On Wed, Apr 13, 2022 at 4:42 PM David Christensen <dpchr...@holgerdanske.com> wrote:
> On 4/13/22 09:20, Default User wrote: > > >> Hey guys, sorry for just getting back with you now. > >> Unfortunately, I am just now recovering from a self-inflicted computer > >> disaster. > >> > >> While fighting with rsync, I did either: > >> > >> sudo rsync -aAXHSxvv --delete --info=progress2,stats2,name2 > >> /media/default/MSD1/ /media/default/MSD2 > >> or > >> sudo rsync -aAXHxvv --delete --info=progress2,stats2,name2 > >> /media/default/MSD1/ /media/default/MSD2/ > >> > >> Just one small problem: MSD2 was not connected to my computer! > >> (Don't say it . . . ) > >> > >> Instead of giving an error message, rsync just created a directory on my > >> computer called /media/defaultMSD2, and filled it up until my / > partition > >> was full, and THEN my desktop environment (Cinnamon) popped up a > >> notification saying so. How thoughtful. > >> > >> The computer then would not reboot into the operating system. > >> > >> No problem, I say. I will just use Timeshift to restore from its backup > of > >> a few hours earlier. > >> > >> But that did not work, even after deleting the extra directory, and > trying > >> restores from multiple Timeshift backups. > >> > >> Anyway, I never could fix the problem. But I did take it as an > opportunity > >> to "start over". I put in a new(er) SSD, and did a fresh install, > replacing > >> Cinnamon with Gnome. Mistake - now I remember why I dislike Gnome, ever > >> since Gnome 3. Wish I had re-installed Cinnamon, but too late now, out > of > >> time. For now I will just have to grit my teeth and live with it. > >> > >> [BTW, yes, I do have all of my data. Backfilling it into my new setup > will > >> no doubt be an ongoing adventure.] > >> > >> Anyway, just a few notes about the rsync situation: > >> > >> 1) Having or not having a trailing / on the destination directory did > not > >> seem to make any difference in the size of the copy made, or otherwise. > >> Nevertheless, I intend to heed the advice given to have a trailing / > after > >> both source and destination, or neither, as appropriate. > >> > >> 2) Using or not using an "S" option with rsync did not seem to make any > >> difference, at least concerning the size of the copy made. > >> > >> 3) Yes, I really should check into using checksums to avoid "bot rot". > >> Good advice. > >> > >> Finally, Gnome sucks. (Did I mention that?) > >> > >> Thanks for the replies. > > > Congratulations! You now have more experience: > > "Doing things right is a matter of experience. Experience is a matter > of doing things wrong." > > > As you find system administration commands that work, put them into > scripts: > > #!/bin/sh > sudo rsync -aAXHxvv --delete --info=progress2,stats2,name2 > /media/default/MSD1/ /media/default/MSD2/ > > > Use a version control system for system administration. Create a > project for every machine. Check in system configuration files, > scripts, partition table backups, encryption header backups, RAID header > backups, etc.. Maintain a plain text log file with notes of what you > did (e.g. console sessions), when, and why. > > > Put your OS on a small, fast device (e.g. SSD) and put your data on an > array of large devices (e.g. ZFS pool with one or more HDD mirrors). > Backup both as before. Additionally, take images of your OS device. > > > David > > Yikes! David, I really think I am too old to learn all of that. But maybe I can learn at least some of it, over time. Please understand that I am not training to be a real system administrator, except that I guess anyone is (or should be able to be) actually the "system administrator" of their own computer(s). Anyway, thanks for the advice.
