pre and post backup script

[rudravan]

I'm new to rear. Below is my rear config file and I'm unable to get the POST_BACKUP_SCRIPT option running.

OUTPUT=ISO
OUTPUT_URL=nfs://<IP>/rear_backups
BACKUP=NETFS
BACKUP_URL=nfs://<IP>/rear_backups
BACKUP_PROG_EXCLUDE=("${BACKUP_PROG_EXCLUDE[@]}" '/media' '/var/tmp' '/var/crash')
BACKUP_PROG_INCLUDE=("/" "/boot/efi")
POST_BACKUP_SCRIPT= ( 'journalctl --since "1 hour ago" | grep rear > /etc/rear/status_of_backup' )

I use the command rear -v -d mkbackup and it is successfully taking the backup. But I feel the POST_BACKUP_SCRIPT is not being executed. It's the same with PRE_BACKUP_SCRIPT option as well.

Please let me know where it's going wrong. Any kind of pointers would be really appreciated.

Thanks.

[jsmeix]

@rudravan
please file this as an issue
via the [New issue] button on
https://github.com/rear/rear/issues
and provide the information we ask for in
https://github.com/rear/rear/blob/master/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE.md
(you get that automatically via the [New issue] button),
in particular attach a full rear -D mkbackup debug log file.

[pcahyna]

I am surprised that this works at all, because bash does not like the space after =:

$ POST_BACKUP_SCRIPT= ( 'journalctl --since "1 hour ago" | grep rear > /etc/rear/status_of_backup' )
bash: syntax error near unexpected token `('

[rudravan]

(facepalm) That's indeed the mistake. Thanks much for pointing it out.

[jsmeix]

@pcahyna
thank you for your sharp eyes!
I didn't notice the blank.

Since ReaR 2.7 we have
c4a7729
cf. #2686
so the ReaR version that is used here is before ReaR 2.7

[rudravan]

@jsmeix
Yes, I'm using ReaR 2.4. We shall upgrade it to the latest version.

[jsmeix]

Be careful with ReaR version upgrades when you
already have a working disaster recovery procedure,
see "Version upgrades with Relax-and-Recover" in
https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Disaster_Recovery

[jsmeix]

For the differences from ReaR 2.4 to the current ReaR 2.7 see
https://github.com/rear/rear/blob/master/doc/rear-release-notes.txt

[ufreier]

Sorry,
I have a very similar problem with ReaR 2.7/Debian 12.

While PRE_BACKUP_SCRIPT is executed, POST_BACKUP_SCRIPT is not,
although /var/log/rear/rear-xxx.log maintains:

2023-11-20 04:26:28.074112979 Running POST_BACKUP_SCRIPT '/root/backup/post_backup.sh'

This file consists of 3 lines only:

#!/bin/bash
service mariadb start
service apache2 start

There is no try to start services in journalctl the relevant time,
so they do not run at all.
I defined both options with:

PRE_BACKUP_SCRIPT=('/root/backup/pre_backup.sh')
POST_BACKUP_SCRIPT=('/root/backup/post_backup.sh')

and I'm not sure about the ' around the scripts
but pre_backup.sh is executed this way.
Or shall I open a new case here?

[jsmeix]

It works for me as you described it
as far as you described it
when I do it right.

To debug your issue run ReaR in debugscript mode ('-D'),
cf. "Debugging issues with Relax-and-Recover" in
https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Disaster_Recovery

[pcahyna]

The various _SCRIPT are literal strings or arrays of bash commands to execute. You can put there a path to a script file of course, but you must ensure that /root/backup/post_backup.sh is a correct bash command (it has to be executable).

[ufreier]

I meanwhile tried a lot of variations but I could not reproduce the error anymore. Since I ran ReaR in debug mode (-D) it did what it should do. I don't know what's happened, so please apologize my comment, sorry.