[Box Backup] How to fix compare errors???

[Chris Wilson]

Hi Magnus,

>> Box Backup looks at the timestamps on the files to determine whether to do 
>> an incremental backup on them. So if you touch the files and then run a 
>> backup, they should be fixed on the store.
>
> That's what I thought. But, I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that solution 
> (in principle). Touching a file modifies its attribute, which seems a bit 
> strange. Backups shouldn't do that, I believe.

No indeed, the backup shouldn't modify the attributes. But if you do it 
yourself, then Box Backup will think that you've changed the file, and 
compare its contents to the one on the server again, and upload any 
changes. This should fix the file on the server.

> What if:
> 1) cp -p offending_file /not/backuped/directory
> 2) touch offending_file
> 3) Make sure bbackupd saves it
> 4) cp -p /not/backuped/directory/offending_file .
>
> Would bbackupd update the store with the original date?

I think so. It tries to make the store reflect the current contents on 
disk, including attributes such as modification time.

> Yes, it is. I wouldn't be surpised if there was some disk errors behind 
> all this.

Do you suspect disk errors on the machine?

> Would it be very difficult to do add a command that finds the offending 
> files and restoring them? It seems to me that bit errors in the store 
> would not be repaired otherwise?

Why would you want to restore a damaged backup over your perfectly good 
working files? Bit errors in the store should be fixed during the next 
backup of the file, which will not occur until it's modified again.

Cheers, Chris.
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