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Favorite Writing Program?

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D-EJ915:
I think he's talking about differential backups...because a snapshot would be like a full backup...

andb:

--- Quote from: D-EJ915;16232 ---I think he's talking about differential backups...because a snapshot would be like a full backup...
--- End quote ---

A snapshot is a term used to restore a system to a given state, just as if you took a photo of it and said, ok, now be like this.

The easiest way to do this is just make a full copy of everything you have and store it on the side.

A better way is to use a system that takes a "base measurement" and then just records the changes. So what I have, as an example, is a directory called "backup" and in it are individual directories for each day. I can go into that day's directory, and the whole file system inside it looks exactly like it did on that day. What is really happening is that the unchanged files are just hardlinks (Windows kernel actually supports this too, why can't they trust their users with such cool tools?) so its essentially just a filename in the later directories pointing back to the original file. When a file changes, it doesn't get linked but its new version is copied.

Since my files don't change much, I have 10gb that I back up, with daily changes from 30 days, and it takes up about 11gb worth of space only.

I'm pretty sure that Vista has incorporated similar functionality from Server2003 which is even better in that it records only file deltas (the actual change) on each file save.

So in answer to above comment, yes differential backups done in a way to provide easy access to a system snapshot. BTW, you can see the same principle used by VMware's workstation product. The "snapshots" build off of the base OS image and as such are useless without it.

Therac-25:
Obligatory Backup PSA link

I don't write prose or anything.  At least nothing anyone would want to read.  I don't mind the full screen editors to a degree -- anything which can stop you screwing around with software and writing is a good thing.  You can get the same effect by fullscreening a terminal window (compiz has a shortcut to fullscreen anything) and using your favorite console editor, though, so I'm not sure what the value is, other than variable width fonts ( 1920x1200 terminal example ).

When I'm writing documentation or something at work, I need a full real interface -- I'm obsessive about applying styles and formats properly, so I'd go insane without that window open.  I usually go with OpenOffice, as despite it's flaws, it behaves more consistently than MS Word does.

If I had to write prose, I would probably break out Emacs for the task.  I used to be a huge Emacs person, but times are changing, and every language now has an ideal, integrated IDE which you'd be an idiot not to write code in.  Unless I'm working on Perl, I don't go in Emacs at all at work anymore.

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