Re: Question about using --exclude

Hi,

again, please reply to the list and only to the list.

On 23/02/2025 12:54, Eric Beversluis wrote:
> HI Eric,
> Maybe I edited too much out of the command to keep it brief. Here's the 
> complete command. It's the one I've been long using with the addition of 
> '--api-version 201' and '--exclude '/home/eric/VirtualBox VMs''.
> 
> sudo rdiff-backup --api-version 201 backup  --exclude '/home/eric/ 
> VirtualBox VMs' --include /home/eric --include /var/www --include /var/ 
> lib/mysql --include /usr/share/fonts --exclude '**' / /run/media/eric/ 
> ec90af29-6371-4399-9f2f-5eaf005af33e/XPS-2024-11-08
> 
> The 'VirtualBox VMs' directory has gotten too big, with the new VM in 
> there (that I created from scratch) and the files of the VM I was trying 
> to restore from rdiff-backup. And since VirtualBox didn't like what I 
> restored from rdiff-backup, I decided to leave that whole directory out 
> of the backup.

You didn't say which version of rdiff-backup you're using, but the 
command line looks correct to me.
You could do 2 things:

1. add `--verbosity 5` (or more) _before_ backup to list the files 
backed-up and see which files are really listed. Without it, how do you 
know which files are backed up?
2. replace the space through a question mark in 
'/home/eric/VirtualBox?VMs'; it shouldn't be an issue but you never know.

KR, Eric

> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Eric Beversluis
> www.ericbeversluis.com
> 2x Honorable Mention--Writer's Digest Contest
> 
> 
> On 2/23/25 2:51 AM, EricZolf wrote:
>> Hi,
>> are you sure this is the right command? It should have source and 
>> target directory, but this one has only target. Which version of 
>> rdiff-backup are you using?
>> KR, Eric (too)
>>
>> On February 23, 2025 5:13:15 AM UTC, Eric Beversluis via Any 
>> discussion of rdiff-backup <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> I'm trying to back up my home directory while excluding the / 
>>> VirtualBox VMs directory. I came up with this new command that, 
>>> according to the syntax instructions, should mean rdiff-backup would 
>>> henceforth skip that directory.
>>>
>>>    rdiff-backup --api-version 201 backup  --exclude
>>>    '/home/eric/VirtualBox VMs' --include /home/eric
>>>    --exclude '**' /run/media/eric/backup
>>>
>>>
>>> Yet, when I ran this command, it proceeded to backup the 'VirtualBox 
>>> VMs' folder. I thought I understood the syntax as saying that the -- 
>>> exclude Folder, coming before the --include /home/eric would take 
>>> precedence and leave Folder out of the /home/eric backup.
>>>
>>> What am I getting wrong here?
>