Rdiff-image-backup

NAME

rdiff-image-backup - low level rdiff-image backup tool

SYNOPSIS

rdiff-image-boot /path/rdiff-image.conf \
output-base.tar.gz output-base.rdiff.gz \
[output-secret.tar.gz output-secret.rdiff.gz]

DESCRIPTION

rdiff-image-backup is used by rdiff-image-cron(1) to create backups.

It initially produces a full backup of the entire file system, and then on successive runs records the differences between the file systems current state and the full backup. It optimises the production of full backups so that the total amount of backup data is minimised over time. The optimisation assumes the size of the differences grows linearly.

rdiff-image-backup can also divide the backup into two: a normal backup and a secret one. Files nominated as secret an either be omitted from the normal backup or replaced with sanitised version.

ARGUMENTS

/path/rdiff-image.conf: The configuration containing information on what is backed up. See below.
output-base.tar.gz: If a full backup is produced, it is written to this file.
output-base.rdiff.gz: If differential to the full backup is produced, it is written to this file.
output-secret.tar.gz: If there are files marked secret in the configuration and a full secret backup is produced, it is written to this file. If not present no secret output is produced.
output-base.rdiff.gz: If differential to the full backup is produced, it is written to this file.

On a successful run either a full backup is produced or a differential is produced, but never both.

CONFIGURATION

rdiff-image-backup reads all its configuration information from the configuration file supplied in the /path/rdiff-image.conf argument. The options it accepts are described fully in rdiff-image.conf(5). Briefly, those options are:

add: Additional files to add to the backup so it is bootable.
backup: The directories to backup.
filter: files to exclude from the backup, or alternatively files to modify in the backed up copy.
secret: Files to move to the secret backup.
work: Where to store state information between runs.

BUGS

cpio(1) is used to do the backups due to a deficiency in tar(1). See:

: http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-tar/2009-03/msg00000.html

Cpio supports ustar (see tar(7)) only, and thus long path names can confuse it.

AUTHOR

Russell Stuart <russell-rdiffimage@stuart.id.au>