Halfbakery: Auto Thumbdrive backup program.

Computer: Backup
Auto Thumbdrive backup program. (+4, -1) [vote for, against]

I am so annoyed at having my thumbdrive die on me occasionally, killing off my work in it.

Simply put, I want a very small footprint program, that sits on my task bar, and backs up my thumb drives automagically, whenever I insert my flash disk.

As soon as I put my flash drive in, it checks the root for a file that basically identifies my drive as being mine.

If it is, it will perform a number of functions (read by a desktop side script).

It will backup the flashdrive into my hard disk, and optionally open any programs you often use.

Thats it... and thats all I want. Nothing more, nothing less! (But it better be Open Sourced)
-- mofosyne, May 02 2010

See also PenDrive_20chit-chat
Pen Drive chit chat [simonj, May 03 2010]

Oliver Cromwell http://en.wikipedia...osthumous_execution
Making a point. [8th of 7, May 03 2010]

Now that's what I call detailed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow_slicing
[mouseposture, May 03 2010]

Which Linux version are you running ?
-- 8th of 7, May 02 2010

Yeah, as [8/7] is alluding too, this is standard in Windows since at least XP, maybe earlier.
-- MisterQED, May 02 2010

Since you require open source, that's because you plan on modifying the source code, right?
-- mouseposture, May 03 2010

As a slight aside, try a program like DropBox to keep your files up to date (and accessible). It is free for single person use and has a capacity of a couple of Gb.
-- Jinbish, May 03 2010

I believe you can find viruses lurking on most corporate and government intranets that do the backup part. They don't check who's thumbdrive it is before copying though.
-- swimswim, May 03 2010

That's just a malicious rumour put about by people who've had their data stolen by the Government.
-- 8th of 7, May 03 2010

In your case, that would be "Sun-baked clay tablet" then, [IT] ?
-- 8th of 7, May 03 2010

OK, you're not done yet. This must be the slow class. Go back and sit by the Black Monolith and wait for sunrise. The high-pitched noise is perfectly normal and will not harm you (much).
-- 8th of 7, May 03 2010

Now, if you can just learn to oppose the thumb ...
-- 8th of 7, May 03 2010

//this is standard in Windows since at least XP//

Huh? I've been working with XP, Vista and now 7 (as well as various Linuces) for some years now, and I've never spotted it.
-- pertinax, May 03 2010

Or do you just mean an auto-run program on a thumb drive (not necessarily one which does backups)?
-- pertinax, May 03 2010

— pertinax

I rather the auto backup not be an auto-run program in my flashdrive (because I do not want my flashdisk files backed up on any computer... Just only my computer I want my flash drive automatically backed up on.)

The idea is that even if your flashdrives gets lost, you won't lose much even if you are lazy in your backup habits. (like most students)
-- mofosyne, May 03 2010

// lazy in your backup habits. //

For which the punishment should not merey be losing your data, but summary execution (for a first offence, that is).
-- 8th of 7, May 03 2010

And, for the second offense, detailed execution?
-- mouseposture, May 03 2010

Of course.