fsmithred wrote:There are some good discussions about backup methods and strategies at forums.debian.net. You might want to read some of those while you're rethinking this.
First, I want to thank everyone that attempted to help me here, but it is quite clear that I am in way over my head and probably shouldn't be using Linux at all, or at least not a command-line-only version. I am used to other platforms (Windows and Macs) where you just install a program and it works. The impression I am getting is that such programs do exist in Linux, in fact one or two are similar to Time Machine on a Mac, but you are required to have a GUI (desktop) to run them. Since we apparently simply can't do what we want, we will probably use Redo Backup, which is like Clonezilla but a bit easier to use, and we've used it in the past to clone a system.
Regarding forums.debian.net: As golinux

so "helpfully" pointed out, I tried to get help there and will not make that mistake again. Apparently if you try to carefully explain what you wish you could find there, that makes you an entitled b*tch in their eyes. I was not asking them to write new software for me, just trying to explain exactly what I was trying to find, and why some of the offered solutions wouldn't work. In the Windows or Mac world, I can't imagine I would have ever received the rude responses I did there. I could understand their reaction if I had somehow demanded that they write new code for me, but I didn't - in fact this was what I actually said:
I wish there were an easy backup solution that could be easily installed using apt-get (so that it picks the correct version automatically and brings in any dependencies automatically), and that would then let you configure it using configuration files or a simple menu driven setup, and then allow you to run it from from a command line or cron job, and it would do the backup to an ISO file on an external drive or memory stick.
And to that, this is what golinux replied:
I can appreciate your frustration. I just can't get past the sense of entitlement and on-demand expectation. If you want those features that much, the Linux/open source solution would be to write it yourself or ask/sponsor/hire someone with the ability to do it. If you choose to pick up your marbles and go the 'easy' route that is your loss (and the forum's gain, I think).
How he got a "sense of entitlement" out of my saying I wish I could find something is beyond me, but since he seems to feel it would be the forum's gain if I never return, I have no intention of doing so.
When trying to find something as common as an automatic backup solution that will run without user intervention is this challenging, and subjects a person to such rude treatment, I can see why so few use Linux. I guess you really need to be a programmer to use it, and I'm not one of those. Sorry for wasting everyone's time.