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On Thu, Nov 8, 2012 at 9:25 AM, Simon Waters wrote: > Just /home is of limited value as important stuff ends up in /etc and > things like email, and databases may be under /var (or /tmp if it is > actually permanent - mostly it dies with reboot but distros vary). When a few months ago I had messed up my Ubuntu machine beyond repair I made backups of /home /etc and /var and didn't lose anything. I backed up /var only because it contained files for a (local) web server I was running. (In fact, I think I only backed up those files.) And /etc only to refer to just in case. Nothing on it would have been irreplaceable, it would just save me some time setting things up again. I don't think there was anything in /etc that I considered very important. (Nor was there in /var and in any case, running a local web server isn't something most people do.) It may be different in other distros, or perhaps my usage of it is atypical, but I really think all important personal stuff is in /home. Your average Linux home user doesn't run a mail server, a web server or a database server. But then, perhaps the problem with Linux is that your average home user isn't your average home user. :-) I'm not saying there isn't a good argument to be made for encrypting your full drive by the way. Martijn. -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG http://mailman.dclug.org.uk/listinfo/list FAQ: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/listfaq