[gentoo-user] Re: Suggestions for backup scheme?

[Grant Edwards <grant.b.edwards@gmail.com>]

On 2024-02-05, Wols Lists <antlists@youngman.org.uk> wrote:
> On 04/02/2024 15:48, Grant Edwards wrote:
>> OK I see. That's a bit different than what I'm doing.  I'm backing up
>> a specific set of directory trees from a couple different
>> filesystems. There are large portions of the "source" filesystems that
>> I have no need to back up.  And within those directory trees that do
>> get backed up there are also some excluded subtrees.
>
> But my scheme still works here. The filesystem I'm snapshotting is the 
> backup. As such, it only contains the stuff I want backed up, copied 
> across using rsync.
>
> There's nothing stopping me running several rsyncs from the live system, 
> from several different partitions, to the backup partition.

Ah! Got it. That's one of the things I've been trying to figure out
this entire thread, do I need to switch home and root to ZFS to take
advantage of its snapshot support for backups? In the case you're
describing the "source" filesystem(s) can be anything. It's only the
_backup_ filesystem that needs to be ZFS (or similar).

If (like rsnapshot/rsync's hard-link scheme) ZFS snapshots are normal
directory trees that can be "browsed" with normal filesystem tools,
that would be ideal. [I'll do some googling...]

--
Grant