More questions

[Ben Escoto]

--==_Exmh_2080754632P
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

>>>>> "docv" == docv  <docv@sbcglobal.net>
>>>>> wrote the following on Fri, 22 Feb 2002 17:20:35 -0600

  docv> 1.) I am getting 2 different messages from the program as it
  docv> runs;

  docv> Found socket, ignoring (I would think this is no big deal,
  docv> aren't the sockets files more or less temp files anyway?)

Yep, I don't think missing sockets should cause any problems.

  docv> multiple files and/or directories which return an error that
  docv> no read or exec permissions.....skipping.

  docv> I am logging in to both boxes as root, how can a file not be
  docv> readable by root? I don't understand that one.

This may be a bug, I'll have to look into it...  I thought that under
some unix systems, a file owned by root but without owner permissions
cannot be read directly, even by root.  For instance in the sequence:

echo hello > testfile
chmod 0 testfile
cat testfile

can the final 'cat' command return an error even if you are running as
root?  Anyone know what the guaranteed behavior here is?

    So anyway, there is a switch --change-source-perms so if a file
doesn't have ownership permissions, rdiff-backup will temporarily
chmod the file, read it, and then chmod it back to the original
values.  This is at least necessary if you are running rdiff-backup
not as root, and want to back up files you own but don't have read
permissions to.  It should also solve your root problems.

  docv> 2.) How can I set rdiff-backup to run as a cron job
  docv> automatically at the off peak hours? I do know how to set up
  docv> cron jobs, but how to I get rdiff-backup to log in to the
  docv> boxes without me having to manually input the passwords? Is
  docv> that possible?

This is more of an ssh question than an rdiff-backup question.
rdiff-backup just uses SSH to establish the remote connection, so if
ssh doesn't ask for a password, rdiff-backup won't either.  It is
possible to set up ssh to do what you want, but it is somewhat
complicated.  Try reading the ssh-agent and ssh-add man pages, or
looking at one of the ssh HOWTOs around the web.  There is also a
utility called "keychain" which can make things more convenient (and
less secure).  You may also want to check out a post by Jamie Heilman
on this list titled "ssh & key management.." (check archives) where he
brings up some overlooked ssh possibilities.

    So you may want to test things out by running something like:

ssh root@remote.machine 'cat /dev/null > /tmp/testfile'

When you can get that to run sucessfully from, then rdiff-backup
should also.

  docv> Again, thanks for your help and your patients!!!! I've seen on
  docv> other lists were newbies who ask questions such as these are
  docv> torn to shreds adn chastized by those who have years of daily
  docv> experience with administering linux systems.

No problem.  Those people give linux a bad name, and contribute to the
"you can't do real work under linux; it's only for computer geek
losers" attitude a lot of people seem to have.


--
Ben Escoto

--==_Exmh_2080754632P
Content-Type: application/pgp-signature

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.0.6 (GNU/Linux)
Comment: Exmh version 2.5 01/15/2001

iD8DBQE8dukO+owuOvknOnURAmX7AJ4niKkPt2TrlIFHGf5Hy9ep4r4V5gCff2S4
KHJTc5yR1FftGqCBoM5wObU=
=F+Vx
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

--==_Exmh_2080754632P--