I can not get rsync to actually exclude the directories in my --exclude-from=file. I have read the man pages and scoured this forum but have not been able to find something that works?

I have added each exclusion to it's own line in the format of -/directory/* to exclude that directory but it still ends up being backed up to my rsync server. While rsync is running I see that [receiver] add_exclude (-/directory/*, exclude) is shown as the command is run but this directory still shows up on the rsync server.

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I have no idea what I am doing wrong.

I use the command: ls > list to create my exclude list. Then I edit it to add any subdirectories which I want excluded.
rsync -avz -e ssh --delete-after --exclude-from=list /home root@sony:/mnt/backup

Here's what the list may look like ...

So do you not put the - in front of the directories that you want to exclude? From the man pages I thought that this was necessary, but this may be the cause of my exclude list not working as I have been adding it in front of every directory that I am trying to exclude?

Thanks for the help.

Nope, my list looks just like that.