Files
backup_to_external_m.2/README.md
root c86fee78cb fix: Solve space issues in VG→Borg backups
Problem: VG→Borg was creating temp files for all LVs simultaneously,
causing 'no space left' errors when LVs are large.

Solution: Process LVs sequentially instead of simultaneously:
1. Create snapshot for one LV
2. Stream it directly to Borg (no temp files)
3. Remove snapshot immediately
4. Move to next LV

Changes:
- VG→Borg now creates separate archives per LV instead of one big archive
- Each LV gets its own archive: vg_internal-vg_lv_root_20241009_123456
- No temporary files needed - direct streaming
- Space-efficient: only one snapshot exists at a time
- More robust: failure of one LV doesn't affect others

Benefits:
- No more space issues regardless of LV sizes
- Faster cleanup between LVs
- Individual LV recovery possible
- Better error isolation
- Still preserves block-level backup benefits
2025-10-09 00:51:15 +02:00

135 lines
4.0 KiB
Markdown

# Enhanced Simple LVM Backup System with Borg Support
A reliable, straightforward backup system for LVM-enabled Linux systems. Born from the need for simple, dependable backups without complex logic that can cause system issues.
## Philosophy
**Simple is better.** This system does exactly three things:
1. Create LVM snapshot
2. Copy data (dd/pv for raw, Borg for repositories)
3. Clean up snapshot
No complex migration logic, no fancy features that can break. Just reliable backups.
## Features
### Five Backup Modes
- **LV → LV**: Update existing logical volume backups
- **LV → Raw**: Create fresh backups on raw devices
- **VG → Raw**: Clone entire volume groups with LVM metadata
- **LV → Borg**: Backup logical volume **block device** to Borg repository (preserves exact block-level state)
- **VG → Borg**: Backup **all block devices** from volume group to Borg repository
### Two Interfaces
- **GUI**: `simple_backup_gui.py` - User-friendly interface with Borg configuration
- **CLI**: `enhanced_simple_backup.sh` - Command-line power user interface
## Quick Start
### 1. See Available Options
```bash
sudo ./list_drives.sh
```
### 2. Choose Your Backup Mode
**Update existing backup:**
```bash
sudo ./enhanced_simple_backup.sh lv-to-lv /dev/internal-vg/root /dev/backup-vg/root
```
**Fresh backup to external drive:**
```bash
sudo ./enhanced_simple_backup.sh lv-to-raw /dev/internal-vg/root /dev/sdb
```
**Clone entire system:**
```bash
sudo ./enhanced_simple_backup.sh vg-to-raw internal-vg /dev/sdb
```
**Use the GUI:**
```bash
sudo python3 simple_backup_gui.py
```
**Borg repository backups (block-level):**
```bash
# Create new Borg repo and backup LV as block device
sudo ./enhanced_simple_backup.sh lv-to-borg /dev/internal-vg/root /path/to/borg/repo --new-repo --encryption repokey --passphrase mypass
# Backup entire VG as multiple block devices to existing repo
sudo ./enhanced_simple_backup.sh vg-to-borg internal-vg /path/to/borg/repo --passphrase mypass
```
**Key Difference:**
- **LV → Borg**: Stores one snapshot as `{lv_name}.img` in a single archive
- **VG → Borg**: Creates separate archives for each LV (space-efficient, processes one LV at a time)
## Files
### Core System
- `simple_backup_gui.py` - GUI interface with mode selection
- `enhanced_simple_backup.sh` - CLI with three backup modes
- `list_drives.sh` - Helper to show available sources/targets
- `SIMPLE_BACKUP_README.md` - Detailed documentation
### Legacy Files
- `old_scripts/` - Previous complex implementations (archived)
- Various `.md` files - Documentation from previous iterations
## Requirements
- LVM-enabled Linux system
- Root access (`sudo`)
- Python 3 + tkinter (for GUI)
- `pv` command (optional, for progress display)
- **Borg Backup** (for Borg modes): `sudo apt install borgbackup`
## Safety Features
- Clear confirmations before destructive operations
- Automatic snapshot cleanup on errors
- Emergency stop functionality (GUI)
- Input validation and error handling
## What This System Does NOT Do
- Complex migration between different LVM setups
- Automatic boot repair or GRUB handling
- Multiple backup formats or compression
- Network backups or cloud integration
- File-level incremental backups
For those features, use dedicated tools like Borg Backup, CloneZilla, or rsync.
## Why This Approach?
Previous versions of this project included complex migration logic that occasionally caused system issues. This version returns to basics:
✅ Uses standard LVM commands only
✅ Minimal chance of errors
✅ Easy to understand and debug
✅ Predictable behavior
✅ No hidden "smart" features
## Recovery
### From LV Backup
Mount the backup LV and copy files, or use it to restore your system.
### From Raw Device Backup
Boot directly from the device, or restore using dd in reverse.
### From VG Clone
Import the volume group or boot directly from the cloned device.
## Contributing
Keep it simple. Any additions should follow the core principle: minimal logic, maximum reliability.
## License
Open source - use and modify as needed.