On 4/10/22 22:15, tomas@tuxteam.de wrote:
> On Sun, Apr 10, 2022 at 09:44:59PM -0700, David Christensen wrote:
>> On 4/10/22 19:58, Default User wrote:
>>> Hello!
>>>
>>> My setup:
>>> - single home x86-64 computer running Debian 11 Stable, up to date.
>>> - one 4-Tb external usb hard drive to use as a backup device, labeled MSD1.
>>> - another identical usb hard drive, labeled MSD2, to use as a copy of the
>>> backups on MSD1.
>>> - the computer and all storage devices are formatted ext4, not encrypted.
>>> - two old Clonezilla disk images from when I installed Debian 11 last year
>>> (probably irrelevant).
>>> - Timeshift to daily back up system EXCEPT for data directories.
>>> - Back in Time to daily back up data directories.
>>> - Borgbackup to also daily back up data directories.
>>> - Rsync to frequently backup any changed data between the daily Back in
>>> Time and Borgbackup backups of data directories, using this command:
>>>
>>> sudo rsync -aAXHxvv --delete --info=progress2,stats2,name2 --exclude-from
>>> "/home/default/rsync_exclude_list.txt" /home
>>> /media/default/MSD1/rsync_backups_of_host_home_directory_only
>>>
>>> Each type of backup is in a separate subdirectory on MSD1 (Timeshift, Back
>>> in TIme, Rsync, etc.).
>>>
>>> It "seems" to work okay, BUT . . .
>>>
>>> Then I try to use rsync to make an identical copy of backup device MSD1 on
>>> an absolutely identical 4-Tb external usb hard drive,
>>> labeled MSD2, using this command:
>>>
>>> sudo rsync -aAXHxvv --delete --info=progress2,stats2,name2
>>> /media/default/MSD1/ /media/default/MSD2
>>
>>
>> See 'man 1 rsync'. You have a slash at the end of SRC, but not at the end
>> of DEST. I would add a slash after "MSD2":
>
> The only thing I find in rsync's man page about trailing slashes
> in the `dest' argument would be relevant if MSD2 didn't exist (in
> the OP's case it seems it does, no?)
There are four combinations for rsync(1) SRC and DEST vs. trailing
slashes. I use two -- trailing slashes on SRC and DEST for directories,
and no trailing slashes on SRC and DEST for single files. The other two
combinations may "work" under certain circumstances, but they have
caused me grief in the past and I avoid them as a matter of habit.
David
Hey guys, sorry for just getting back with you now.
Unfortunately, I am just now recovering from a self-inflicted computer disaster.
While fighting with rsync, I did either:
sudo rsync -aAXHSxvv --delete --info=progress2,stats2,name2 /media/default/MSD1/ /media/default/MSD2
or
sudo rsync -aAXHxvv --delete --info=progress2,stats2,name2 /media/default/MSD1/ /media/default/MSD2/
Just one small problem: MSD2 was not connected to my computer!
(Don't say it . . . )
Instead of giving an error message, rsync just created a directory on my computer called /media/defaultMSD2, and filled it up until my / partition was full, and THEN my desktop environment (Cinnamon) popped up a notification saying so. How thoughtful.
The computer then would not reboot into the operating system.
No problem, I say. I will just use Timeshift to restore from its backup of a few hours earlier.
But that did not work, even after deleting the extra directory, and trying restores from multiple Timeshift backups.
Anyway, I never could fix the problem. But I did take it as an opportunity to "start over". I put in a new(er) SSD, and did a fresh install, replacing Cinnamon with Gnome. Mistake - now I remember why I dislike Gnome, ever since Gnome 3. Wish I had re-installed Cinnamon, but too late now, out of time. For now I will just have to grit my teeth and live with it.
[BTW, yes, I do have all of my data. Backfilling it into my new setup will no doubt be an ongoing adventure.]
Anyway, just a few notes about the rsync situation:
1) Having or not having a trailing / on the destination directory did not seem to make any difference in the size of the copy made, or otherwise. Nevertheless, I intend to heed the advice given to have a trailing / after both source and destination, or neither, as appropriate.
2) Using or not using an "S" option with rsync did not seem to make any difference, at least concerning the size of the copy made.
3) Yes, I really should check into using checksums to avoid "bot rot". Good advice.
Finally, Gnome sucks. (Did I mention that?)
Thanks for the replies.