I know there are lots of different backup tools for Linux and that many people recommend Mondo Rescue but I have never been able to make it work properly (my last attempt resulted in 8 DVD images totaling 31 GB – The source of the backup was 140GB), no doubt my own fault.
So I decided to write down how I made backup and bare-metal restore using rdiff-backup work for my own future reference; and what better place to write it down than in my own blog :)
I am using an external (USB) disk for backups.
First, the backup
Instead of having to run everything by hand each time, I quickly created a script for my backups:
#!/bin/bash
# Backup script - allan@nowhere.dk
# This version is for local backups
#
# Requirements: rdiff-backup, sfdisk
if [ $# -ne 1 ]
then
echo "Usage: $0 <dest dir>"
echo "The directory backup will be created inside <dest dir>"
exit 0
fi
# White-space separated list of directories or files to exclude. Adjust to suit local needs."
EXCLUDE="/tmp /media /proc /sys /dev"
# Time to keep files in backups - See rdiff-backup manual for more info
KEEP="5D"
# Where to put the backup
BU_DIR="$1/backup"
# Temporary file for exclude list
EXCLUDE_FILE=`mktemp /tmp/backup.XXXXXX`
# Test if backup dir exists
if [ ! -d $BU_DIR ]
then
# Create the directory - Note, not using -p for security reasons
mkdir $BU_DIR
if [ $? -ne 0 ]
then
echo "Unable to create $BU_DIR - Please check permissions"
exit 1
fi
fi
# Create a list of all packages currently installed - Used on Debian/Ubuntu
dpkg --get-selections > /etc/dpkg.lst
# Create a copy of the partition table, assumes one disk only
sfdisk -d /dev/sda > /etc/sda.sfdisk
# Generate an exclude file for rdiff-backup
for file in $EXCLUDE
do
echo "$file/**" >> $EXCLUDE_FILE
done
# Run the backup; this will backup ALL files/directories (except does excluded) and
# does not care about filesystems.
rdiff-backup --exclude-device-files --exclude-fifos --exclude-sockets -v5 \
--exclude-globbing-filelist $EXCLUDE_FILE / $BU_DIR
# Remove increments older than $KEEP days
rdiff-backup --remove-older-than $KEEP $BU_DIR
# Cleanup
rm $EXCLUDE_FILE
# Backup script - allan@nowhere.dk
# This version is for local backups
#
# Requirements: rdiff-backup, sfdisk
if [ $# -ne 1 ]
then
echo "Usage: $0 <dest dir>"
echo "The directory backup will be created inside <dest dir>"
exit 0
fi
# White-space separated list of directories or files to exclude. Adjust to suit local needs."
EXCLUDE="/tmp /media /proc /sys /dev"
# Time to keep files in backups - See rdiff-backup manual for more info
KEEP="5D"
# Where to put the backup
BU_DIR="$1/backup"
# Temporary file for exclude list
EXCLUDE_FILE=`mktemp /tmp/backup.XXXXXX`
# Test if backup dir exists
if [ ! -d $BU_DIR ]
then
# Create the directory - Note, not using -p for security reasons
mkdir $BU_DIR
if [ $? -ne 0 ]
then
echo "Unable to create $BU_DIR - Please check permissions"
exit 1
fi
fi
# Create a list of all packages currently installed - Used on Debian/Ubuntu
dpkg --get-selections > /etc/dpkg.lst
# Create a copy of the partition table, assumes one disk only
sfdisk -d /dev/sda > /etc/sda.sfdisk
# Generate an exclude file for rdiff-backup
for file in $EXCLUDE
do
echo "$file/**" >> $EXCLUDE_FILE
done
# Run the backup; this will backup ALL files/directories (except does excluded) and
# does not care about filesystems.
rdiff-backup --exclude-device-files --exclude-fifos --exclude-sockets -v5 \
--exclude-globbing-filelist $EXCLUDE_FILE / $BU_DIR
# Remove increments older than $KEEP days
rdiff-backup --remove-older-than $KEEP $BU_DIR
# Cleanup
rm $EXCLUDE_FILE
If you want to create the backup on another server, first setup key-based SSH login to the remote server.
Here is a short guide if you do not already have key based authentication running
- Create a new ssh key on the source server (for root):
$ sudo ssh-keygen -t dsa
Generating public/private dsa key pair.
Enter file in which to save the key (/root/.ssh/id_dsa):
Created directory '/root/.ssh'.
Enter passphrase (empty for no passphrase):
Enter same passphrase again:
Your identification has been saved in /root/.ssh/id_dsa.
Your public key has been saved in /root/.ssh/id_dsa.pub.
The key fingerprint is:
16:b6:a3:a9:f2:f4:d3:37:3d:b1:fe:df:8a:00:03:a9 root@bender
The key's randomart image is:
+--[ DSA 1024]----+
| |
| . |
| o o |
| . o o |
| E S |
| + + . |
| . o. .. o |
| .. o. . o.+. .|
| oo .. . oooooo|
+-----------------+Note: Fingerprint and randomart will differ.
- Copy the contents of /root/.ssh/id_dsa.pub on the source machine to ~user/.ssh/authorized_keys on the destination machine. While it is possible to connect as root I recommend using a non-privileged user.
- Test the connection:
# ssh user@remote
And the backup script:
#!/bin/bash
# Backup script - allan@nowhere.dk
# This version is for remote backups.
#
# Requirements: rdiff-backup, sfdisk, ssh
if [ $# -ne 3 ]
then
echo "Usage: $0 <remote host> <remote user> <dest dir>"
echo "The directory backup will be created inside <dest dir>"
exit 0
fi
# White-space separated list of directories or files to exclude. Adjust to suit local needs."
EXCLUDE="/tmp /media /proc /sys /dev"
# Time to keep files in backups - See rdiff-backup manual for more info
KEEP="5D"
# Where to put the backup
RHOST="$1"
RUSER="$2"
SSH="ssh -l $RUSER"
BUDIR="$3/backup"
# Temporary file for exclude list
EXCLUDE_FILE=`mktemp /tmp/backup.XXXXXX`
# Test if remote host is connectable
rdiff-backup --test-server $RUSER@$RHOST::$BU_DIR
if [ $? -ne 0 ]
then
echo "Unable to connect to $RHOST"
exit 1
fi
# Test if backup dir exists
$SSH test -d $BU_DIR
if [ $? -ne 0 ]
then
# Create the directory - Note, not using -p for security reasons
$SSH mkdir $BU_DIR
if [ $? -ne 0 ]
then
echo "Unable to create $BU_DIR - Please check permissions"
exit 1
fi
fi
# Create a list of all packages currently installed - Used on Debian/Ubuntu
dpkg --get-selections > /etc/dpkg.lst
# Create a copy of the partition table, assumes one disk only
sfdisk -d /dev/sda > /etc/sda.sfdisk
# Generate an exclude file for rdiff-backup
for file in $EXCLUDE
do
echo "$file/**" >> $EXCLUDE_FILE
done
# Run the backup; this will backup ALL files/directories (except does excluded) and
# does not care about filesystems.
rdiff-backup --exclude-device-files --exclude-fifos --exclude-sockets -v5 \
--exclude-globbing-filelist $EXCLUDE_FILE / $RUSER@$RHOST::$BU_DIR
# Remove increments older than $KEEP days
rdiff-backup --remove-older-than $KEEP $RUSER@$RHOST::$BU_DIR
# Cleanup
rm $EXCLUDE_FILE
# Backup script - allan@nowhere.dk
# This version is for remote backups.
#
# Requirements: rdiff-backup, sfdisk, ssh
if [ $# -ne 3 ]
then
echo "Usage: $0 <remote host> <remote user> <dest dir>"
echo "The directory backup will be created inside <dest dir>"
exit 0
fi
# White-space separated list of directories or files to exclude. Adjust to suit local needs."
EXCLUDE="/tmp /media /proc /sys /dev"
# Time to keep files in backups - See rdiff-backup manual for more info
KEEP="5D"
# Where to put the backup
RHOST="$1"
RUSER="$2"
SSH="ssh -l $RUSER"
BUDIR="$3/backup"
# Temporary file for exclude list
EXCLUDE_FILE=`mktemp /tmp/backup.XXXXXX`
# Test if remote host is connectable
rdiff-backup --test-server $RUSER@$RHOST::$BU_DIR
if [ $? -ne 0 ]
then
echo "Unable to connect to $RHOST"
exit 1
fi
# Test if backup dir exists
$SSH test -d $BU_DIR
if [ $? -ne 0 ]
then
# Create the directory - Note, not using -p for security reasons
$SSH mkdir $BU_DIR
if [ $? -ne 0 ]
then
echo "Unable to create $BU_DIR - Please check permissions"
exit 1
fi
fi
# Create a list of all packages currently installed - Used on Debian/Ubuntu
dpkg --get-selections > /etc/dpkg.lst
# Create a copy of the partition table, assumes one disk only
sfdisk -d /dev/sda > /etc/sda.sfdisk
# Generate an exclude file for rdiff-backup
for file in $EXCLUDE
do
echo "$file/**" >> $EXCLUDE_FILE
done
# Run the backup; this will backup ALL files/directories (except does excluded) and
# does not care about filesystems.
rdiff-backup --exclude-device-files --exclude-fifos --exclude-sockets -v5 \
--exclude-globbing-filelist $EXCLUDE_FILE / $RUSER@$RHOST::$BU_DIR
# Remove increments older than $KEEP days
rdiff-backup --remove-older-than $KEEP $RUSER@$RHOST::$BU_DIR
# Cleanup
rm $EXCLUDE_FILE
Both scripts need to run as root on the source machine.
Restore
First of all: Test your restore!. Nothing feels worse than a useless backup. Use a virtual machine to test your backup.
- Download a boot CD (and boot it). Some steps of the restore requires Internet access so keep you wireless details handy (if applicable)
- rdiff-backup is not included on the live CD, so we need to “install” it. Go to the System -> Administration and select Synaptics Package Manager, select Settings -> Repository and enable the universe repository
When you click Close, you will be informed that you need to click the Reload button (please do) - Close Synaptics and open a terminal (Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal) and install rdiff-backup by running
sudo apt-get install rdiff-backup
- Create a new partition table using GParted (found in System -> Administration), the size of each partition can be found in /media/usbdisk/backup/etc/sda.sfdisk – the filesystem type of each partition is found in /media/usbdisk/backup/etc/fstab
- Mount filesystems for the restore; in my case I took the filesystems listed in /media/usbdisk/backup/etc/fstab:
/dev/sda1 / ext3 relatime,errors=remount-ro 0 1
/dev/sda6 /home ext3 relatime,user_xattr 0 2This translates to:
$ sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
$ sudo mkdir /mnt/home
$ sudo mount /dev/sda6 /mnt/home - We are now ready to restore:
$ sudo rdiff-backup --force -r now -v5 /media/usbdisk/backup /mnt
The force flag is needed because some of the destination directories are present at target.
- Next step is to reinstall grub into the MBR and fix fstab.
- First set up and enter a chroot:
$ mount -t proc none /mnt/proc
$ mount -o bind /dev /mnt/dev
$ mount -o bind /sys /mnt/sys
$ sudo chroot /mnt /bin/bashAll work done from this point on is done with the actual data from your old system.
- Now find the UUID of your partitions:
# blkid
/dev/sda1: UUID="ff98e4b0-2383-42f7-9812-cd05af1498ea" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/sda5: UUID="a1d38cf3-2a8a-4ca4-b1ee-5f7fcb43d51b" TYPE="swap"
/dev/sda6: UUID="c64dcaa8-2bad-4ecd-b984-ed6b2718b985" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3" - Open /boot/grub/menu.lst, locate kopt= and groot= and then change the UUID value with the one corresponding to the value of your root filesystem above
- Open /etc/fstab and change the UUID values to match those above
- Install grub:
# grub-install /dev/sda
- Update the grub configuration
# update-grub
- Optional: Open /etc/udev/rules.d/70-persistent-net.rules and remove the rule for eth0 if you are moving to new hardware
- Exit the chroot
# exit
- First set up and enter a chroot:
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does this sort out file permissions nicely?
rdiff-backup restores all file permissions.