rsync exit code 23 (partial transfer due to errors): List of possible reasons and how to ignore some?

[Kevin Korb]

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Unfortunately, exit 23 litterally just means something else went wrong
and might have scrolled off of the screen if you have rsync listing
files (--verbose or --itemize_changes).  Essentially, it is anything
that doesn't have its own exit code.  I just ignore it.  The most common
reaosn is file vanished.

- -- 
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 	Kevin Korb			Phone:    (407) 252-6853
 	Systems Administrator		Internet:
 	FutureQuest, Inc.		Kevin at FutureQuest.net  (work)
 	Orlando, Florida		kmk at sanitarium.net (personal)
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On Thu, 14 Dec 2023, rsync--- via rsync wrote:

> Date: Thu, 14 Dec 2023 19:20:15 +0100
> From: rsync--- via rsync <rsync at lists.samba.org>
> To: rsync at lists.samba.org
> Subject: rsync exit code 23 (partial transfer due to errors): List of possible
>      reasons and how to ignore some?
> 
> I am trying to find a solution for the open source Linux software
>
>   "Back In Time" (https://github.com/bit-team/backintime)
>
> where we evaluate the rsync exit code when taking a backup via rsync
> and inform the user that an error has occured.
>
> Questions:
>
> 1. Is there full list of possible reasons available that make rsync
>   exit with the return value 23?
>
>       'rsync error: some files/attrs were not transferred (see previous errors) (code 23) at main.c(1338) [sender=3.2.7]'
>
>   I want to decide for each reason if we treat it as an error or warning.
>
> 2. I want to ignore some reasons for exit code 23 by only logging it, mainly:
>
>       symlink has no referent: "/home/user/Documents/dead-link"
>
>   Is there a way to
>   - either prevent that this error leads to exit code 23 (if no other reason occurs)
>   - or to prevent this specific check at all (but eg. copy the symlink "as is")?
>
> THX a lot!
>
>
>
> PS 1: The typcially used rsync command line looks like this:
>
> rsync --recursive --times --devices --specials --hard-links --human-readable -s --copy-links --acls --perms --executability --group --owner --
> info=progress2 --no-inc-recursive -l --delete --delete-excluded -v -i --out-format=BACKINTIME: %i %n%L --link-dest=../../20231214-143359-584/backup --
> chmod=Du+wx --exclude=/home/username/temp/testBAK_profil1 --exclude=/home/username/.local/share/backintime --exclude=.local/share/backintime/mnt --
> include=/home/username/Documents/ --include=/home/username/ --include=/home/ --include=/home/username/temp/deleted_folder/ --
> include=/home/username/temp/ --include=/home/username/.mozilla/ --exclude=.gvfs --exclude=.cache/* --exclude=.thumbnails* --
> exclude=.local/share/[Tt]rash* --exclude=*.backup* --exclude=*~ --exclude=.dropbox* --exclude=/proc/* --exclude=/sys/* --exclude=/dev/* --
> exclude=/run/* --exclude=/etc/mtab --exclude=/var/cache/apt/archives/*.deb --exclude=lost+found/* --exclude=/tmp/* --exclude=/var/tmp/* --
> exclude=/var/backups/* --exclude=.Private --exclude=lock --exclude=root_only_file.txt --include=/home/username/Documents/** --
> include=/home/username/temp/deleted_folder/** --include=/home/username/.mozilla/** --exclude=* /
> /home/username/temp/testBAK_profil1/backintime/computer1/username/1/new_snapshot/backup
>
>
>
>
> PS 2: You can find more details or even answer in our Github issue too:
>
> https://github.com/bit-team/backintime/issues/1587
>
>
>
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