rsync - Apr 2009 - Using rsync for a backup program but having trouble getting --exclude-from to work properly

Reading and re-reading the man page has got me nowhere with this issue
and searching your site on '--exclude-from' got me to the same place.

Here is the script I am using:
####################################

#/bin/bash
suffix=`date +%Y%m%d`
echo Suffix is "$suffix"
fromdir=/home/bob/
echo Source dir is "$fromdir"
todir="$maxtor6"BackupOfHome
excl="$fromdir".dobackup.excl
echo Exclusions file is "$excl"
echo Destination dir is "$todir"
rsync --exclude-from="$excl" -a -b -vv --suffix="$suffix"
$fromdir $todir

exit 0
########################

Here is the content of the exclude file

# .dobackup.excl - list of exclusions from rsync backup
/home/bob/.mozilla/firefox/
/home/bob/Ebooks.desktop
/home/bob/Office.desktop
/home/bob/Pictures.desktop
/home/bob/Programs.desktop

The command I use:
./dobackup.sh > list

Partial content of list

Suffix is 20090416
Source dir is /home/bob/
Exclusions file is /home/bob/.dobackup.excl
Destination dir is /media/disk-4/BackupOfHome
sending incremental file list
delta-transmission disabled for local transfer or --whole-file

<snippage>

.xsession-errors
Bookmarks 2009-04-11.json is uptodate
Ebooks.desktop                   # rubbish that I don't want in the backup
Index.pdf is uptodate
Names.pdf is uptodate
Office.desktop                   # rubbish that I don't want in the backup
ParrotSecrets.pdf is uptodate
Pictures.desktop                 # rubbish that I don't want in the backup
Programs.desktop                 # rubbish that I don't want in the backup
Qantas.wmv is uptodate
ThaiAlphabet.ods is uptodate

<snippage>

.mozilla/firefox/                # and I want none of this directory at all
.mozilla/firefox/profiles.ini
.mozilla/firefox/28l3cgx4.default/
.mozilla/firefox/28l3cgx4.default/.parentlock
.mozilla/firefox/28l3cgx4.default/XPC.mfasl
.mozilla/firefox/28l3cgx4.default/XUL.mfasl
.mozilla/firefox/28l3cgx4.default/blocklist.xml
.mozilla/firefox/28l3cgx4.default/bookmarks.html
.mozilla/firefox/28l3cgx4.default/cert8.db

<snipped the rest>

The system I am using is eeebuntu 8.10 on a eeePc 701 if that has any
bearing on anything.

I'm probably just misreading something.

Thanks,
Bob Parker
-- 
In a world without walls who needs Windows (or Gates)? Try Linux instead!

On Thu 16 Apr 2009, Robert Parker wrote:
> fromdir=/home/bob/
> rsync --exclude-from="$excl" -a -b -vv
--suffix="$suffix" $fromdir $todir
> Here is the content of the exclude file
> 
> /home/bob/.mozilla/firefox/
If you're passing /home/bob/ as the source dir, then you have to remove
/home/bob from the exclude patterns as those patterns are relative to
the transfer source. I.e.

/home/bob/.mozilla/firefox/
etc.

becomes

/.mozilla/firefox/
/Ebooks.desktop
/Office.desktop
/Pictures.desktop
/Programs.desktop


Paul

On 15-Apr-2009, at 14:19, Robert Parker wrote:
> rsync --exclude-from="$excl" -a -b -vv
--suffix="$suffix" $fromdir
> $todir
> /home/bob/.mozilla/firefox/

The / in the exclude-from is relative to the starting directory, not  
an absolute path. So what you are excluding is '$fromdir/home/ 
bob/.mozilla/firefox/'.


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