Can't backup on my Hitachi 1TB external drive

Hi Listmates

Using Ubuntu MATE 21.10 on a 21.5" iMac with an external Hitachi 1.0 TB HDD for backups. No other OS on the iMac's HDD.

I have formatted the Hitachi drive using "Disks". When attempting to backup the iMac's HDD using Dup, I get this message:

"Storage location not available
Waiting for 'Hitachi HD partition 2' to become connected..."

What am I doing wrong?

TIA - mfs

Hello mfs,
What happens when you run a file system check?

Dunno - how do I do that?

mfs

If you're using 'Disks', you might go to your hard disk partition with the file system you created in it and click on the little gear icon and click 'check filesystem' or 'repair filesystem'.

File systems need to be unmounted before a file system check.

I have used 'Disks' occasionally and it's great but I'm more familiar with GParted. Ubuntu MATE comes with GParted in 'Applications' under 'System Tools', or at least that's where it is in my installation. With GParted you just click on your partition with the file system in it that you want to work on and click 'check'.

I hope that helps you, let me know if you need more explanations.

Hi Herman

Many thanks for taking so much time to assist me with this, but I'm a lost cause.

I have already mentioned that "tinkering under the hood" is not for me - I couldn't care less how Linux works (or doesn't - see 22.04).

Linux would best be served by an exclusively GUI system in which the terminal is hidden by a devilishly difficult search process. All I want to do is find the section called "Backup/Restore", click on "Backup", tick the box for the Hitachi and click on "Continue". All problems would then be solved by the erasing, initializing, partitioning parts of the backup software. I am not interested in file systems, etc - my sole interest is in two mouse clicks and then watching it all happen without a hiccup.

It's sad that such a superb OS has become a playground for bored, whatever, coders. The same applies to all the distros. It also says why so few users switch to Linux - "never have so many hindrances been put in the way of so many potential users" to paraphrase somebody.

I have backed up my HDD to Google Drive and that worked straight off. If only it were the same for my Hitachi external drive. People should look at MacOS Time Machine to see how it can work.

Many thanks again.

Best regards

Martin F Slater, CH-Luzern