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💾 Backup and Restore

Mistakes happen—even pros can brick a robot or lose weeks of work!
This section shows you how to back up your workspace, restore your system, and avoid data disasters.

🛡️ Why Backup Matters​

True Story

A single accidental colcon build in the vendor workspace can corrupt your robot's OS.
Always back up before any risky operation or major change!

🗂️ What Should I Back Up?​

  • Your entire ROS2 workspace (e.g., ~/limo_ws)
  • All custom packages and code (everything in src/)
  • Any custom launch/config files you created
  • Trained models (YOLO weights, etc)
  • Maps and calibration files
  • Vendor SD card image (if possible)
Checklist of Important Files
  • ~/limo_ws/ (all)
  • ~/limo_ws/src/ (all your packages)
  • ~/limo_ws/maps/
  • ~/limo_ws/runs/detect/ (custom YOLO weights)
  • Any files you edited or created
  • SD card image from the robot vendor (ask for this!)

🏠 How to Back Up​

1. Simple Copy (USB/Cloud)​

# Backup workspace to USB drive
cp -r ~/limo_ws /media/usb_drive/limo_ws_backup_$(date +%Y%m%d)

# Or use cloud storage:
rclone copy ~/limo_ws remote:robot-backups/limo_ws_$(date +%Y%m%d)
cd ~/limo_ws/src/
git init                # if not already
git add .
git commit -m "Backup before changes"
git remote add origin https://github.com/your-org/limo-robotics.git
git push origin main

Do not push build/install/log directories—use a .gitignore.

🆘 Restore Procedures​

1. Restoring Your Workspace​

# If disaster strikes, just copy your backup back to home:
cp -r /media/usb_drive/limo_ws_backup_YYYYMMDD ~/limo_ws

Re-source your workspace:

cd ~/limo_ws
source install/setup.bash

2. Restoring Vendor System (SD Card)​

If you break the vendor workspace or OS:

  1. Contact vendor for a fresh SD card image
  2. Use tools like balenaEtcher or Raspberry Pi Imager to re-flash the SD card
  3. Re-add your ~/limo_ws and custom files
Need a full reset?
  1. Power off robot
  2. Remove SD card
  3. Flash image using your PC
  4. Insert card, boot up, and re-copy your workspace

🔄 Recovery Strategies​

  • Always test your backups! (Try restoring to a different directory)
  • If unsure, never overwrite—copy to a new folder first
  • Ask for help before deleting or overwriting anything
  • Keep multiple backups:
    • Local (USB), cloud, and Git for code

❗ Pro Tips & Gotchas​

  • Never build or install packages in /opt/ros or vendor-provided folders
  • If you get stuck in a boot loop or OS won't load, suspect a corrupted SD card
  • Keep backup copies off the robot—if hardware fails, you still have your files
  • Document any parameter changes or hardware tweaks
Real-World Lesson

I lost days waiting for a new SD card because I didn't have my workspace backed up. Now I backup every time before major updates or new experiments.

🎯 Next Steps​

on August 8, 2025 by KRISH RAY