Time Machine is a simple backup software in Apple’s Mac OS, “it automatically saves up-to-date copies of everything on Mac such as photos, music, videos, documents, applications, and settings.Time Machine works with an external hard drive or Apple Time Capsule using wireless” (quote from apple.com).

This tutorial is setting up a Time Machine server on Ubuntu 10.10, a redo on this post: sidikahawa.blogspot.com

Step 1: Install Netatalk, an open source implementation of Apple Talk. With Netatalk Linux and BSD can act as AppleShare file server, AppleTalk route, or print server.

use this command:

sudo apt-get install netatalk

Step 2: Configure where to save the Time Machine backups. Here create a target location (/backup/TimeMachine for example).

Edit /etc/netatak/AppleVolumes.default with:

sudo gedit /etc/netatak/AppleVolumes.default

type in following:

#~/ “Home Directory”
/backup/TimeMachine “TimeMachine” options:tm

Here backups will be stored in /backup/TimeMachine. And options:tm means Netatalk will act as AppleTalk

Step 3: Install and Configure Avahi

Avahi is an open source implementation of Apple’s Zeroconf, it makes Mac OS automatically discover the Ubuntu machine in network.

In Ubuntu 10.10, avahi-daemon is installed by default and we just need to configure /etc/avahi/services/afpd.service:

sudo gedit /etc/avahi/services/afpd.service

fill with:

<service-group>
<name replace-wildcards=”yes”>%h</name>
<service>
<type>_afpovertcp._tcp</type>
<port>548</port>
</service>
<service>
<type>_device-info._tcp</type>
<port>0</port>
<txt-record>model=Xserve</txt-record>
</service>
</service-group>

Step 4: Now, restart Netatalk and Avahi

sudo service netatalk restart
sudo service avahi-daemon restart

Step 5: Configure on Mac OS

Head to Finder -> Go -> Connect to Server -> Browse, and you should find the Ubuntu machine. Log into the Ubuntu, and try if you have write permission to the /backup/TimeMachine folder. If not, go back to Ubuntu machine and add write permission to the folder.

Run the command to enable Time Machine making backups to network drivers.

defaults write com.apple.systempreferences TMShowUnsupportedNetworkVolumes 1

Now, select TimeMachine folder on System Preferences -> Time Machine -> Select Backup Disk and finally click to start backup.