Backup to external disk

Arch4GoodieLike · 11-19-2020, 09:01 AM

Hi there,

i have several questions

1.
if i want to move the whole backup content from /actualbackup folder to /oldandstable folder

have i to use

Code:

mv /run/media/myusername/ArchBackup/actualbackup/* /run/media/myusername/ArchBackup/oldandstable

?

2. if i want to do a backup on external drive and overwrite existing data, i do

Code:

sudo rsync -aAXHv --exclude={"/dev/*","/proc/*","/sys/*","/tmp/*","/run/*","/mnt/*","/media/*","/lost+found"} / /run/media/myusername/ArchBackup/actualbackup

is that about right?

3.
i have read that theres a -delete variable for rsync which is "recommented" to add it to the backup command, when you backup frequently, why?

Thanks for reading and hopefuly even replying to my thread!

rnturn · 11-19-2020, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arch4GoodieLike

Code:

sudo rsync -aAXHv --exclude={"/dev/*","/proc/*","/sys/*","/tmp/*","/run/*","/mnt/*","/media/*","/lost+found"} / /run/media/myusername/ArchBackup/actualbackup

Have you tried using that rsync command with a smaller set of data and piped the output to a log file to see if it's getting the files you want backed up and ignoring the files you don't want? I'd try that before unleashing it on the entire Linux filesystem. Personally, I'd find a way of omitting the browser caches, image thumbnails, and the other myriad of small files that browsing leaves under peoples' home directories.

Quote:

i have read that theres a -delete variable for rsync which is "recommented" to add it to the backup command, when you backup frequently, why?

The idea of the "--delete" switch is that files that exist on the rsync destination that no longer exist in the source are no longer needed so they should be deleted from the destination. Without that "--delete" switch, your rsync destination is your own, personal Wayback Machine. With it, you're making a snapshot-in-time of your current Linux filesystems. Only you know which solution you need. Check the description of "--delete" in the rsync(1) manpage; there are details about how it works that may affect your needs.

HTH...

Arch4GoodieLike · 11-20-2020, 03:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rnturn

Have you tried using that rsync command with a smaller set of data and piped the output to a log file to see if it's getting the files you want backed up and ignoring the files you don't want? I'd try that before unleashing it on the entire Linux filesystem. Personally, I'd find a way of omitting the browser caches, image thumbnails, and the other myriad of small files that browsing leaves under peoples' home directories.

The idea of the "--delete" switch is that files that exist on the rsync destination that no longer exist in the source are no longer needed so they should be deleted from the destination. Without that "--delete" switch, your rsync destination is your own, personal Wayback Machine. With it, you're making a snapshot-in-time of your current Linux filesystems. Only you know which solution you need. Check the description of "--delete" in the rsync(1) manpage; there are details about how it works that may affect your needs.

HTH...

Hey, thanks for replying!

Quote:

Originally Posted by rnturn

Have you tried using that rsync command with a smaller set of data and piped the output to a log file to see if it's getting the files you want backed up and ignoring the files you don't want?

yes i have.

is this correct? (see below)

1.
if i want to move the whole backup content from /actualbackup folder to /oldandstable folder

have i to use

Code:

mv /run/media/myusername/ArchBackup/actualbackup/* /run/media/myusername/ArchBackup/oldandstable

?