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Clarify '--one-file-system' for btrfs (#5391)

docs: clarify borg create's '--one-file-system' option, #4009

The documentation now explicitly mentions btrfs subvolumes and
explains how --one-file-system works.

Co-authored-by: Eike <e.fokken+git@posteo.de>
eike-fokken 4 years ago
parent
commit
1f0458d016
1 changed files with 13 additions and 1 deletions
  1. 13 1
      src/borg/archiver.py

+ 13 - 1
src/borg/archiver.py

@@ -3111,6 +3111,18 @@ class Archiver:
         and not include any other contents of the containing folder, this can be enabled
         and not include any other contents of the containing folder, this can be enabled
         through using the ``--keep-exclude-tags`` option.
         through using the ``--keep-exclude-tags`` option.
 
 
+        The ``-x`` or ``--one-file-system`` option excludes directories, that are mountpoints (and everything in them).
+        It detects mountpoints by comparing the device number from the output of ``stat()`` of the directory and its
+        parent directory. Specifically, it excludes directories for which ``stat()`` reports a device number different
+        from the device number of their parent. Be aware that in Linux (and possibly elsewhere) there are directories
+        with device number different from their parent, which the kernel does not consider a mountpoint and also the
+        other way around. Examples are bind mounts (possibly same device number, but always a mountpoint) and ALL
+        subvolumes of a btrfs (different device number from parent but not necessarily a mountpoint). Therefore when
+        using ``--one-file-system``, one should make doubly sure that the backup works as intended especially when using
+        btrfs. This is even more important, if the btrfs layout was created by someone else, e.g. a distribution
+        installer.
+
+
         .. _list_item_flags:
         .. _list_item_flags:
 
 
         Item flags
         Item flags
@@ -3220,7 +3232,7 @@ class Archiver:
 
 
         fs_group = subparser.add_argument_group('Filesystem options')
         fs_group = subparser.add_argument_group('Filesystem options')
         fs_group.add_argument('-x', '--one-file-system', dest='one_file_system', action='store_true',
         fs_group.add_argument('-x', '--one-file-system', dest='one_file_system', action='store_true',
-                              help='stay in the same file system and do not store mount points of other file systems')
+                              help='stay in the same file system and do not store mount points of other file systems.  This might behave different from your expectations, see the docs.')
         fs_group.add_argument('--numeric-owner', dest='numeric_owner', action='store_true',
         fs_group.add_argument('--numeric-owner', dest='numeric_owner', action='store_true',
                               help='only store numeric user and group identifiers')
                               help='only store numeric user and group identifiers')
         # --noatime is the default now and the flag is deprecated. args.noatime is not used any more.
         # --noatime is the default now and the flag is deprecated. args.noatime is not used any more.