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• -a: Commands that start services after the backup
• -b: Definition of the block size used for dd backup
• -B: Boot partition is backed up as tar instead of dd
• -c: Allow local backup storage
• -D: Further options for the dd backup
• --dynamicMount: Dynamically mount the backup partition
• -F: Simulates the backup run and helps to quickly test the email notification
• --ignoreAdditionalPartitions: More than two partitions are tolerated, but only the first two partitions are backed up.
• --ignoreMissingPartitions: Test whether all partitions are backed up
• -k: Number of backups to be retained
• --keep_{type}: Number of backups per type to be kept
• -M: Create a raspiBackup snapshot
• -N: Extensions to be called before and after the backup
• --notifyStart: Notification at backup start
• -o: Commands that stop services before the backup
• -p: backup directory
• --rebootSystem: Reboot the system after the backup
• --smartRecycle: Use of SmartRecycle
• --smartRecycleDryrun: Test mode of SmartRecycle
• --smartRecycleOptions: Smartrecycle options
• --systemstatus: Show active services at backup startup
• --unsupportedEnvironment: Use on unsupported HW and OS
• -P: Partition-oriented backup mode
• -T: Specify the partitions to be backed up during partition-based backup
• -t: Type of backup (dd, tar, rsync)
• -u: Exclude additional directories from the backup process
• -v: All messages from the backup tool used are logged
• -z: Compression of the backup with dd or tar

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-a: Commands that start services after the backup

Commands to restart services after the backup. E.g. for SMB "service smbd start" (Attention: quotation marks at the beginning and end). This option is mandatory together with the -o option.

Several commands must be separated by &&. These commands should have the exact reverse order to the commands in the -o parameter.

Example:

-a "service nfs-kernel-server start && service smbd start"

If no service is really to be started, a colon ":" must be given as an argument.

See also FAQ1 and FAQ18

Note: The parameters can be set with the installer. If they are updated manually the installer will not be able to update any more.

Attention: The commands are executed as root. No sudo is necessary.

-b: Definition of the block size used for dd backup

Block size used for the dd backup

-B: Boot partition is backed up as tar instead of dd

The boot partition is not backed up wth dd but wth tar.

Note: This option has no function if the partition-oriented mode is used.

-c: Allow local backup storage

No backup can be created on the root partition to protect against unintentional full writing of the root partition by the backup. It usually doesn't make sense to store a backup on the system partition.

This option disables the test and a backup can be created on the root partition.

ATTENTION: The system does not check whether the backup still fits on the root partition.

-D: Further options for the dd backup

Further invocation options for the dd backup (e.g. "conv=notrunc,noerror,sync")

--dynamicMount: Dynamically mount the backup partition

This mounts the specified partition or mountpoint before the backup and umounted at the end. If it was already mounted, the partition will not be remounted at the end. The mountpoint must be defined in /etc/fstab and can then either be the mountpoint itself (e.g. /backup) or the backup partition (e.g. /dev/sdb1).

-F: Simulates the backup run and helps to quickly test the email notification

"Fake backup". This option is helpful for initial testing of raspiBackup. The long irunning backup is not triggered by this - but all option checks as well as the sending of notification e-mails and push messages.

--ignoreAdditionalPartitions: More than two partitions are tolerated, but only the first two partitions are backed up.

With this option, systems with more than two partitions are supported; in normal backup mode, if tar or rsync backup is used. However only the first two partitions, /boot and / are backed up and restored.

--ignoreMissingPartitions: Test whether all partitions are backed up

In partition-oriented backup mode, it is checked whether all partitions that were backed up in the last backup are also backed up again. This option switches the test off.

-k: Number of backups to be retained

Number of backups to be kept per backup type, provided it is not overwritten by the keep option of the respective backup types. This means that 3 dd, 3 tar and 3 rsync backups are kept by default.

Note: This option has no effect if the intelligent rotation strategy is used.

--keep_{type}: Number of backups per type to be kept

Number of backups to be kept for each backup type.

{type} can be any backup type, i.e. dd, ddz, tar, tgz or rsync.

Note: These options have no effect if the intelligent rotation strategy is used.

-M: Create a raspiBackup snapshot

This option creates a raspiBackup snapshot, which is not included in the backup backup cycle process and is therefore not automatically deleted. The snapshot is appended the specified text at the end of the directory name. See also this page on snapshots.

Example: The host name is "idefix" and the parameter for -M is "Initial boot from SD". The following directory is then created:

idefix/idefix-rsync-backup-20170103-170717_idefix-Initial_boot_from_SD

Note: raspiBackup Snapshots are normal backups and not "real" snapshots like those with LVM or btrfs. However, hardlinks are used with rsync Backup are used to reduce the snapshot time.

Note: As the snapshot directories are not included in the backup cycle process, they must be deleted manually.

-N: Extensions to be called before and after the backup

Activation of own script extensions (plugins). See this page, which also offers two sample extensions that control the CPU temperature and the memory usage before and after the backup run.

--notifyStart: Notification at backup start

This option is used to enable that an email or a push notification is sent when the backup starts. Normally, a notification is only sent at the end of the backup.

-o: Commands that stop services before the backup

Commands to stop services before the backup so that no inconsistent backup is created. E.g. for SMB "service smbd stop" (note: quotation marks at the beginning and end). beginning and end). This option is mandatory together with the -a option.

Several commands must be separated by &&. These commands should have the have the exact reverse order to the commands in the -a parameter.

Example:

-o "service smbd stop && service nfs-kernel-server stop"

If no service is really to be stopped, the colon ":" must be given as an argument.

See also FAQ1 and FAQ18

Note: The parameters can be set with the installer. If they are updated manually the installer will not be able to update any more.

Attention: The commands are executed as root. No sudo is necessary.

-p: backup directory

Specification of the backup directory in which the created backup is to be saved.

--rebootSystem: Reboot the system after the backup

This option causes the system to be rebooted at the end of the backup run and thus all services are restarted. Therefore, arguments of the -a option are also ignored.

Note: If the -F option is used, no reboot is performed.

--smartRecycle: Use of SmartRecycle

This option switches on the intelligent rotation strategy - Smart Recycle. The --keep options are ignored and do not need to be set to 0.

--smartRecycleDryrun: Test mode of SmartRecycle

This option switches the test mode of the intelligent rotation strategy - Smart Recycle.

--smartRecycleOptions: Smartrecycle options

This option defines parameters for the intelligent rotation strategy - Smart Recycle.

--systemstatus: Show active services at backup startup

A list of active services and open files is created in the debug file.

--unsupportedEnvironment: Use on unsupported HW and OS

If raspiBackup is started on unsupported environments this option must be specified.

-P: Partition-oriented backup mode

Partition-oriented mode. In contrast to normal mode, where only the first two partitions are only the first two partitions are backed up, any number of partitions can be partitions are backed up. The -T option is used to define which partitions are to be backed up.

-T: Specify the partitions to be backed up during partition-based backup

If the partition-oriented backup mode was selected with the option -P, this option can be used to define which partitions should be backed up. Example: -T "1 2 5" backs up the first two and the fifth partition. partition. With * all partitions are backed up.

-t: Type of backup (dd, tar, rsync)

Type of backup, which can be either dd, tar or rsync. rsync is used for ext3/ext4 partition, rsync uses hardlinks to minimize the required storage space.

Detailed information on the backup types An external root file system is automatically with a tar or rsync backup saved, unless the -P option is used. With the -z option, the dd and tar backups are also zipped or reduced in size. reduced in size.

Note: With the dd backup, the configuration parameter DEFAULT_DD_BACKUP_SAVE_USED_PARTITIONS_ONLY can save backup time and space.

See also FAQ16.

-u: Exclude additional directories from the backup process

Extension of the exclude list during backup to ignore certain directories during backup.

Attention: The parameters must obey the respective syntax of the backup tool otherwise the backup will be aborted. For rsync or tar the list could look like this:

"--exclude=/backup/* --exclude=/rsnapshot/* --exclude=/www-data*/* --exclude=/home/pi/.local/share/Trash"

The quotation marks are important! Further information on the syntax can be found can be found on the man page of the respective backup tools.

The following directories are never backed up:

• The backup path that was specified in the call
• /proc/*
• /lost found/*
• /sys/*
• /dev/*
• /tmp/*
• /boot/*
• /run/*
• /proc/*
• /lost found/*
• /sys/*
• /dev/*
• /tmp/*
• /boot/*
• /run/*

In addition, all mounted directories from external devices that are not mounted on / are not backed up. Only the boot partition /dev/mmcblk0p1 and the root partition /dev/mmcblk0p2 or the external root root directory on e.g. /dev/sda1 is backed up.

Note for the partition-oriented mode: If the -P option is used, the above-mentioned directories are excluded from all partition backups.

rsync:

• /directory/ - Excluded directory on all partitions
• mmcblk0p2/directory/* - Excluded directory on partition mmcblk0p2

tar:

• directory/* - Excluded directory on all partitions

-v: All messages from the backup tool used are logged

The tar and rsync backup tools used display detailed information (verbose mode). This option is particularly useful for initial manual backup tests in order to be able to track the backup progress.

-z: Compression of the backup with dd or tar

Reduce backup size with gzip for dd or tar backup