dkopp

Introduction (short)
Dkopp is a free open source Linux program used to copy or back-up disk files to DVD or BD (Blue-Ray disk). Full or incremental backups can be done, with full or incremental media verification. Include or exclude files or directories at any level using a GUI. An incremental backup updates the same media used for a prior full backup. Select and restore files to disk, or drag and drop single files. Backup jobs can be saved for later re-use. Large backup jobs can use multiple media.


Introduction (long)
With dkopp, you can copy your files to DVD/BD for safekeeping or archival storage, and verify that the copy is good (no read errors). All media types can be used: DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, BD-R/RE.

Three kinds of backup are available: full, incremental, and accumulate. A full backup copies all specified files and leaves no other files on the DVD/BD. An incremental backup copies only those files needed to make a prior dkopp DVD/BD match the disk files exactly: only new or changed files are copied, and deleted files are deleted. This is normally much faster than a full backup. Thus, after an incremental backup, the DVD/BD will exactly match the disk. An accumulate backup is like an incremental backup, but unmatched DVD/BD files are not removed.

You select files to be copied using a GUI. You can navigate through the file system and select files or directories to include or exclude at any level in the hierarchy. These choices can be saved in a backup job file to automate recurring backups. If files are added or deleted within an included or excluded directory, you need normally take no further action: the next backup will include these changes automatically. You may also use wildcard file specs for a more compact specification, e.g. include /home/* and exclude /home/*/.* (include all personal files, exclude all hidden system files).

DVD/BD media can be verified three ways: full, incremental, and thorough. A full verify reads the entire DVD/BD and reports any files having read errors. An incremental verify reads only those files that were newly written by an immediately preceding incremental backup. This is usually much faster while still offering a high level of security. A thorough verify reads every file on the DVD/BD and makes a byte-wise comparison with the corresponding disk file. This is not normally necessary, but it assures that the hardware and software are working correctly.

You can list all files on a dkopp DVD/BD, or search for specific files using wildcards. You can compare a DVD/BD with the corresponding disk files, listing all differences: files that have been created, deleted, or modified since the DVD/BD copy was made. This comparison can also be made at two summary levels: file differences (counts and bytes) per directory, or for all files copied to the DVD/BD. 

For disaster recovery or file transfer, dkopp has a file restore capability. You can select and restore DVD/BD files to their original directories or anywhere else. Any file manager can be used to drag and drop individual files from the DVD/BD.

Incremental backups update the same DVD/BD made from a prior full backup. You do not need to track matching sets of full and incremental media, and you do not need to restore files from multiple media in correct sequence.

Backup files are recorded in a backup log, which you can query to find all past backups of a desired file or directory. The log shows the backup dates and times and the media label used.

Speed for 4x Blue-Ray media: about 300 MB/minute for combined backup and verify.

dkopp Screenshot