[list] [ale] Need advice on home back-up solution

[Bill Hamilton]

Bill Hamilton wrote:

> I have a RedHat 9 GNU/Linux system with a new 80GB hard drive and 
> several Windows 98SE/2000/XP machines at home in which I need to 
> automatically backup user created information.  This inludes Microsoft 
> office files, digital pictures (scattered throughout the hard drive), 
> browser favorites and web autofill forms (RoboForm or something like 
> that...my wife depends on it...I don't know).
>
> I need a solution (probably made up of OpenSource/Free Software and 
> cmd/batch/windows scripting scripts) where each of my various 
> Microsoft based operating systems routinely backup user created 
> information to an ftp or smb server (GNU/Linux box listed above).  I 
> do not have a tape drive on each machine nor a CD Burner (however the 
> newest upstairs Sony Viao does have a DVD-R/RW burner so I could 
> weekly pull these archives off of the Linux server and burn to DVD as 
> long as these archives are less than 4.7GB each).  I do have a spare 
> 17GB hard drive and I was thinking of putting this also in the 
> GNU/Linux box as a mirrored partition just in case...probably a good 
> idea before I go too far down the road doing work on this fresh 
> install of RH9.
>
> What does the ALE crowd recommend? 

The trouble with this group is that you guys (and gals) are too 
helpful.  So I am posting this follow-up question.

rsync and amanda are excellent ideas (I just read up on them).  I'm sure 
there are hundreds of jewels like these out there.  So useful and yet 
unkown (like the Vim asterik '*' command).

What  tape drive do you recommend.  Needs to be inexpensive, use 
inexpensive tapes, compatible with GNU/Linux (RedHat9).  Actually, I can 
search google for models but I'd like to know more about the specs 
(scsi? ide? floppy?) that I should look for.  I would also be interested 
in any personal experiences.  Once again, this is for home back-up.

-Bill

Is there an inexpensive tape