Re: [rdiff-backup-users] Unable to backup due to remote system closing connection

[Dominic Raferd]

Hi Alex

There is a long thread about this issue at 
http://www.howtoforge.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3618. But the problem 
in the end seemed to be (in this case) that the user had generated the 
authorized_keys file with nano and had not switched off hard wrapping, 
so that when the file was saved nano broke up the line.

If you are using nano prior to version 2.1.11, use the -w switch on the 
command line:
nano -wc /mnt/backup/.ssh/authorized_keys

If you have the latest and greatest nano, you can use soft-wrapping 
which is *much* nicer:
nano -$c /mnt/backup/.ssh/authorized_keys

If you are using a different editor, have a look for the same problem 
i.e. what you intend as a single line is being saved as multiple lines

Dominic

Alex Pounds wrote:
> Hello, 
>
> I'm trying to set up backups from one machine (alan) to a backup host
> (gertie) using rdiff-backup. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get it
> working. I'm sure I'm making a mistake somewhere, but reading the
> documentation and experimentation hasn't got me any closer. Hopefully
> someone on the mailing list will be able to help...
>
> On the backup server, gertie, I created a user 'rdiffbackup'. From
> /etc/passwd: 
>
> rdiffbackup:x:118:1001:Automated backups:/mnt/backup:/bin/false
>
> In /mnt/backup/.ssh/authorized_keys, I have a line like this (with no
> linebreaks): 
>
> command="/usr/bin/rdiff-backup -v9
> --server",no-X11-forwarding,no-port-forwarding,no-pty ssh-rsa abde[long
> ssh key]abcde address@hidden
>
> On alan, I run the following command to perform the backup, and get the
> following output: 
>
> alan ~$ sudo rdiff-backup --print-statistics
> --exclude-globbing-filelist /root/bin/excludes.txt /
> address@hidden::/mnt/backup
> Connection closed by 10.5.2.2
> Fatal Error: Truncated header string (problem probably originated
> remotely)
>
> Couldn't start up the remote connection by executing
>
>     ssh -C address@hidden rdiff-backup --server
>
> Remember that, under the default settings, rdiff-backup must be
> installed in the PATH on the remote system.  See the man page for more
> information on this.  This message may also be displayed if the remote
> version of rdiff-backup is quite different from the local version
> (1.2.8).
>
>
> Both servers are running Ubuntu 9.10, and have rdiffbackup 1.2.8 on them.
> Running the ssh command 'by hand' with the -vv option produces the
> following debug output, after a straightforward auth procedure: 
>
> debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,password
> debug1: Next authentication method: publickey
> debug1: Trying private key: /root/.ssh/identity
> debug1: Offering public key: /root/.ssh/id_rsa
> debug2: we sent a publickey packet, wait for reply
> debug1: Remote: Forced command: /usr/bin/rdiff-backup -v9 --server
> debug1: Remote: X11 forwarding disabled.
> debug1: Remote: Port forwarding disabled.
> debug1: Remote: Pty allocation disabled.
> debug1: Server accepts key: pkalg ssh-rsa blen [num]
> debug2: input_userauth_pk_ok: fp [fingerprint]
> debug1: read PEM private key done: type RSA
> debug1: Remote: Forced command: /usr/bin/rdiff-backup -v9 --server
> debug1: Remote: X11 forwarding disabled.
> debug1: Remote: Port forwarding disabled.
> debug1: Remote: Pty allocation disabled.
> Connection closed by 10.5.2.2
>
>
> Any suggestions as to what I've misconfigured, or how I can produce some
> helpful logs/debugging output, are gratefully received. 
>
>
> Many thanks, 
>
>