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<p style="margin: 0;"><span> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span>One more thing I forgot.  You can also supply a --delete argument to the compare line to have the rsync test run output what is no longer present from source to destination.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;">Glad I could help.</p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span>-Alan H.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span><span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; "></p>
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<br/>On March 23, 2012 at 10:34 AM James Sumners <james.sumners@gmail.com> wrote:
<br/>
<br/>> I think I'm going to go with Ed Cashin's tool Integrit, but this is
<br/>> handy information to have. I might just do both.
<br/>>
<br/>> On Fri, Mar 23, 2012 at 10:24, alan@alanlee.org <alan@alanlee.org> wrote:
<br/>> >
<br/>> >
<br/>> > Use rsync.  Before the install, rsync the file system to a backup directory.
<br/>> >  Then after the install use rsync to compare.  Example command lines for the
<br/>> > backup:
<br/>> >
<br/>> >
<br/>> >
<br/>> > rsync -rvax / /backup_mounted_fs/
<br/>> >
<br/>> >
<br/>> >
<br/>> > OR
<br/>> >
<br/>> >
<br/>> >
<br/>> > rsync -rvax / joe@othermachine:/pre_install_backup/
<br/>> >
<br/>> >
<br/>> > Example command lines for the compare:
<br/>> >
<br/>> >
<br/>> > rsync -rvaxcn / /backup_mounted_fs/
<br/>> >
<br/>> > rsync -rvaxcn / joe@othermachine:/pre_install_backup/
<br/>> >
<br/>> >
<br/>> > Note the trailing slashes, they are needed.  Also note the addition of 'c'
<br/>> > and 'n' options on the compare.  They cause rsync to compare using checksums
<br/>> > instead of file metadata and to perform a test run without actually changing
<br/>> > data respectively - with the 'v' flag outputting what it would have synced.
<br/>> >  'x' instructs rsync to not descend into other file systems (eg. /proc,
<br/>> > etc).
<br/>> >
<br/>> >
<br/>> >
<br/>> > It's a very useful tool for things like this.
<br/>> >
<br/>> >
<br/>> >
<br/>> > -Alan
<br/>> >
<br/>> >
<br/>> > On March 23, 2012 at 9:10 AM James Sumners <james.sumners@gmail.com> wrote:
<br/>> >
<br/>> >> I have a situation where I'm being forced to allow a remote installer
<br/>> >> to have root level sudo access to install their company's product
<br/>> >> (don't like it, but it's out of my hands). Technically, I have the
<br/>> >> system setup such that they should not need such access, but I can't
<br/>> >> change the monkey's script. Anyway, I'd like to be able to sort of
<br/>> >> "snapshot" my file system before I let them in so that I can go back
<br/>> >> and look at a before and after difference. Do any of you know of such
<br/>> >> a tool? Could this be done with rsync?
<br/>> >>
<br/>> >> I've read that LVM supports snapshots at the block level. Seeing as
<br/>> >> they are block level snapshots I don't see how that will help me
<br/>> >> figure out what the installer changed. I'd be able to revert the
<br/>> >> changes, but not study them.
<br/>> >>
<br/>> >> --
<br/>> >> James Sumners
<br/>> >> http://james.roomfullofmirrors.com/
<br/>> >>
<br/>> >> "All governments suffer a recurring problem: Power attracts
<br/>> >> pathological personalities. It is not that power corrupts but that it
<br/>> >> is magnetic to the corruptible. Such people have a tendency to become
<br/>> >> drunk on violence, a condition to which they are quickly addicted."
<br/>> >>
<br/>> >> Missionaria Protectiva, Text QIV (decto)
<br/>> >> CH:D 59
<br/>> >> _______________________________________________
<br/>> >> Ale mailing list
<br/>> >> Ale@ale.org
<br/>> >> http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
<br/>> >> See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists at
<br/>> >> http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo
<br/>>
<br/>>
<br/>>
<br/>> --
<br/>> James Sumners
<br/>> http://james.roomfullofmirrors.com/
<br/>>
<br/>> "All governments suffer a recurring problem: Power attracts
<br/>> pathological personalities. It is not that power corrupts but that it
<br/>> is magnetic to the corruptible. Such people have a tendency to become
<br/>> drunk on violence, a condition to which they are quickly addicted."
<br/>>
<br/>> Missionaria Protectiva, Text QIV (decto)
<br/>> CH:D 59
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