Backup Central

Hi all

The attached patch adds a "--create-full-path" option to rdiff-backup; the
patch is against version 0.13.4.

I like to maintain the backup tree as a mirror of the client system,
but I don't want to back up every directory. For example, I may want to
back up/var/lib/cvs without backing up the entire /var tree. In the past
this could be achieved with include/exclude options, but it is difficult to
maintain as other directories may be created under /var. If the command

rdiff-backup /var/lib/cvs remotesys::/backups/var/lib/cvs

is issued, it is necessary for the directory /backups/var/lib to exist
remotely. The new option will create the full path if required:

rdiff-backup --create-full-path /var/lib/cvs \
remotesys::/backups/var/lib/cvs

This should be used with caution: if there is a typo in the remote path the
remote filesystem could fill up very quickly (by creating a duplicate
backup tree). For this reason this option is primarily aimed at scripts
which automate backups.

Comments, patches-to-patch, etc, welcome.

Keith

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Small business computer support: http://www.tiger-computing.co.uk
Linux consultancy: http://www.TheLinuxConsultancy.co.uk
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On Fri, 24 Dec 2004 12:18:23 +0000
Keith Edmunds <keith < at > midnighthax.com> wrote:

The attached patch...

...is now actually attached.


--
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Small business computer support: http://www.tiger-computing.co.uk
Linux consultancy: http://www.TheLinuxConsultancy.co.uk
----------------------------------------------------------------------

On Fri, 24 Dec 2004 12:18:23 +0000, Keith Edmunds <keith < at > midnighthax.com> wrote:

The attached patch adds a "--create-full-path" option to rdiff-backup; the
patch is against version 0.13.4.

I like to maintain the backup tree as a mirror of the client system,
but I don't want to back up every directory.

Same here. Its useful to have complete paths. I like this option
(infact I remember reading the man page carefully searching for
such an option ;)

For example, I may want to back up/var/lib/cvs without backing up
the entire /var tree. In the past this could be achieved with include/exclude
options, but it is difficult to maintain as other directories may be created
under /var.

I admit. Carefully maintaining include/exclude filelist is cumbersome.

Thanks for the patch. Hopefully it will make into the next rdiff release
S.