience through your suggestion.

Source: https://www.ubuntupit.com/13-best-ubuntu-web-browsers-which-one-is-right-for-you/

The Best and Worst Linux Email Clients

There is one word that really defines Linux, and that word is choice.
Choose a distro, choose a package manager, choose a browser, choose an email client, choose an audio player, video player, office package, chat client, video editor, image editor, choose a wallpaper, choose compositing effects, choose a toolbar, a panel, choose gadgets, widgets, choose a menu. Choose a dash, a bash, choose a forum to crash. Choose your future, choose Linux, choose life.
This guide lists 4 email clients that are to be highly recommended and one that needs a little bit of work to make it worthwhile.
In the past, people used to get a free email service from their internet service provider. The interface for that email service was usually fairly poor, so there was a big need for a decent email client. Unfortunately, most people ended up with Outlook Express instead.
People soon began to realize that the limitation of having an email with your internet service provider was that you would lose your email when you changed ISP.
With companies like Microsoft and Google offering free webmail services with large mailboxes and a decent web interface the need for big hefty email clients at home has been reduced, and with the birth of smart phones this requirement has dwindled even further.
Email clients, therefore, have to be very good in order to make them more worthwhile than using the web interface.
The email clients in the list below have been judged on the following characteristics:

• Ease of setting up with a common mail provider (i.e. Gmail)
• General functionality
• Ease of use
• Performance

Evolution

Evolution EMail Client.

Evolution is head and shoulders above every other Linux-based email client. If you want a Microsoft Outlook style appearance for your email then this is the application you should choose.
Setting up Evolution to work with services such as Gmail is as easy as following a simple wizard. Basically, if you can log in via the web interface then you can log in using Evolution.
Functionality wise you obviously have the ability to send and receive emails but within that category, you can create signatures, choose whether to use HTML or plain text emails, insert hyperlinks, tables, and other features into your emails.
The way you view emails can be customized so that your preview panel can be turned on and off and positioned where you want it to be. You can add extra columns to sort your emails by and the labels within Gmail appear as folders.
Evolution isn't just a mail client, however, and includes other options such as a contacts list, memos, task list, and calendar.
Performance wise Evolution runs well but it is generally part of the GNOME desktop environment so is probably better on more modern machines.

Thunderbird

Thunderbird Email Client.

Thunderbird is probably the best-known email client that runs on Linux because it is also available for Windows and anybody who doesn't want to spend their hard earned money on Outlook and who has a dedicated email client (as opposed to using the web interface) probably uses Thunderbird.
Thunderbird is brought to you by the same people who brought you Firefox, and as with Firefox it has a nice interface and has loads of functionality.
Unlike Evolution, it is just a mail client and doesn't have the calendar feature, and so there isn't the ability to add tasks or create appointments.
Connecting to Gmail is as easy with Thunderbird as it is with Evolution and it is simply a case of typing in your username and password and letting Thunderbird do the rest.
The interface can be customized to with an inch of its existence whether you are changing the appearance of the preview pane or sending an email with hyperlinks and images.
The performance is very good but if you are one of those people who never delete email then it can take a while for the mail to load the very first time you set it up.
All in all, Thunderbird is a decent email client.

KMail

KMail Email Client.

If you are using the KDE desktop environment then it is highly likely that the default mail client is KMail.
KMail is a decent mail client which complements the rest of the applications available within KDE.
Basically, if you have KMail installed then there is no reason to install Evolution or Thunderbird even though they appear higher in this list.
Connecting to Gmail is again as easy as entering your email address and password and KMail will do the rest.
The basic layout is much like that of Microsoft Outlook but as with everything in the KDE world, it can be heavily customized to look just the way you want it to.
All the features that you can expect from a mail client are included as with Thunderbird and Evolution. There isn't a calendar, notes or task manager, however.
There is, however, a very decent search feature. It is generally hard to beat Google's own web client when searching for a specific email, but KMail has a very complex and fully featured tool for searching your mail. Again, this is useful if you never delete your email.
When it comes to performance, well it performs as well as the KDE desktop that it is sitting on What this means is that it will work great on a semi-decent laptop but probably isn't much use on a 1 GB netbook.

Geary

Geary.

Every mail client mentioned thus far has stated that the performance is good but not good enough for the 1 GB netbook.
What then should you use if you are using an older machine? That is where Geary comes in.
The trade-off, however, is that there aren't that many features and it isn't very customizable.
Obviously, you can compose emails and you can choose between plain text and rich text but it doesn't have nearly as many features as the other clients mentioned.
You can also choose whether to have a preview pane when reading emails and the labels from Gmail are listed as folders.
Connecting Geary to Gmail was as simple as it was for the other mail clients listed and simply requires an email address and password.
If you need a mail client and you don't want to use the web interface and you aren't bothered about big features then Geary is the email client for you.

The Not So Good Email Client - Claws

Claws Email Client.

Claws is the least impressive email client. For one trying to get it to work with Gmail is an absolute nightmare.
You need to go into your Gmail settings and change settings to enable Claws to connect to it and even then there is no guarantee it will connect.
The main problem is this: for an email client to be useful (as with any other application) it needs to serve a purpose that other applications don't serve or be better than other applications serving the same purpose.
For instance, it is a matter of opinion whether Evolution is better than Thunderbird or whether Thunderbird is better than KMail. Evolution has extra features and a more cosmetically pleasing interface. Thunderbird and KMail have more settings and are more customizable.
Geary serves a purpose because it is lightweight and can work on older hardware. Claws is supposed to fill the same space as Geary. The trouble is that if it is too hard to set up then it isn't worth the time to invest to get it set up in the first place because there just aren't enough features to make it worthwhile.Thanks for letting us know!


Source: https://www.lifewire.com/best-worst-linux-email-clients-2204889