raspiBackup - Use pishrink to reduce dd backups to a minimum size

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Category: raspiBackup

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Created: 09 August 2019

Last Updated: 08 August 2022

Hits: 5466

• raspberry
• raspiBackup
• pishrink

User Rating: 3 / 5

pishrink is a useful tool to reduce the size of dd images to it's minimum. When the image is booted the image expands the root partition to it's possible maximum size. You can shrink an image created by raspiBackup by using the helper script raspiBackupWrapper.sh. Following paragraph describes in detail how to configure raspiBackup to shrink dd backup images with pishrink.

raspiBackup - Used all over the world

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Category: raspiBackup

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Created: 24 August 2019

Last Updated: 08 August 2022

Hits: 3327

• raspiBackup

User Rating: 4 / 5

raspiBackup is used in a lot of countries all over the world  (as of 01/2022)

Countries: 61

AE United Arab Emirates

AR Argentina

AT Austria

AU Australia 

BA Bosnia and Herzegovina

BE Belgium

BG Bulgaria

BR Brasila

CA Canada

CH Suisse

CL Chile

CN China

CY Cyprus

CZ Czech Republic

DE Germany

DK Denmark

DZ Algeria

EE Estonia

ES Spain

EU Europe

FI Finland

FR France

GB United Kingdom

GR Greece

HK Honkong

HR Croatia

HU Hungury

ID Indonesia

IE Irland

IL Israel

IN India

IR Iran

IT Italy

JP Japan

KR South Corea

LU Luxemburg

MD Moldovia

MT Malta

MX Mexico

NL Netherlands

NO Norway

NZ New Zealand

PA Panama

PL Poland

PT Portugal

RO Romania

RS Serbia

RU Russia

SE Sweden

SG Singapore

SI Slovenia

SK Slovakia

TH Thailand

TR Turkey

TW Taiwan

UA Ukraine

US United States of Amerika

ZA Zaire

raspiBackup - How do hardlinks work with rsync

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Category: raspiBackup

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Created: 18 May 2020

Last Updated: 08 August 2022

Hits: 3736

• rsync
• raspiBackup
• hardlinks

User Rating: 4 / 5

A lot of time people ask how rsync backup type works and how hardlinks are used. Following article describes when files are created and deleted on the file system Dateien and when hardlinks are used.

raspiBackup - Configuration update when upgrading to a new version

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Category: raspiBackup

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Created: 07 April 2020

Last Updated: 08 August 2022

Hits: 2655

• raspiBackup

User Rating: 1 / 5

Whenever an upgrade to a new version of raspiBackup is executed it's tested whether the new version has new configuration options. If there are new configuration options used the local configuration file will be merged into a new file with the new configuration file while upgrading raspiBackup. Following page describes in detail what's going on during a configuration update.

Note

If a version less than 0.6.5 is upgraded the configuration file merge has to be started manually after upgrading. Following command will start the configuration update:

sudo raspiBackup.sh --updateConfig
 

When the two configuration files are merged raspiBackup writes various information messages. Following messages are written when upgrading raspiBackup from v0.6.4.3 to v0.6.5:

--- RBK0241I: Merging current configuration v0.1.3 with new configuration v0.1.4 into /usr/local/etc/raspiBackup.conf.merged.
--- RBK0248I: Added option DEFAULT_SMART_RECYCLE=0.
--- RBK0248I: Added option DEFAULT_SMART_RECYCLE_DRYRUN=1.
--- RBK0248I: Added option DEFAULT_SMART_RECYCLE_OPTIONS="7 4 12 1".
--- RBK0248I: Added option DEFAULT_TELEGRAM_TOKEN="".
--- RBK0248I: Added option DEFAULT_TELEGRAM_CHATID="".
--- RBK0248I: Added option DEFAULT_TELEGRAM_NOTIFICATIONS="F".
--- RBK0248I: Added option DEFAULT_NOTIFY_START=0.
--- RBK0248I: Added option DEFAULT_COLORING="CM".
--- RBK0243I: Configuration merge finished successfullly but not activated.
!!! RBK0245W: Backup current configuration in /usr/local/etc/raspiBackup.conf.bak and activate updated configuration? y/N

Configuration file

/usr/local/etc/raspiBackup.conf.merged

will be created and receive the merged configuration files /usr/local/etc/raspiBackup.conf with the new configuration . RBK248 lists which changes are applied. Finally you have to answer the question whether you want to activate the merged configuration file. The existing configuration file will be saved in /usr/local/etc/raspiBackup.conf.bak. Do you answer with yes the configuration update is finished and you get following messages

--- RBK0240I: Saving current configuration /usr/local/etc/raspiBackup.conf to /usr/local/etc/raspiBackup.conf.bak.
--- RBK0244I: Merged configuration /usr/local/etc/raspiBackup.conf.merged copied to /usr/local/etc/raspiBackup.conf and activated.

That's the easiest way to activate the merged configuration file and you're done quickly.

But you also can answer no and the merged configuration file will not be activated. You get following message:

--- RBK0247I: Now review /usr/local/etc/raspiBackup.conf.merged and copy the configuration file to /usr/local/etc/raspiBackup.conf to finish the configuration update.

The new options in the merged configuration file can easily be identified:

# Smart recycle
# >>>>> NEW OPTION added in config version "0.1.4" <<<<<
DEFAULT_SMART_RECYCLE=0
# Smart recycle dryrun
# >>>>> NEW OPTION added in config version "0.1.4" <<<<<
DEFAULT_SMART_RECYCLE_DRYRUN=1
# Smart recycle parameters (daily, weekly, monthly and yearly)
# >>>>> NEW OPTION added in config version "0.1.4" <<<<<
DEFAULT_SMART_RECYCLE_OPTIONS="7 4 12 1"

Now use your editor and check /usr/local/etc/raspiBackup.conf.merged and change the contents if needed. Finally copy the merged configuration file to /usr/local/etc/raspiBackup.conf to activate the new configuration file.

Finally execute as usual whenever you upgraded raspiBackup a backup/restore cycle and test whether everything still works as before.

raspiBackup supports usage of different configuration files. The automatic configuration update is only done for /usr/local/etc/raspiBackup.conf. All other configuration files have to be updated manually. Just copy the lines marked as new configuration lines into the other configuration files.

raspiBackup - Supported hard- and software

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Category: raspiBackup

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Created: 04 February 2022

Last Updated: 08 August 2022

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raspiBackup is supported with RaspbianOS and Raspberry hardware only. But raspiBackup can also be used successfully on different hardware with different Linux distributions. Just test raspiBackup on your environment and be happy if it works. But if it fails or you get error messages there is no support. Given the fact raspiBackup is maintained and supported for free

1) It's too expensive for me to buy all possible hardware required for tests

2) it's too expensive for me to setup and execute all test combinations

3) it's to expensive for me to execute all tests every time a new release will be published.

There exists a small script in github which tests whether the present environment is supported by raspiBackup. (see here)

raspiBackup - Support for Raspberry Compute Module 4 and NVMe

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Category: raspiBackup

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Created: 11 June 2022

Last Updated: 08 August 2022

Hits: 707

• raspiBackup
• CM4
• compute model

I just got a CM4 donated with 1GB main memory, 32GB eMMC and 128 GB NVMe. Thank you very much to the donator. CM4 was already supported by raspiBackup but only running from a SD card, eMMC or USB boot. It's already possible to use NVMe when it's provided in an USB plug but there was no way to use a NVMe plugged in in the PCI lane. Now  I was  fortunately able to add  this support to raspiBackup. This support is available in a the inofficial release 0.6.7.1 and is planned to be officially available in the next release of raspiBackup.

Raspberry Compute Module 4 (CM4) setup guide

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Category: Raspberry

Created: 12 June 2022

Last Updated: 20 July 2022

Hits: 684

• raspberry
• CM4
• compute module

User Rating: 5 / 5

I recently got a compute module 4 (CM4) donated for raspiBackup to add support for NVMe (See here for details). I'm used to use a Raspberry but never used a CM4 before so I had to ramp up on CM4 first. The following page describes how I managed to get a RaspbianOS (Buster) up and running on the CM4 and to boot from NVMe. My CM4 specs: 1GB main memory, 32GB eMMC and 128GB NVMe and no WiFi.

How to test the CPU temperature of my Raspberry and check whether the CPU speed was throttled ?

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Category: Raspberry

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Created: 24 July 2019

Last Updated: 22 April 2022

Hits: 3065

• raspberry

User Rating: 5 / 5

We now have a new Raspberry4 gibt, which in contrast to the previous versions becomes quite hot. So everybody is interested in the effectiveness of either passive or active cooling and whether this cooling suppresses CPU throtteling.

I wrote a small script check_throttled.sh which reads the current throttling states of the Raspberry with vcgencmd get_throttled and if throtteling happens or already happend the meaning of the throttling bits is reported.

bash - Nice way to enhance and prettify execution trace enabled with -x

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Category: Programming

Created: 13 July 2021

Last Updated: 13 July 2021

Hits: 2059

• bash

I just stumbled upon a nice way to enhance the bash debug trace output format (See here for the source).

Just declare

declare -r PS4='|${LINENO}> \011${FUNCNAME[0]:+${FUNCNAME[0]}(): }'

and you will get following output

framp@obelix:~/scripts$ bash -x ./dbg.sh 3
+ declare -r 'PS4=|${LINENO}> \011${FUNCNAME[0]:+${FUNCNAME[0]}(): }'
|16> main(): fib 3
|6> fib(): (( 3 <= 0 ))
|8> fib(): (( 3 == 1 ))
||11> fib(): fib 1
||6> fib(): (( 1 <= 0 ))
||8> fib(): (( 1 == 1 ))
||9> fib(): echo 1
||11> fib(): fib 2
||6> fib(): (( 2 <= 0 ))
||8> fib(): (( 2 == 1 ))
|||11> fib(): fib 0
|||6> fib(): (( 0 <= 0 ))
|||7> fib(): echo 0
|||11> fib(): fib 1
|||6> fib(): (( 1 <= 0 ))
|||8> fib(): (( 1 == 1 ))
|||9> fib(): echo 1
||11> fib(): echo 1
|11> fib(): echo 2
2

when you execute following code to calculate the Fibonacci numbers:

1: #!/bin/bash
  
3: declare -r PS4='|${LINENO}> \011${FUNCNAME[0]:+${FUNCNAME[0]}(): }'
 
5: function fib(){
6: if (( $1 <= 0 )); then
7: echo 0
8: elif (( $1 == 1 )); then
9: echo 1
10: else
11: echo $[ $(fib $(($1-2)) ) + $(fib $(($1 - 1)) ) ]
12: fi
 
14: }
 
16: fib $1

Erfahrungen beim Umzug von Fritz!Box 7390 zu Fritz!Box 7590

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Category: Networking

Created: 03 August 2020

Last Updated: 03 August 2020

Hits: 4848

User Rating: 3 / 5

Meine Fritz!Box 7390 hat viele Jahre dafür gesorgt dass ich einen zuverlässigen Zugriff von Zuhause ins Internet hatte. Machmal gab es Anschlussprobleme die aber nicht der Fritz!Box anzulasten waren sondern der Vermittlungsanlage sowie Infrastrukturprobleme meine Internetproviders 1und1.

Vor ca 1 Monat wurde mein Anschluss in der Vermittlungsanlage von 50Mb auf 100Mb umgestellt und meine Fritz!Box7390 fing danach intermittierend an in einer Woche 1-3 Mal die DSL Synchronisation zu verlieren obwohl die vertraglich vereinbarte Geschwindigkeit weiterhin bei 50Mb blieb. Ich muss aber dazu sagen dass der Download danach von 47Mb auf 51Mb sowie der Download von 9Mb auf 11Mb gestiegen ist. Anyhow ist die Fritz!Box 7390 offensichtlich ein wenig am ächzen bei der neuen Anbindung. Da die Fritz!Box 7390 keine Softwareupdates bekommt - und speziell keine sicherheitsrelevanten Softwareupdates - war beides zusammen für mich der Anlass mir eine Fritz!Box 7590 zu kaufen umd damit die gute alte Fritz!Box 7390 zu ersetzen.