Hi,

--System----------
~$ inxi
CPU: 6-Core Intel Core i7-8700K (-MT MCP-) speed/min/max: 900/800/5000 MHz
Kernel: 5.15.0-52-generic x86_64 Up: 1d 22h 46m Mem: 4922.7/32041.1 MiB (15.4%)
Storage: 10.24 TiB (60.4% used) Procs: 295 Shell: bash 5.0.17 inxi: 3.0.38
--------------------

I am trying to convert all my Winblows stuff to Linux (Kubuntu 21.04 LTS) because of my 30 years supporting Winblows and REALLY starting to HATE Winblows since Winblows 10 was released.

I have literally everything working in Linux, yes even games, except my backup.

Currently, I am copying/pasting, using Dolphin, the ntfs data drive to the ntfs network drive, a couple of times per week before bed and that's working out fine but, I'd like to get an automated process in place. Time shift is backing up my Linux to another SSD in my desktop system but I also have a Win2016 Server that receives backups also.

I am trying to use Grsync to backup an ntfs data drive to another ntfs formatted drive over the network on a Windows 2016 server.

In GRsync, when I do the initial test run everything works.
When I do the actual run it complains that it cannot create the destination directory.

I run the same backup to two different network destination directories:

//192.168.175.43/dadbackup - has existing files and folders
//192.168.175.43/dadbackup2 - is a new blank directory to backup the backup
(I have tried with/without the trailing "/" and same issues)

Output from trial run shows:

sending incremental file list
created directory //192.168.175.43/dadbackup

---WHY does it create a directory? The network share containing the files and folders I want backed up is already named dadbackup - why create it? I simply want the program to overwrite whatever is there and add new stuff. I work out of the Data drive on my desktop system and then back it up to the network backup folders.

When I run the actual back up it fails right away with:

rsync: mkdir "//192.168.175.43/dadbackup" failed: No such file or directory (2)
rsync error: error in file IO (code 11) at main.c(682) [Receiver=3.1.3]
Rsync process exit status: 11

It tries to create a directory and fails - my username and password is the same for both Desktop and Server and I have quadruple checked the permissions and in fact KNOW they are ok because simple copy paste works fine - it is copying files to the server destination folder as I type this right now.

When I run the actual backup on //192.168.175.43/backup2, my secondary backup drive it fails right away with the same error but that drive is freshly formatted and there is nothing on it at all,except a empty folder called backup2

//192.168.175.43/dadbackup2/

rsync: mkdir "//192.168.175.43/dadbackup2" failed: No such file or directory (2)
rsync error: error in file IO (code 11) at main.c(682) [Receiver=3.1.3]
Rsync process exit status: 11


Dolphin uses fuse to mount the network shares
I do not have samba setup (not do I want to setup samba)
Can I make GRsync use fuse to access the network shares
IS there an alternative application I can use that will use Fuse to access the network shares for copying backup purposes?

Ideally it will be a program like Create Synchronicity for Windows which copies all file/folders on the first run but, on further runs, only copies files/folders that have changes and new file folders.

Thanks a bunch for ANY suggestions to help me find an adequate backup solution for my use case.

John

rsync uses ssh tunneling to connect to a remote system which is possible on Windows server but not installed by default as far as I know. //192.168.175.43/dadbackup is only valid syntax with respect to a samba share and depends on the context of its use but not valid with respect to rsync.

While Gnome uses gvfs and is quite easy to access a virtual filesystem from the command line I have not found a way using KDE. Supposedly it is possible with kio fuse but I have been struggling to get it working. I have seen a few threads with similar problems. I have supposedly mounted the share with gio but can not find its actual location... Hopefully others will respond.

Using ssh might be the easiest method but if not you might be stuck with installing samba.

1 members found this post helpful.

Thank you for responding.

I won't install Samba - to painful in my experience and flaky as well.
I was looking at possibly install NFS services on the Win server and seeing if I can find a solution using it - even if it is a CP/cron solution.

I can't believe, with all the progress Linux has made since I last used it for my daily driver (about 15 years ago) that there is NOT a suitable solution for this use case.

Some people in other places are saying Restic might work for my use case. I'd prefer a GUI based solution, coming from Windows like I do.

I'll keep looking for now - but I DO appreciate yours and any response.
Copy/paste works so as long as I remember to do that once or twice a week I am good for now.

You should be able to use nfs with rsync. The remote directory is now local when mounted. Installing the ssh server on the Win server should also work.

1 members found this post helpful.

OK Michaelk - thank you very much for your response. I want to learn about NFS anyways so I am off to MS to get started.

Cheers :-)