backing up with rsync

Here is a python script using rsync to backup my Users directory in Vista to an external hard drive.

import os

cmd = "rsync -avz --exclude '/AppData/'" + \
      "/cygdrive/c/Users/saltycrane" + \
      "/cygdrive/f/backup/Users"
os.system(cmd)

Why not to use the backup program that comes with your external hard drive:¶

Do not, whatever you do, feed your valuable data to a program that is going to save it in a file format that can only be read by that program, or by that kind of computer. Because when the program can’t or the computer can’t, you’re out of options. --Tim Bray, Protecting Your Data

Why to use rsync:¶

rsync -essh -rtpvz rocks. --Mark Pilgrim, Essentials

On trailing slashes¶

from the rsync man page:

A trailing slash on the source changes this behavior to avoid creating an addi‐ tional directory level at the destination. You can think of a trailing / on a source as meaning “copy the contents of this directory” as opposed to “copy the directory by name”, but in both cases the attributes of the containing directory are transferred to the containing directory on the destination. In other words, each of the following commands copies the files in the same way, including their setting of the attributes of /dest/foo:

rsync -av /src/foo /dest
rsync -av /src/foo/ /dest/foo

Use rsync with sudo on the remote host (added 2011-09-07)¶

Use the --rsync-path option. e.g.

$ rsync -avz --delete --rsync-path="sudo rsync" /tmp/something myhost:/some/path