backup on WD passport fails midway
 

I've been trying to backup to a new WD passport external hard drive; stops midway indicating "dev/snd/seq calculating checksum". I've partitioned the drive for linux.

Not a lot of details to go on...such as version/distro of Linux, what filesystem type you used (there are several), and how you're doing this backup. Read the "Question Guidelines" link in my posting signature.

That said, you don't need to back up the /dev directory AT ALL...those things are created dynamically. Similarly, there's little need to back up system directories (since if your system dies, you reload Linux), nor is there need to back up /tmp, /var, or other things, besides your /home folder. You *MAY* want to back up some things in /etc, since that's where your service-specific files are kept, to keep you from having to reconfigure services later. But that's only if you've edited any of them.

Weird. Isn't snd a sound device thing?

Are you backing up to a usb sound card?

Hi:

Welcome to Linux Questions-;)

You might be missing a module:-

https://forum.porteus.org/viewtopic.php?t=6666

-:::-Give more details please.-:::-

Yes. More details, please.
What are you running to do the backup?