rsync - Dec 2001 - --backup-dir confusion

With the following rsync settings:

cd /home/lina_backup
rsync -R -v -z -rlptgo --delete \
  --password-file=password \
  --include-from=include --exclude="*" \
  --backup --backup-dir=./`date -d yesterday +%Y-%m-%d` \
  rsync://root@lina/backup current

I would expect the backup directory to be /home/lina_backup/2001-12-29.
But it becomes /home/lina_backup/current/2001-12-29. Is this a bug? (Am I
abusing the rsync command by trying to use relative paths and shouldn't do
this?)

BTW, will my settings clobber a file if something goes wrong with the
rsync? Or will the existance of the backup directory make certain that if
the rsync doesn't work, it at least keeps the older copy of a file?

On Sun, Dec 30, 2001 at 04:15:37AM -0500, Philip Mak
wrote:
> With the following rsync settings:
> 
> cd /home/lina_backup
> rsync -R -v -z -rlptgo --delete \
>   --password-file=password \
>   --include-from=include --exclude="*" \
>   --backup --backup-dir=./`date -d yesterday +%Y-%m-%d` \
>   rsync://root@lina/backup current
> 
> I would expect the backup directory to be /home/lina_backup/2001-12-29.
> But it becomes /home/lina_backup/current/2001-12-29. Is this a bug? (Am I
> abusing the rsync command by trying to use relative paths and shouldn't
do
> this?)
I'm pretty sure backup-dir is relative to the destination directory. 
If anybody confirms it for me, I'll change the man page.

> BTW, will my settings clobber a file if something goes wrong with the
> rsync? Or will the existance of the backup directory make certain that if
> the rsync doesn't work, it at least keeps the older copy of a file?
It should.  In general rsync always does all it's work in a temporary file
and only does a rename when it's all done so it never really completely
loses
a file.

- Dave Dykstra