==== Notes on transfering backuppc pc directories *with* hardlinks ==== === Untarring with hardlinks === The command for extracting a tar made with BackupPC_tarPCCopy: cd newbackupfs/pc tar -xPv (the P is important) === Piping the transfe through netcat === on source server: BackupPC_tarPCCopy /var/lib/backuppc/pc/hostname | nc mystic 9800 where hostname is the backup host. I had to do each one individually, else it would abort after one or two. on dest server: cd /var/lib/backuppc/pc nc -l -p 9800 | tar -xPpvf - If getting a heap of "Cant find xx/x/x in pool, will copy file" errors - It could be because at some point backuppc was configured to not use the compressed pool. Try this patch which checks both pools for the file when generating a hardlink for the pipe to tar. --- /usr/bin/BackupPC_tarPCCopy 2018-10-01 08:52:07.000000000 +0800 +++ /usr/local/bin/BackupPC_tarPCCopy-check-both-pools 2018-10-07 15:01:11.000000000 +0800 @@ -496,6 +496,32 @@ } $i++; } + + if ( ! defined($linkName) ) { + # now second take for the non compressed pool (next line sets compressed flag to 0) + # - no idea why compressed files are making it into there - orlr 201810 + + my $path = $bpc->MD52Path($digest, 0); + my $i = -1; + + #print(STDERR "didnt find it, trying forcing compression off Looking up $hdr->{fullPath} at $path\n"); + while ( 1 ) { + my $testPath = $path; + $testPath .= "_$i" if ( $i >= 0 ); + last if ( !-f $testPath ); + my $inode = (stat(_))[1]; + if ( $inode == $hdr->{inode} ) { + # + # Found it! Just emit a tar hardlink + # + $testPath =~ s{\Q$TopDir\E}{..}; + $linkName = $testPath; + last; + } + $i++; + } + } + } } if ( defined($linkName) ) { ==== Easy backuppc restore via netcat ==== In this example the backup hostname is propertywestlocal, and some sample restore directories are given: (as backuppc on server) BackupPC_tarCreate -h propertywestlocal -n 1464 -s /mnt/space/blockwall-client-mirrors/propertywest.com.au -r /mnt/space/blockwall-client-mirrors/propertywest.com.au -p samba /home/samba | nc localhost 38999 (as root on target pc [backuppc server if you like]) nc -l -p 38999 | tar -xvp