On Sat, Sep 02, 2006 at 06:39:40PM -0400, Jon LaBadie wrote:
> On Sat, Sep 02, 2006 at 03:21:33PM -0500, Phil Howard wrote:
> > 
> > | That functionality (if it will be created) should IMHO be optional, 
> > 
> > Absolutely.  If you want to use it, specify in the configuration.  If you
> > don't want to use it, don't specify it.
> > 

> 
> Phil,
> what advantage(s) do you forsee in amanda's use of raw disk
> devices as opposed to files on the native filesystem.
> 
> It certainly would destroy one of amanda's features,
> the ability to easily recover backup data using
> standard unix utilities without amanda software.

In addition, it would make bare metal recovery more difficult. If you
back up to a file system any Linux live CD (finnix, knoppix...) can
read, recovery is easy: the tools you need are already on the live
CD. The tools include a suitable file system driver for the
partition. Back up to a bare partition, and you would need special
tricks or possibly special software to read it.

That alone looses my interest.

-- 

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