Consider basing FlyBack on rdiff-backup instead of rsync

[GoogleCodeExporter]

There's a popular backup program that has rsync like
functionality at its base but provides much more
called rdiff-backup.  It's written in Python, so
putting flyback on top of that wouldn't be too hard.

One main difference between using rsync and rdiff-backup
is that rdiff-backup stores binary diffs for files that
are different.  rsync will store a complete different
copy of a file, even if only a few bytes out of many
are different.

Check it out at:

http://www.nongnu.org/rdiff-backup/

Regards,
Blair

Original issue reported on code.google.com by blair-ol...@orcaware.com on 7 Nov 2007 at 9:37

[GoogleCodeExporter]

I would suggest http://www.nongnu.org/duplicity/ instead. Just like 
rdiff-backup, but
with encryption and many possible targets.

Original comment by a...@laxu.de on 7 Nov 2007 at 9:39

[GoogleCodeExporter]

looks like a cool program but we would lose the "backups don't require any 
special
software to restore" feature...

Original comment by pub...@kered.org on 7 Nov 2007 at 10:03

• Changed state: WontFix
• Added labels: Type-Enhancement
• Removed labels: Type-Defect

[GoogleCodeExporter]

I've seen you already have functions, which return the correct commandlines. 
Just use
a class:

class BackupBackend:
  def getBackupcommand(self, srcDir, destDir):
    pass
  def getRestorecommand(self, srcDir, destDir, file):
    pass

and a class:
class rsyncBackup(backupBackend):
  ...
class duplicityBackup(backupBackend):
  ...

Original comment by a...@laxu.de on 10 Nov 2007 at 5:11

[GoogleCodeExporter]

i understand the how, just not the why.  one of the great things about time 
machine
is that you don't need any special software to access your data once it's 
backed up.
 and this is a feature i want to emulate in flyback.  rdiff-backup would break this.

Original comment by pub...@kered.org on 10 Nov 2007 at 8:18

[GoogleCodeExporter]

That's not really a feature of Time Machine that your normal user will ever 
use.  They won't cd into the hidden 
Time Machine directory and recover a file, they'll use the Time Machine GUI.

I'd rather have a more fulfeatured backup system then something I can cd into.

And if you want the command line, you can always run rdiff-backup --restore "1 
day ago" .

Original comment by blair-ol...@orcaware.com on 10 Nov 2007 at 8:51

[GoogleCodeExporter]

how about an option between rdiff-backup and rsync?

Original comment by JMa...@gmail.com on 13 Nov 2007 at 12:20

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Here's the why:
1) I have a 4000MB video from my DV camcorder
2) Flyback backs up 4000MB
3) I edit the video, changing 1MB of it
4) Flyback backs up 4000MB

Flyback is now storing 8000MB for the video, when it would only store 4001MB 
with
rdiff-backup. In my view, this is a bug in Time Machine which you don't need to 
emulate.

Original comment by sciurus@gmail.com on 6 Jan 2008 at 10:42