On 4/13/22 09:20, Default User wrote:
>> 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.
Congratulations! You now have more experience:
"Doing things right is a matter of experience. Experience is a matter
of doing things wrong."
As you find system administration commands that work, put them into scripts:
#!/bin/sh
sudo rsync -aAXHxvv --delete --info=progress2,stats2,name2
/media/default/MSD1/ /media/default/MSD2/
Use a version control system for system administration. Create a
project for every machine. Check in system configuration files,
scripts, partition table backups, encryption header backups, RAID header
backups, etc.. Maintain a plain text log file with notes of what you
did (e.g. console sessions), when, and why.
Put your OS on a small, fast device (e.g. SSD) and put your data on an
array of large devices (e.g. ZFS pool with one or more HDD mirrors).
Backup both as before. Additionally, take images of your OS device.
David
Yikes!
David, I really think I am too old to learn all of that. But maybe I can learn at least some of it, over time. Please understand that I am not training to be a real system administrator, except that I guess anyone is (or should be able to be) actually the "system administrator" of their own computer(s).
Anyway, thanks for the advice.