keep backup system for ubuntu 10.04

there are lots of backup software in the software center and synaptic package manager.
sbackup (or simple backup) is pretty easy to use and lets you do incremental backups that provides what you're looking for.

When I read changelog and this
http://jr.falleri.free.fr/keep/wiki/Home

I'd consider a different backup app.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BackupYourSystem

1.
I am now trying sbackup. It is quite good as i would wish. However one comment to discuss further. Encrypted backup in external hard disk has one problem. If one is looking for restore back to your system in any an eventuality, then these are ok. In case you can get unencrypted backup of your files on external drive, then you can any time take your external hard drive to other computer elsewhere connect your hard disk and can see all your recent files. In encrypted you can not do this (such as on another windows PC or linex where you do not have sbackup). Unencrypted files should only get updated and merge into original file every time you backup. Please give comments.
2.
In backup, do we have to include following files: var, usr/local, etc, (of course we have to backup home). These are the files show up when you start sbackup (of course we can change/modify files to include). What are these files i do not understand- do we have to backup these. Please let me know.
Thanks in advance for support.

#1
FAT32 would be a file system which is supported from both OS, regarding encryption, e.g. TrueCrypt.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/TrueCrypt

#2
> do we have to include following files
*We* don't have to...
It's a matter of what's important to you. (Reference question: Why?)

Meaning of directories is explained there.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LinuxFilesystemTreeOverview

Little more background.
http://maketecheasier.com/backing-up-data-in-ubuntu-using-sbackup/2007/12/08
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/140667

Cross-platform apps.
http://www.diffingo.com/oss/fwbackups/features

Afaik, rsnapshot (unencrypted) is able to create hardlinks from Linux on NTFS partitions.
http://www.rsnapshot.org/

Cross-platform cloud.
http://www.webupd8.org/2009/11/spideroak-cross-platform-cloud-back-up.html

Other.
https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/List_of_backup_software
http://www.junauza.com/2009/01/7-best-freeopen-source-backup-software.html
http://www.junauza.com/2010/06/8-of-best-online-backup-services-for.html

My question: Whether sbackup intimates when backup process is finished.

During a backup session (when trying software), it kept on going on, computer kept on working, i did not know whether backup finished will be displayed, when. I would have shut down laptop in middle of process or deleted some file thinking it is backup files. Now i am not able to boot my laptop. To help to restore my system, i have asked help in another question (pl see).

Ok, please close this question then as it is related to 'keep'. Thanks.