A recent escapade has had me thinking about maintaining data across OS and machine changes. With Fedora I get a new OS about every six months. Previously I've changed my hardware about every four or five years. Each time it takes me a good while to sort out all the apps and data across the change. That started me thinking about storing my data 'off' machine. Options:

1. On a local server
2. On a remote server
3. On the cloud
4. ...

I guess, with photographs, I'm talking a reasonably significant amount of data. Without them, it's more likely to be a few gigabyes at most. I haven't sized the problem at all. The numbers are just my guesses. Code, writing, blog, website stuff, stored books, articles, documentation etc. A large part of it is rarely accessed and could, I guess be on slow access storage.

Then I turned to thinking about applications. Each time I update I always seem to forget some application or other. To the point where this last time each time I remembered one, I added it to a bash script. Unfortunately many are not straight Linux programs, so #yum install X package won't suffice. The other niggle is configuration. Setting up the repo's I use, Configuring emacs, email, Firefox etc. Messy to say the least.

Hence my initial thoughts about storing data off my machine. That way at least I'd have regular access to my data. The ideas come from my use of gmail. It is so darned convenient. No email setup, full archive of old stuff (yes, largely unwanted) which currently stands at 750Mb. I can access it anywhere I have net access.

Using Amazon or some such I perhaps could duplicate that class of use for my files. Except how many apps work readily on http accessed files? File save as http://... mmm. is it doable?

How about apps? Emacs, on the cloud, using my .emacs file, my .../site-lisp/ setup? Is that on?

oXygen, Gramps, Xchat, Xournal, a python setup. All the bits and pieces that I use, is it reasonable to hope that these might be usable from the cloud?

Let's assume that it is. What's left? A one CD install of OS ... something. Log on to 'my cloud', call it cloud9. Desktop icons then link out to cloud9. Alt-F open, http://cloud9/myfiles/... What's left on my disk?

Configuration data. One CDs worth? Less. My disk requirements are now < 20Mb.

But at what financial and operating cost? Storage costs on the cloud are not unreasonable. How they match up to hardware purchases I don't know. The problem is likely to be bandwidth costs. Each time I load, save a photograph into Gimp it will cost me. And at 10Mb a hit that could be expensive. Operational costs? How long to load a ten Mb file from the cloud into Gimp on the cloud? No idea. How long to load the image into my .... application? Browser? How long to redraw after application of a filter? They will be the 'expensive' (timewise) operations. I know from Googledocs I can edit a cloud document using a cloud app quite happily. These smaller interchanges I don't see as an issue. File compilation? Only a few bytes transferred. Execution? If the app and the data are both on cloud9 that shouldn't be an issue.

I'm sure I've left great holes in this sketch, but the thought is appealing. Security? I'm sure by the time this is available, personal Ident will be pretty solid if I need it to be for my use. Would Banks use it? Doubtful, being so conservative. Nice thought though isn't it.