ImageBackup generates CDs with incremental backup for digital images.
I recently came across a fantastic Perl script that helps create backup CDs out of images. As someone who likes to organize their digital pictures based on subject and content instead of date, this script has been quite helpful for me.
What's great about this program is that it has been designed to work perfectly with AutoScrapbook, but it can also work with any directory of images. All you need to do is run the program and specify a base directory. The software then processes the directory recursively and mirrors all images into a staging area.
Once enough images have accumulated in the staging area, the program will optionally run AutoScrapbook to create a set of webpages, specifically for that CD of images. After that, the software will create an ISO image that you can burn to CD whenever you're ready.
This script has been built to work with Linux, but with a little modification, it can work seamlessly on other systems too. Additionally, every time a disc gets created, the list of images that were on that disc gets stored in a hidden data file in the specified base directory. You can then run ImageBackup on that directory again, and the software will automatically mirror any new images into the partially-filled staging directory.
Once the staging directory becomes full, another ISO will automatically get generated. Alternatively, if the directory doesn't reach capacity, the staging directory continues to remain partially-filled. You can then set ImageBackup to run regularly, even from your crontab, and new images will keep getting added to the staging directory as they get discovered. Once the disc becomes full enough, the whole process starts anew.
Getting started with ImageBackup is super easy. Just download the program, place it somewhere on your system, and ensure that the Perl interpreter on your system is not in /usr/bin/perl. edit the program to adjust any variables near the top that need to be changed, and run the program with the directory name as a parameter. You must always use the same base directory name from that point on for optimal results.
If you want, you can configure this script to run automatically, say once per week, by running the script from your crontab. Additionally, you will receive an email whenever a new ISO image is available, or if there are any errors. Note that if you set ImageBackup to use AutoScrapbook to create an index on the backup CDs, you must have already run AutoScrapbook on the source directories if you are running ImageBackup non-interactively. If you haven't, picture descriptions will be requested during the cron job, which won't work too well.
What's great about this program is that it has been designed to work perfectly with AutoScrapbook, but it can also work with any directory of images. All you need to do is run the program and specify a base directory. The software then processes the directory recursively and mirrors all images into a staging area.
Once enough images have accumulated in the staging area, the program will optionally run AutoScrapbook to create a set of webpages, specifically for that CD of images. After that, the software will create an ISO image that you can burn to CD whenever you're ready.
This script has been built to work with Linux, but with a little modification, it can work seamlessly on other systems too. Additionally, every time a disc gets created, the list of images that were on that disc gets stored in a hidden data file in the specified base directory. You can then run ImageBackup on that directory again, and the software will automatically mirror any new images into the partially-filled staging directory.
Once the staging directory becomes full, another ISO will automatically get generated. Alternatively, if the directory doesn't reach capacity, the staging directory continues to remain partially-filled. You can then set ImageBackup to run regularly, even from your crontab, and new images will keep getting added to the staging directory as they get discovered. Once the disc becomes full enough, the whole process starts anew.
Getting started with ImageBackup is super easy. Just download the program, place it somewhere on your system, and ensure that the Perl interpreter on your system is not in /usr/bin/perl. edit the program to adjust any variables near the top that need to be changed, and run the program with the directory name as a parameter. You must always use the same base directory name from that point on for optimal results.
If you want, you can configure this script to run automatically, say once per week, by running the script from your crontab. Additionally, you will receive an email whenever a new ISO image is available, or if there are any errors. Note that if you set ImageBackup to use AutoScrapbook to create an index on the backup CDs, you must have already run AutoScrapbook on the source directories if you are running ImageBackup non-interactively. If you haven't, picture descriptions will be requested during the cron job, which won't work too well.
What's New
Version 1.8: N/A