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--- articles:netgear_stora_ms200 [2010/06/25 10:20] – Added more detail to Browser Section terry
+++ articles:netgear_stora_ms200 [2010/06/25 10:42] (current) – Updated to reflect latest experiences terry
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 I then stumbled across Moovida, (it's in the Ubuntu Repositories), and this works pretty well. I miss the Lyrics and Wikipedia features of Amarok, and the media buttons on my keyboard don't work, but all the same it does a pretty good job. The UI is really strange, but I gather that there's a new version in the pipeline that has a much more user-friendly interface (it's already available on Windows, although I've never used it).
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 No backup software is provided for Linux, but since Linux distros generally come with quite a few backup packages anyway, that isn't really a problem.  However, there are some constraints and I've actually only identified one Linux backup package so far that seems to work OK.
-=== Simple Backup ===
+=== Simple Backup Suite ===
-The one Linux Backup solution that I've been able to get working so far is Simple Backup.  Although there are lots of solutions out there; they need to fulfil certain functions:
+The one Linux Backup solution that I've been able to get working so far is Simple Backup Suite.  Although there are lots of solutions out there; they need to fulfil certain functions:
   * (Obviously), they need to be network capable.  Someone recommended Back in Time, but this doesn't seem to be able to store its backups on a remote drive, so is not suitable.  It is also more of a desktop sync program, (as is Stora Desktop Mirror), rather than a proper backup utility, so it stores uncompressed copies of everything and keeps the files synchronised to the originals.  There are no incremental / full options and of course if you accidentally delete a file and then sync before you notice....
   * It isn't possible (AFAIK) to install anything to run on the Stora, so client server applications like Amanda are not suitable.
   * It needs to be simple; it's only a home network, not a thousand device server farm!
-Simple Backup met these requirements, but getting it to work wasn't all plain sailing.  Here's what seems to work:
+Simple Backup Suite met these requirements, but getting it to work wasn't all plain sailing.  Here's what seems to work:
-  * Install Simple Backup from the repository.
+  * Install Simple Backup Suite from the repository.  (It's package name is sbackup.  Don't be confused by simplebackup, which is a shell script.)
   * Run Simple Backup Config and set it up as described in the tooltips.  At the 'Destination' tab:
-    - Select 'Use a remote directory (SSH or FTP)' (SMB seems to work too).
+    - Select 'Use a remote directory (SSH or FTP)' (SMB seems to work too).  The Stora supports secure FTP, so that could be used too, although I never tried it.
     - Use Dolphin (or some other file manager) to browse to the 'MyComputers' area on the Stora, logging-in in the usual way to get access.
     - Copy and paste the path from the Dolphin Location Bar to the Destination path field in Simple Backup Config.
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 ===== Issues =====
 As hinted above, all this wasn't without a certain amount of stress and there are still some open Issues, apart from the general 'bad stuff' mentioned in the Overview.
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 ==== Backup Storage Location ====
-I still have a Support Query open on this and although the support response was initially very quick, it was also very useless.  Since then, my query has been escalated from the monkey to the organ grinder and now to engineering.  I think I might be the first to try to do what they say is possible in the User Manual....
+I raised a Support Query on this and although the support response was initially very quick, it was also very useless.  After that, my query was escalated from the monkey to the organ grinder and then to engineering.  I think I might be the first to try to do what they say is possible in the User Manual....  Eventually, the request was closed without a meaningful response!
 When I initially logged into the Stora with Dolphin, I could see all the folders mentioned in the Use section above and one other called 'ComputersBackup$'.  No matter what I did, I couldn't log in to this 'hidden' directory.
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 By enabling this feature a special hidden section on the Stora is assigned to contain the backed up files. This section is not visible to the user because the contents are not usable by the user directly and can only be used for restoring backups.'
-What I found was that even with Windows, I couldn't log in to this directory.  It is really, really hidden in Windows of course, so most people won't know anything about it, but it should be accessible using Windows Explorer if the path \\stora\ComputersBackup$ is entered.  Except it's not.
+What I found was that even with Windows, I couldn't log in to this directory, because I didn't know the Username for it.  It is really, really hidden in Windows of course, so most people won't know anything about it, but it should be accessible using Windows Explorer if the path \\stora\ComputersBackup$ is entered.  Except it's not, because the documentation doesn't provide the Username.
 So what I think everybody does is to put their backups into the MyComputers directory (as I described above), which is unfortunately, not just visible to the file manager, but it's also visible to anyone who logs in from the internet...
-If this issue was fixed, I would be reasonably happy, notwithstanding the bad stuff.
+As stated above, this issue was never answered by Netgear, but I eventually found out through the forums, see below, that the Username is ComputersBackup (it seems to be case sensitive).  Now I can use the hidden area of the Stora, I am reasonably happy with it, notwithstanding the bad stuff.
 ==== General User Support ====
-The jury is still out on the direct support provided by Netgear to new users. I'll update this section when I finally get a satisfactory (or otherwise) response to my Support Query.  The initial response was very fast; I was told that it was being escalated within about 8 hours and the second escalation was about 26 hrs later.  It was escalated to engineering four days after that and that was four days ago (but with a weekend in between each escalation).
+The direct support provided by Netgear to new users seems to be worse than useless, see the previous Issue. The initial response was very fast; I was told that it was being escalated within about 8 hours and the second escalation was about 26 hrs later.  It was escalated to engineering four days after that and then the Issue was silently closed.  I only found out that they had closed it because I was asked to complete a survey about how well it had worked.  Needless to say, my survey response was less than complimentary.
 As far as FAQs and Forums are concerned, these are pretty much aligned to Windows Users.  There are a few threads about Linux in the Forums with a rough split between people who are appalled (appalled I say) that Netgear should advertise Linux compatibility without any software or support and those who say Linux users shouldn't need any support....  I think Linux users are quite good at helping each other, and there are a few useful threads in there.
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 ==== Problem with Simple Backup ====
 This is actually a problem with Simple Backup and not the Stora server.  In Lucid Ubuntu, Simple Backup has been broken and pressing the 'Backup Now!' button kicks off a background task, but does nothing.  There is a fix for this in the pipeline, but in the meantime the backup should be started by typing 'sudo sbackupd' in a shell.
 ===== Overall Verdict =====
-Despite the Issues and the lack of Linux support, I have to say that I like it! I can put up with the lack of support, (especially if I can find a way onto the Forums) and I've overcome the three-user limit by creating a User for general family use, leaving one for myself and one for my son, who will use it more than anyone other than me.
+Despite the Issues and the lack of Linux support, I have to say that I like it! I can put up with the lack of support, and I've overcome the three-user limit by creating a User for general family use, leaving one for myself and one for my son, who will use it more than anyone other than me.
-If they can show me how to access the hidden backup folder, I'll give it 8 out of 10; if not, that goes down to 7.  Of course, if anyone ever compromises the Netgear site and steals all the passwords, then that would go to -10 and I have to say that this aspect of the way the device is administered is slightly worrying.  Having said that; this is no more risky than someone hacking into a server company's database and grabbing their customers details, so I can live with it
+Now I've worked out how to access the hidden backup folder, I'll give it 8 out of 10.  Of course, if anyone ever compromises the Netgear site and steals all the passwords, then that would go to -10 and I have to say that this aspect of the way the device is administered is slightly worrying.  Having said that; this is no more risky than someone hacking into a server company's database and grabbing their customers details, so I can live with it