Command-line Restore Issues

Restore
1

Hello:

I’m trying to develop a robust approach to restoring a different machine’s backup using the command line; I’m running Mac client 2.2.5.

At present I’m following this approach:

  • Download the source machine’s client from the web GUI;
  • Run the installer;
  • Download the tokens folder from the source machine’s last backup, and insert it into the var/urbackup folder.

At this point, I’m then running ./urbackupclientctl browse - to which I sometimes get expected responses, and sometimes I get the message No backup server found. I don’t know how to resolve this issue when it happens.

When I do get expected responses, I then run ./urbackupclientctl restore-start -d /root -m / -t /Volumes/USB -b last (I’m trying to restore a complete machine onto a target USB drive). Even though I’ve got expected responses to the browse command, I then often get Error starting restore. Errorcode: 4

At this point, I often end up uninstalling the client and starting again from scratch. Sometimes I find that downloading a tokens folder from a different backup (same machine, different timestamp) works.

Am I going about this the right way? It all seems very clunky, and I can’t believe I’m the only one butting my head up against it…

Thanks,

Pants.

2

Hello:

I’m still fighting with this… In particular I’m suffering from Errorcode: 4 when trying to start the restore.

Is there a documented command-line restore procedure for trying to restore a backup to a different (freshly-configured) machine?

Thanks,

Pants.

3

Hi

Maybe not what you want to do, but :

Did you tried naming the new computer the same than the old one?
On mac maybe you d need to set client name as a client property in the web UI or something like this.
As i read on mac, urbackup has problems reconising that a client is the same (sometime it see multiple clients instead of one)

Any special reason to use the cli and not simply set “server-confirm” in the client config file, then start the restore rom the web ui?

4

Hi Orogor:

Thanks for chiming in on this - much appreciated.

The new computer seems to happily pick up the old computer’s name from the downloaded client installer off the web GUI - I haven’t had to manually set this anywhere.

Yes - I’ve seen that when setting up a brand new Mac client - but I’m not having that issue in this scenario.

Yes - I’m wanting to be able to restore certain system and library files - such as plug-ins, preferences, fonts, etc. Doing this directly into a running OS is going to cause problems, so I’m running off a secondary OS install and attempting to restore onto the destination OS, mounted as an external drive.
In due course, I’m wanting to find a way to do a full system (OS and all) restore - which would have to be done from a secondary OS install. But these issues of Errorcode 4 et al are frustrating my journeys down that path.

Thanks,

Pants.