Installing rsync to automate backups onto the NSLU2 Fileserver

Install rsync on the Fileserver -

apt-get install rsync

edit /etc/rsyncd.conf

# rsyncd.conf
uid = share
gid = share
use chroot = yes
max connections = 2
syslog facility = local3
pid file = /var/run/rsyncd.pid
[GiddyKipper]
path = /home/share/backups/GiddyKipper
comment = nslu2 rsync backup of GiddyKipper
read only = no
[SillySausage]
path = /home/share/backups/SillySausage
comment = nslu2 rsync backup of SillySausage
read only = no

Started rsync in daemon mode -

rsync --daemon

Should now be able to see the rsysnc server from another machine on the LAN -

andrew@giddykipper:~$ sudo rsync fileserver::
GiddyKipper nslu2 rsync backup of GiddyKipper
SillySausage nslu2 rsync backup of SillySausage
andrew@giddykipper:~$

Clients 'push' backups onto the server - i.e. to back-up my Linux 'home' directory on GiddyKipper -

rsync -arv --delete /home/andrew/ fileserver::GiddyKipper/andrew/

In order for this backup to run daily, the following script is added to /etc/cron.daily

#!/bin/sh
#
# backup cron daily
rsync -arv --delete /home/andrew/ fileserver::GiddyKipper/andrew/

For Windows machine, need to install cygwin, and then install rsync within cygwin. Backups are run as -

rsync -arv --delete /cygdrive/c/Documents\ and\ Settings/Rachel/ fileserver::SillySausage/Rachel/

and can include explicit exclude options to avoid lots of junk -

--exclude '*/Temporary\ Internet\ Files/*'

To run regular backups, need to add something like the following script to "Scheduled Tasks" to be run as an Administrator -

c:
cd c:\cygwin\bin
bash --login -c "rsync -avr --log-file=/cygdrive/c/backup.log --delete --exclude '*/Temporary\ Internet\ Files/*' /cygdrive/c/Documents\ and\ Settings/Rachel/ fileserver::SillySausage/Rachel/"