USB Backup plugin: help with options needed

  • Ok, the USB Backup plugin is using rsync in the background, right? So via the options, including "extra options", I should be able to achieve everything that can be done with rsync, just when an usb drive comes online, correct? Here is what I want to do, and have no idea how:


    -when the usb drive is plugged in, I want to backup everything on the data drive of the NAS to the usb drive (they have the same size) in one go. That should stay true even after new shared folders are added.
    -at first a simple sync would suffice, but I like the idea of incremental backups, maybe even with compression
    -in the event of the physical failure of the NAS (or its drive) I want to be able to backup the files easily. That would probably mean taking the usb drive and copying the folders "by hand" onto a new device. The file permissions on the usb need to be so that I can do that, without any other info (I may have revealed here that I have no clue how linux file permissions actually work, and vow to better myself).


    I am at the point where the learning curve is very steep, and starting down at the bottom :) So, what I would love to get as an answer is:


    -a simple recipe as to how to achieve this (if what I want to do makes sense), ideally as a list of options I can simply copy in the USB Backup plugin. That would enable me to get running straightaway.
    - if what I want to do makes no sense, then pointing out to me why
    -anything else you might want to tell me


    Thank you all

    Einmal editiert, zuletzt von Palladium () aus folgendem Grund: me hasty, no think good

    • Offizieller Beitrag

    -when the usb drive is plugged in, I want to backup everything on the data drive of the NAS to the usb drive (they have the same size) in one go. That should stay true even after new shared folders are added.

    As far as I know this is not possible unless you have all your shared folder in another single shared folder. Then you can point the usb-backup plugin to the parent folder.
    Alternative is to make one backup job for each shared folder you have.



    -at first a simple sync would suffice, but I like the idea of incremental backups

    For that you would need rsnapshot, which is kind of an extension of rsync. But the USB backup plugin does not support this. You would have to run the job manually using the rsnapshot plugin. Or you write a script which is triggered by a udev rule.



    -in the event of the physical failure of the NAS (or its drive) I want to be able to backup the files easily. That would probably mean taking the usb drive and copying the folders "by hand" onto a new device.

    The USB backup plugin works in both directions. So in case you have to restore a backup you can also use the USB backup plugin. If you enable "preserve permissions" you should be fine.


    As usual, the best is to do some simple tests to see if everything is working as expected.

  • Alternative is to make one backup job for each shared folder you have

    Well, that is exactly what I was aiming not to do. I know myself, I will create a new folder for something vital and forget to include it in the backup eventually.



    Or you write a script which is triggered by a udev rule.

    That seems to be the best way. I am going to do some research on how to do that.


    The USB backup plugin works in both directions. So in case you have to restore a backup you can also use the USB backup plugin. If you enable "preserve permissions" you should be fine.

    Well, as I said I really did not understand yet how permissions work in Linux :) If I take the USB drive to another computer with a different user structure can I still read the files?

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