I make my major backups about monthly to CD. I tar/gzip everything and then ftp it to a machine with a burner. One CD holds about 3 backups for me. For my personal files which need backing up more often I just keep a copy on another machine.
I also use these backup CDs for installing new Debian machines. I simply clone my system onto the new machine, and then change whatever hardware-specific settings are needed. Much simpler and quicker than installing all the software I want and then customizing it from scratch. -Steve Stancliff
