Re: [rdiff-backup-users] [m] help using rdiff-backup on Windows

[Dominic Raferd]

If you want to carry on running native rdiff-backup.exe directly, I 
suggest you remove backslashes and just use a single forward slash as 
the directory separator in your specifications (including in your 
exclude-list file).

It is possible that you will hit further problems because you are 
backing up via SMB, but the best way to find out is to try it... 
(Regardless of source, the most reliable *destination* for rdiff-backup 
repositories IMO is a Linux machine/filesystem.)

Alternatively have a look at my TimeDicer utility which uses 
rdiff-backup Windows native client and is tailored specifically for 
backups from Windows: http://www.timedicer.co.uk. This allows you to 
specify files and directories in windows style (with the normal Windows 
backslashes and ignoring case sensitivity) and backs up to a 'TimeDicer 
Server' which is a dedicated Linux machine (real or virtual). It also 
uses VSS so it can backup locked files.

Dominic

On 12/05/2012 02:42, Teddy Brown wrote:
> Hey all,
> I'm having difficulty running rdiff-backup on Windows, both under 
> Cygwin and natively.  This program is clearly geared towards real Unix 
> based systems so I haven't been able to find many docs to help out.
>
> What I'd like to be able to do is create an include list of files to 
> back up.  My source directories are across 3 local hard drives and my 
> target is a NAS connected with SMB (actually an Apple Time Capsule).
>
> I simply can't get Cygwin to work, at all to the network drive, it 
> gives Python exceptions.
>
> In the native Windows client I get a little further:
> C:\Users\Teddy>rdiff-backup --include-filelist backup_list.txt 
> --exclude "**" "C:\\/" "\\teddys-time-cap\Data\Backups\win7-desktop"
> ListError $INPLACE.~TR [Error 5] Access is denied: 
> 'C:\\\\/$INPLACE.~TR/*.*'
> ListError $Recycle.Bin/S-1-5-20 [Error 5] Access is denied: 
> 'C:\\\\/$Recycle.Bin
> /S-1-5-20/*.*'
> Warning: file specification 'E:\\/Digital\ Camera\ Pics' in filelist 
> backup_list
> .txt
> doesn't start with correct prefix C:\\.  Ignoring.
> Warning: file specification 'F:\\/Users' in filelist backup_list.txt
> doesn't start with correct prefix C:\\.  Ignoring.
> Fatal Error: Fatal Error: The file specification
>     'C:\\/**'
> cannot match any files in the base directory
>     'C:\\'
> Useful file specifications begin with the base directory or some
> pattern (such as '**') which matches the base directory.
>
> C:\Users\Teddy>rdiff-backup --include-filelist backup_list.txt 
> --exclude "C:\\/*
> *" "C:\\/" "\\teddys-time-cap/Data/Backups/win7-desktop"
> Found interrupted initial backup. Removing...
> ListError $INPLACE.~TR [Error 5] Access is denied: 
> 'C:\\\\/$INPLACE.~TR/*.*'
> ListError $Recycle.Bin/S-1-5-20 [Error 5] Access is denied: 
> 'C:\\\\/$Recycle.Bin
> /S-1-5-20/*.*'
> Warning: file specification 'E:\\/Digital\ Camera\ Pics' in filelist 
> backup_list
> .txt
> doesn't start with correct prefix C:\\.  Ignoring.
> Warning: file specification 'F:\\/Users' in filelist backup_list.txt
> doesn't start with correct prefix C:\\.  Ignoring.
> Fatal Error: Fatal Error: The file specification
>     'C:\\/**'
> cannot match any files in the base directory
>     'C:\\'
> Useful file specifications begin with the base directory or some
> pattern (such as '**') which matches the base directory.
>
>
>
>
>
> backup_list.txt contains:
> E:\\/Digital\ Camera\ Pics
> F:\\/Users
> C:\\/Users
>
>
> Any help?
>
>
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