Back Up and Replicate Zotero Setup

rafisics
I am currently using Zotero on Ubuntu, along with several plugins and custom configurations. My Zotero library is synced with a WebDAV service. I want to back up my entire Zotero setup, including all plugins, configurations, and settings, to the cloud so that I can easily replicate it on a new machine quickly.
What would be the best way to do this? Is it okay to do something like keeping the dotfiles in a GitHub repository? Are there specific files or directories I should include in the backup to ensure everything is restored correctly?
  • dstillman
    It's just the profile directory (including the profiles.ini file one level up) and the Zotero data directory (the latter already being synced, though you can also transfer it manually to a new computer).
  • rafisics
    @dstillman, is it ok to keep the profile directory in public dotfiles in GitHub?
  • dstillman
    No, you wouldn't want to do that. They're not config files. You have extension ZIP files, various binary files containing your sync credentials, a constantly changing prefs.js file, and various other automatically updated files.
  • rafisics
    edited 4 days ago
    @dstillman, what do you recommend then?
    Context: Recently my hard disk crashed. Then I realized reproducing my Zotero setup (configs, plugin settings) was a hassle. I couldn't even recall the settings of different plugins. So, from now on, I want to keep its backup in the same kind of way we maintain dotfiles or something like that.
    So that next time when I need to set up a new machine, I can keep a backup in the cloud so that I set up things by installing and logging to my credentials.
  • dstillman
    edited 4 days ago
    I mean, it's just a folder. However you back up anything else, including your Zotero data and the rest of your disk. Cloud syncing isn't a replacement for normal backups, for Zotero or anything else.

    But backing up just prefs.js would restore all settings (assuming plugins aren't storing things elsewhere). You'd just have to enter your sync credentials again and reinstall plugins.
  • rafisics
    Oh, so, even if I backup the profile dir, I will need to reinstall plugins manually?
  • dstillman
    No, that's if you only backed up prefs.js.
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