I am running Ubuntu 11.04 (fresh install) and I am using rsnaphot to take incremental backups. I am using my desktop time to time and decided to let the system takes the backup for me, using anacron.

Strangely enough rsnapshot as started by anacron is executing twice a day and weekly never been executed...

I am dealing with the same problem for a couple of weeks and decide to ask for help.

First anacron as supplied by 11.04 install (not changed)

# /etc/cron.d/anacron: crontab entries for the anacron package

SHELL=/bin/sh
PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin

#30 7 * * * root test -x /etc/init.d/anacron && /usr/sbin/invoke-rc.d anacron start >/dev/null
30 7 * * * root start -q anacron ||

Next crontab table (empty) everything is commented out

/etc/crontab: system-wide crontab
# Unlike any other crontab you don't have to run the `crontab'
# command to install the new version when you edit this file
# and files in /etc/cron.d. These files also have username fields,
# that none of the other crontabs do.

SHELL=/bin/sh
PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin

# m h dom mon dow user command
#17 * * * * root cd / && run-parts --report /etc/cron.hourly
#25 6 * * * root test -x /usr/sbin/anacron || ( cd / && run-parts --report /etc/cron.daily )
#47 6 * * 7 root test -x /usr/sbin/anacron || ( cd / && run-parts --report /etc/cron.weekly )
#52 6 1 * * root test -x /usr/sbin/anacron || ( cd / && run-parts --report /etc/cron.monthly )

Next anacrontab as set up

# /etc/anacrontab: configuration file for anacron

# See anacron( and anacrontab(5) for details.

SHELL=/bin/sh
PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin

# These replace cron's entries
1 5 cron.daily nice run-parts --report /etc/cron.daily
7 10 cron.weekly nice run-parts --report /etc/cron.weekly
1 120 mysnap.daily /home/am/bin/mysnap.sh -v daily
7 180 mysnap.weekly /home/am/bin/mysnap.sh -v weekly
30 240 mysnap.monthly /home/am/bin/mysnap.sh -v monthly
@monthly 15 cron.monthly nice run-parts --report /etc/cron.monthly

Next mysnap.sh script (executed as root)

#!/bin/sh
# An Easy command to use the rsnapshot command.

period="daily"

if [ $# -eq 1 ] ; then
period=$1
fi

echo $period

/usr/bin/rsnapshot -v $period >> /var/log/rsnapshot

du -s -h /media/7444bkup -h >> /var/log/rsnapshot
ls -al /media/7444bkup/.snapshots/ >> /var/log/rsnapshot

# Send log to email

cat /var/log/rsnapshot | ssmtp sapeurcamembert@myemail

# Reset log after weekly processing

if [ $period -eq "weekly" } ; then
cat /dev/null > /var/log/rsnapshot
fi

The file /var/spool/anacron/cron.daily is updated with the time stamp (date only as usual) 20120228 as today

The file /var/log/rsnapshot is never reset....and the weekly period is never executed....

Any help will be appreciated.