The problem here is that UNIX tools and shell are not a solution for a generic consumer device. So unless you are arguing that everybody should be able to use them (in which case, I leave the discussion for not being interested in debating the topic), you need to accept the fact that there has to be a user-level feature for backup. At which point, unless it is badly implemented, it is probably far easier and safe than trying to mirror with rsync your phone and then figure out how to handle software upgrades, restores, different partitions, separate software from data, and whatnot.
Moreover, I would add that file-based manipulation in my opinion is useful when the single files do expose some value. If I need to backup a sqlite DB with my contacts with rsync, I might as well use a high-level tool that offers me much more without me having to write DB-manipulation code, for instance, syncing/converting with the address book on my OS that might be in a different format. On the other hand, if I edit a .odt file on a tablet, I can see a value in directly manipulating with the shell, as that file is something that I create and I want to access and move around.
But only a subset of the things that I want to backup are document files that I created. If I backup the settings of my phone, I wouldn't even want to know HOW they are stored. And assuming I found out, I don't want to be bothered to thinking if direct file copying is the correct way to restore it on a newer/older version of the operating system. This is a level of detail that is beyond what I (personally) want to know about a smartphone.
So, to rephrase, does the shell on a smartphone empower you to do things that you couldn't reasonably expect to be implemented as consumer-level features?
> The problem here is that UNIX tools and shell are not a solution for a generic consumer device.
Not for every person or every problem, but people like pessimizer seem to have found use for UNIX tools. N900 has built in functionality for backups, too, but like the iPhone backup system I guess it's not as flexible as rsync in combination with various other system tools.
> Moreover, I would add that file-based manipulation in my opinion is useful when the single files do expose some value.
Agreed.
> If I backup the settings of my phone, I wouldn't even want to know HOW they are stored.
To each their own, but you have to agree that its reasonable for someone else not to share that opinion.
> So, to rephrase, does the shell on a smartphone empower you to do things that you couldn't reasonably expect to be implemented as consumer-level features?
If it enables me to run the specific software I prefer to use and otherwise couldn't, it's by definition empowering me to do so. The answer is obvious. It's not compensation for a missing feature of the platform; it _is_ a feature of the platform, whether non-power users will make use of it or not
> N900 has built in functionality for backups, too, but like the iPhone backup system I guess it's not as flexible as rsync in combination with various other system tools.
It would greatly help if he/she described how it is more flexible. I fail to see it, and I regularly do server backups with rsync, so I think I know the tool. On the contrary, my own technical evaluation is that it is a lot less convenient that the native, builtin backup solution, especially because it requires far more work to achieve the same, and it is going to be risky on the face of subsequent OS updates (that might invalidate your backups without you even realizing, unless you have another phone to regularly test your in-house backup/restore solution).
> If it enables me to run the specific software I prefer to use and otherwise couldn't, it's by definition empowering me to do so. The answer is obvious. It's not compensation for a missing feature of the platform; it _is_ a feature of the platform, whether non-power users will make use of it or not
If I understand correctly, you're saying that "having SSH access" is a feature, irrespective of how it can be used. I think everybody would agree with this :)
Instead, what I'm trying to find out is what SSH access enables me to do, with a specific focus on solving problems or implementing features that are not reasonably supposed to be part of the consumer-level features offered by the platform.
You can answer "nothing, but I still like it because I do", of course. I'm not trying to change anyone's behavior. But after 2 years of (not) using SSH access to my smartphone, I'm curious of how other people use it and why.
First of all, I can't answer for pessimizer, but I'll list some potential advantages of using rsync. Second of all, I really need to point out that there's a big difference between convenience and flexibility, so our technical evaluations don't really challenge eachother.
rsync might involve more work, but on the other hand you could have a cron scheduler trigger it at regular intervals, run by a script that only performs a backup under the right network connectivity conditions (eg. the phone is connected to your home or work WLAN). Perhaps you only want to back up part of the system, or maybe you want to back up some parts of it (say, /home) more frequently than others that are susceptible to big changes (/usr/bin?). Perhaps the only thing you really want to back up from your phone are your downloaded email attachements and browser downloads, while having your contacts managed by some cloud service. You've already listed the disadvantages of such a setup, and I agree, but the advantages need to be acknowledged as well. The stream-lined iOS approach might be as one size fits all as it gets, but there could still be cases where a user would reasonably want to handle it differently.
As for what use ssh for, you are being clear now. At first I thought you meant using an ssh client on the phone (in which case the answer would be the generic answer to "what would I use ssh for?"), but running an sshd on your phone could be useful as well. It's a quick and convenient way to move files to it -- think binaries, scripts, crontabs or runit services -- and a quick way of managing these files.
Moreover, I would add that file-based manipulation in my opinion is useful when the single files do expose some value. If I need to backup a sqlite DB with my contacts with rsync, I might as well use a high-level tool that offers me much more without me having to write DB-manipulation code, for instance, syncing/converting with the address book on my OS that might be in a different format. On the other hand, if I edit a .odt file on a tablet, I can see a value in directly manipulating with the shell, as that file is something that I create and I want to access and move around.
But only a subset of the things that I want to backup are document files that I created. If I backup the settings of my phone, I wouldn't even want to know HOW they are stored. And assuming I found out, I don't want to be bothered to thinking if direct file copying is the correct way to restore it on a newer/older version of the operating system. This is a level of detail that is beyond what I (personally) want to know about a smartphone.
So, to rephrase, does the shell on a smartphone empower you to do things that you couldn't reasonably expect to be implemented as consumer-level features?