infectormp
commented
2 years ago I'd like to have my Kodi media center library on multiple devices
You should use syncthing for that purpose. Syncthing is the best solution for your use case.
Restoring (full-drive) backups of hard drives and migrating hard drives.
look at Backup a raw device example
https://borgbackup.readthedocs.io/en/stable/usage/create.html#examples
ThomasWaldmann
Have you checked borgbackup docs, FAQ, and open Github issues?
Yes
Is this a BUG / ISSUE report or a QUESTION?
Feature-request
System information. For client/server mode post info for both machines.
Your borg version (borg -V).
borg 1.1.16
Operating system (distribution) and version.
Debian11/KDE
Hardware / network configuration, and filesystems used.
How much data is handled by borg?
Full borg commandline that lead to the problem (leave away excludes and passwords)
Describe the problem you're observing.
It seems like it's currently not possible to backup data as plain files with borg. I first created this issue at the repo for the Vorta GUI of borg (https://github.com/borgbase/vorta/issues/1161) - even if "no compression" is selected in Vorta/borg the files aren't readable until mounted via Vorta/borg. A mode for plain file backups would be very useful to many and is a core missing feature when compared to alternative software.
Examples of major use cases:
Keeping libraries of media centers in sync.
For example, I'd like to have my Kodi media center library on multiple devices, not just as a backup but also for using the library. borg could detect if files have been moved or renamed using checksums (only new files are added and deleted files removed - duplicate files, files with missing metadata-changes like ratings or misnamed files are prevented).
This is also useful for music libraries, including if you'd like to keep metadata of tracks (like ratings, bookmarks and cue points) in sync across devices. This includes music libraries for DJ mixing software (like the open source mixxx). It would be best if changes can be done on each of the devices but that would be an advanced improvement once plain file backups are possible.
Restoring (full-drive) backups of hard drives and migrating hard drives.
For example, if a drive is expected to fail soon and you'd like to migrate files to a new primary (not backup) drive.
I may not be aware of all the ways borg can be used (especially relating to the second use-case example) and may edit this over time.
I think this may be one of the most useful features missing in borg and when compared to competitors. I think to increase user-friendliness and become more popular, borg (and thereby its GUIs) needs to add missing features which alternatives already have so that instead of using various different scripts and software for different purposes, only one backup/sync-software needs to be known and used. Moreover, borg features like deduplication would make this far more useful or implementable to build into borg.
Can you reproduce the problem? If so, describe how. If not, describe troubleshooting steps you took before opening the issue.
Include any warning/errors/backtraces from the system logs