restore duplicity backup

[MarRic]

Update...I tried 3 more times to first backup the old pc then run Deja-Dup to restore. I was not able to complete a restore from backup, I was documenting errors in a text file, but the old pc gave up the ship in the 3rd process. Either the mother board or the hard drive died, along with the text file of errors I'd saved. I do not have a hard drive enclosure with the correct cables to look at that drive and it is not worth it to me to purchase one. So Deja-Dup is a done deal for me.

I have reorganized my files back into their folders and I have 3 copies of the documents/pictures/music. One copy stays in the car so if the house burns down while I'm not home I have my files. I looked at grsync, it has a lot more options to select and since I don't understand their purpose will hold off on trying it. If I don't like having just copies and tire of keeping changed files updated in 3 locations (which will probably happen sooner rather than later, haha), I will look at it again.

I also attempted to format the drive in the enclosure from the xps13...in that process I learned it wasn't the mother board that had died, it was the ssd! So, replaced the drive, and I have a functioning XPS13 again!! Yea!! Really happy.

Thanks again for the help and suggestions.

[MarRic]

stevef,

Yes, I have recovered all my original files. Believe me, I wish I knew how it happened!

Did it happen when I ran the "duplicity --gio file" command you gave me and the files were deleted? Don't know since I was only seeing the locked files in the trash.
Or did it happen when I ran the command "trash-restore"? I don't know, since I ran it after that "duplicity --gio file" command and before I could see the hidden folder.
 When I tried the "unhide hidden files" I could still see the locked files in the trash folder under File Manager, but the files in the "un-hidden" trash folder on the physical backup drive were not locked. That is how I was able to transfer them to my documents folder.
I had tried the "duplicity --gio file" command once before, from the link you'd provided, but had similar errors - except for the "deleting" part.

The one thing that was different between the first and second time I ran the command, was I had renamed the drive. It had defaulted to something with spaces in the name (Dell Portable HDD) when I first got it. I renamed to something without spaces just before you sent your instructions, then I also changed the name of the recovery folder to exactly what you used - although I doubt that had any bearing on the result. But did removing the spaces from the drive name? I don't know. Since each time I tried something after the second "gio" command when the backup folder was emptied, all I was seeing was the locked files - until I selected "show hidden files".   

Using deja-dup is really straight-forward (prefer the gui), I wish it had worked. Would it have worked if I had changed the drive name at that time? Don't know, since I didn't try it again after that and before trying "gio" again. But since I used deja-dup to create the backup on the drive with the long name with spaces, shouldn't it have "accepted" it in the restore process? It kept saying there was no backup file, when clearly it was there.

I have wondered if it didn't work because I was attempting to restore to a different computer, or because it was created on a 64bit pc, and I was attempting to restore on a 32bit pc. I was using an old PC to attempt the recovery because I wasn't sure how it would exactly work, if it restored my system by overwriting what was there I didn't want to use our desktop or my replacement laptop and erase anything current. Irony - that old pentium3 pc, 2GB ram, LL3.8 works way better than the used laptop I got which is i5-7200 and 8GB ram!! Still trying to figure that out and decide if I'm keeping the laptop.

I will try creating a backup with deja-dup and restoring on the same drive - in that old pc. Maybe I'll try 2 different ways - with/without spaces in the drive name. Going to try to format that SSD drive first - hoping to be able to use it for another backup drive.  I will post back when testing is complete. I will also look at grsync.

[stevef]

MarRic,

You are welcome.  Have you recovered all your actual data or just found a hidden archive set ?  I hope you've got all your original files back - did you use duplicity or deja-dup to get your data out of the archive.

deja-dup should have worked first time, it would be good to understand why it couldn't find your files in the first place.

Can I suggest 'grsync' as an additional back up tool ?  With hindsight, it would have been a better solution for your problem.

My setup uses timeshift to backup the system state, deja-dup AND grsync to backup personal data files by different methods and clonezilla to cover both system and data.

[MarRic]

stevef,
Thank you again for your help and especially the detailed steps. I know that took some time and it was appreciated. 

Paul74,
Thank you for the suggestions of other backup methods.

[MarRic]

minesheep,
I did not use a password for any of these - the duplicity backup, the backup hdd, or the bios. The SSD was the drive from the xps laptop I put in a usb case but it didn't work, couldn't see anything on the SSD drive - could be it failed in-addition-to/instead-of the motherboard.

I could see the HDD backup drive in File Manager and manipulate mount and unmount from either the desktop icon or from "disks". I could see all the duplicity volume names before I tried the last command when it was all deleted. Then I noticed it all in the trash folder in File Manager - with my normal file folder names - but locked so right click restore did not work. I tried some more research and found "trash-cli" to use from terminal, tried it's restore (from trash) command , but I don't think it did anything. Tonight I remembered something else I'd seen but not tried - about hidden folders. I changed to show hidden files, then on the backup drive itself I could see my files in a trash folder there (with a period in front of the name) -- and they were not locked!! Yea!! I have my files back  . Some were not in my folders, they were all dumped together, but at least I have them. 

I've explained what happened in case anyone else has a similar issue, don't know if it will be of any help, since I don't really understand how it was resolved myself!

Thank you so much for trying to help.

[minesheep]

Did you use any kind of hardware security (including bios password) on the original xps hdd/ssd? Have you checked the connection between usb case and hdd/ssd? Can you still copy the backup set from trash?

[stevef]

The deleting message references duplicity tidying previously cached files before attempting the restore.
It doesn't refer to deleting the actual archive file set.
However duplicity can't find an archive set in the file location specified - 'Last full backup date : none'  'No backup chains found'

I can't see from what you've posted how the archive file set has ended in the trash folder but if they are there restoring should just be a case of right click on them followed by restore.

[MarRic]

stevef, tried several similar commands and kept getting errors (not showing all those results since it's mute now) then saw your instructions. I had used a different folder in the temp directory per some other instructions, but changed to what you suggested, then ran this:

name@Name-Vostro-200:~$ duplicity --gio file:///media/name/backupdisk/BACKUPS/XPS /home/name/extracthere --no-encryption
Warning: Option --gio is pending deprecation and will be removed in a future release.
Use of default filenames is strongly suggested.
Synchronizing remote metadata to local cache...
Deleting local /home/name/.cache/duplicity/b67cee400071617f5851271751eec4bf/duplicity-full-signatures.20200805T052212Z.sigtar.gz (not authoritative at backend).
Deleting local /home/name/.cache/duplicity/b67cee400071617f5851271751eec4bf/duplicity-full.20200805T052212Z.manifest (not authoritative at backend).
Last full backup date: none
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/duplicity", line 1532, in <module>
    with_tempdir(main)
  File "/usr/bin/duplicity", line 1526, in with_tempdir
    fn()
  File "/usr/bin/duplicity", line 1380, in main
    do_backup(action)
  File "/usr/bin/duplicity", line 1457, in do_backup
    restore(col_stats)
  File "/usr/bin/duplicity", line 722, in restore
    restore_get_patched_rop_iter(col_stats)):
  File "/usr/bin/duplicity", line 744, in restore_get_patched_rop_iter
    backup_chain = col_stats.get_backup_chain_at_time(time)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/duplicity/collections.py", line 970, in get_backup_chain_at_time
    raise CollectionsError("No backup chains found")
CollectionsError: No backup chains found

Notice the word "deleting" in the results above?? Now, the XPS folder is empty and everything is in my trash folder - with a lock on them, so unable to restore  .
Now researching how to restore files from trash that are locked 

[stevef]

It should just be three steps.

Obviously I don't know your filenames, so make sure you replace the examples I've used with your actual.

I've assumed your archive disk is unplugged at the start.
Right click on the desktop and click "open terminal here"
All commands within single quote marks like 'df h' are entered in the terminal window and require return/enter to action
Make sure not to type the quote mark and make sure to replace any example with actual

Step 1  Locating the directory containing your archive set.

Type the command 'df -h'

Plug in the drive with the archive files on it
Wait a few seconds for it to mount

retype 'df -h'

Compare the output of the two commands.  The second output should have an extra line for the archive disc.
Make a careful note of the "mounted on" field of the archive drive.  It will look something like

/media/example_yourname/example_yourdiskname

Type in 'cd /media/example_yourname/example_yourdisk' replacing example_yourname and example_yourdisk with the actual names you noted above.

Type in 'ls' to list the files and directories on the archive disk.

If you didn't specify a path when creating the archive you should see the files of the archive set.
You now have the location (/media/example_yourname/example_yourdiskname) so goto step 2

If you specified a path when making the archive you should now see the directory you made at the time.
Check the file set is in there

Type 'cd example_yourdirectoryname' and then 'ls'.

If you see the files of the archive set you now have the location you need (/media/example_yourname/example_yourdiskname/example_yourdirectoryname)

Step 2 Create a directory for the extraction

Type in 'cd ~' to take you to your home directory.  Use 'ls' to check.

Create a new directory called 'extracthere' in your home directory in which to try to extract the archive.

Type in 'mkdir -p extracthere'

Check it is there using 'ls'

Step 3 Attempt extraction

If you didn't encrypt your archive when you created it type in the following - make sure to replace the text after file:// with the path and directory you found in step 1.  If you used encryption leave off the ' --no-encryption' part.  The command will like

'duplicity --gio file:///media/example_yourname/example_yourdisk /home/example_yourname/extracthere --no-encryption'

or

'duplicity --gio file:///media/example_yourname/example_yourdisk/example_yourdirectory /home/example_yourname/extracthere --no-encryption'

If this works, it should unarchive all files you backed up into your home "extracthere" directory

If this doesn't work you need to show us what's going on.

[Paul74]

Hello,
I tried differents methods to back-up my LL disk onto an external USB disk.

The more efficient, for me, is to use Clonezilla booted from a USB stick.
Not really easy to understand the first time you will use it.

The other method is to use "dd" command.

[MarRic]

Minesheep,

These are personal files (receipts, statements, spreadsheets, graphics files I like to work with and photos). So not a lot of "quantity" but the spreadsheets have data from crafts I make to sell, so they are important. I thought I was doing what I needed to do by running a backup when I had made multiple changes in things or added more photos to my library. The last time I deleted the old backups and ran a new full one. But believe me, after this experience, I will never bother with a backup again. Going forward I will just make more than one "copy" of my files/photos on the a couple of external hdds. Linux Lite is so easy to install and set up like I want, I really don't need the "system" backed up anyway.

 I don't see how to tell what the sizes of the files were, but the largest photos were probably 2-3MB. A little more than half the volumes are photos, and lol I don't know how many there were. It literally was 2 years of files - since I had gotten the xps laptop. I am grateful that I have a couple of USB drives with my photos from before the laptop. This is the name of the manifest:

"duplicity-full.20200805T052212Z.manifest"

I'm just getting ready to try some different commands. It amazes me how many different ways there are to attempt to do something in Linux. It would help if I understood it all better, but I muddle through, because I refuse to use MSW.

[minesheep]

You have non encrypted backup on your external hdd? 416 volumes gives you total backup size of 10400MB or about 10GB is this correct? Did you only have 10GB of data to backup? When was your last full backup (the backup starting with duplicity-full)?

[MarRic]

Thanks stevef, looking through both links, very similar to other things I've tried, but will try some more. I will try asking some questions there.

[stevef]

Have you tried the instructions given in this link ?

https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/DejaDup/Help/Restore/WorstCase

That web site also has a support option

There is also a forum on

https://answers.launchpad.net/deja-dup

Good luck

[MarRic]

 Motherboard failed DELLxps13 . I had done a full backup 2 months prior with deja-dup (duplicity). I am unable to restore from deja-dup. When I select the external drive and folder from the restore button it says “No backups to restore”. There are 416 volumes listed in the manifest (opened with text editor). Everything is there – I just can’t get to it. Also tried several terminal commands found on the web from different sources but nothing is working – possibly because I am not replacing things in the command correctly – it is 2 years of data I would like to get back. 
I also pulled the hard drive from xps13 and used a usb SSD case hoping to be able to pull my data that way, but it doesn’t “load” and if I use the “disk” function, it sees it but says “no Media”.
Can anyone help? Or if there is another forum that would be better to ask on, please advise. Thank you.