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.