Rsync creates empty directories with backup-dir option

[Pierre Willaime]

With rsync 3.1.1 (on debian), using the "backup-dir" option creates a tree of empty folders inside the backup repository. This doesn't affect the transfer (all files and folder are copied anyway).



Example:

----

rsync -rtvhPx --delete --stats --exclude-from=/home/pierre/scripts/ExclusionRSync --backup --backup-dir=/media/pierre/g2/sauvegardes/fichiers_supprimes_pierre /home/pierre/ /media/pierre/g2/sauvegardes/sauvegarde_pierre

----

The previous command (launched the first time) recreates the whole structure of folders inside the "/media/pierre/g2/sauvegardes/fichiers_supprimes_pierre" backup-dir). These folders are empty and the files are present in "/media/pierre/g2/sauvegardes/sauvegarde_pierre"(destination).



It seems to be a bug because the backup directory should contains something if, and only if, I delete files or folder. But it is impossible to delete something during the first backup; nonetheless, the backup-dir is full of empty folder after the first call of rsync.



There are two unanswered messages on Unix.SE describing this bug ([1] and [2]). A quick search into this mailing list archives [3] doesn't show emails related to this question.



[1] http://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/150378/rsync-3-1-0-is-creating-empty-backup-directories

[2] http://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/186798/rsync-backup-dir-creates-empty-folders-in-backup-dir

[3] http://www.mail-archive.com/search?l=rsync%40lists.samba.org&q=backup+create+empty+folders&a=1
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