Ask HN: How to keep my data, apps, config movable between computers

4 pointsbk17y ago3 comments

I want to be able to move my setup (data, apps, config) as effortlessly as possible between physical hardware.

For example, I want to be able to move from a broken machine to a new one without disruption (reinstalling, reconfiguring, moving data).

Do you have a setup or solution to achieve this sort of freedom from hardware (and OS to some extent).

How easy is it to have a linux/windows/(os x) install that can flexibly run on completely different hardware (different graphics cards, networking, etc.)?

Ideas:

- Use a VM player to run everything and back up the image so that for any new machine the only thing to install is the VM player.

- Boot from USB: Limited size/speed/writes. External HD: limited portability. Both: Can OS handle different hardware components on changing "host" machines?

- Avoid platform lock-in. Use cross-platform applications (e.g. Thunderbird) that allow switching OS if necessary.

Is anyone doing something like this? What's your setup/solution?

PS: Background - I'm looking to buy a new laptop and I don't find one for my budget that I like, so I'd go for the cheapest one now and migrate when a better option that I really like comes along. I don't want to reinstall/configure everything every time I move computers.

3 comments

3 comments · 2 top-level

lastkarrde17y ago· 1 in thread

I've found dropbox (http://getdropbox.com) to be a great tool. It syncs files across Windows, Mac and Linux (GNOME/Nautilus currently) and allows you to access your files online.

Just write a Python/insert lang here script that will copy your config files to their respective places on all operating systems (eg .vimrc).

bkOP17y ago

Thanks. This can solve data and config mobility pretty nicely. For large amounts of (media) data an external 2.5" hd works pretty nicely.

For applications, it seems to depend a lot on the OS. Is there a good/easy way to track what apps/package have been installed (for Debian/Ubuntu e.g.)? How could I take replicable snapshots/images of my system (without user data)?

Would something like this even be possible on windows (since it doesn't have a package manager and installs stuff all over the place)?

The next level of hardware independence would be having a system on a USB device to be able to boot into it on different machines (e.g. a light notebook and a gaming desktop) using the same system on both.

johngunderman17y ago

I haven't actually done this yet, but I'm planning to move my backup solution to a home server with a git repo of my /home directory, setting up a cron job on my main comp to push to the repo. It would be space and time efficient, and would make for easy retrieval over the internet if need be. Of course, it also adds the benefit of being able to restore lost files.

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