rsync - Sep 2016 - Use of multiple --link-dest options

I can use --link-dest multiple times for backups so that files affected
by a backup-delete-backup-replace-backup scenario get linked. It works well.

However, consider this scenario: backup-modify-backup-undo-backup. We have

* backup 1 contains file 'a'

* backup 2 contains file 'a' ( with modified content)

* backup 3 contains file 'a'

However, the file 'a' in backups 1 and 3 are not linked. I guess the
search by backup 3 stops when it hits the file 'a' with modified content
in backup 2 and the earlier file in backup 1 that has the same content
isn't found and therefore not linked.

Is there a way to tell rsync  to continue trying futher link-dest
directories in the hope of finding a match ?

I have rsync 3.1.2.

> Is there a way to tell rsync  to continue trying futher link-dest
> directories in the hope of finding a match ?

Nice point, I have been investigating for some time improvements to LBackup
<http://www.lbackup.org> (an backup wrapper system for rsync)  for
improved incomplete backup handling and incomplete backup data retention options
and also have this question for a number of possible scenarios.

If anyone has a simple answer like a flag which is passed which I missed in the
man page, that would be great :)

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On 20/09/16 12:21, John Lane wrote:
> I can use --link-dest multiple times for backups so that files affected
> by a backup-delete-backup-replace-backup scenario get linked. It works
well.
> 
> However, consider this scenario: backup-modify-backup-undo-backup. We have
> 
> * backup 1 contains file 'a'
> 
> * backup 2 contains file 'a' ( with modified content)
> 
> * backup 3 contains file 'a'
> 
> However, the file 'a' in backups 1 and 3 are not linked. I guess
the
> search by backup 3 stops when it hits the file 'a' with modified
content
> in backup 2 and the earlier file in backup 1 that has the same content
> isn't found and therefore not linked.
> 
> Is there a way to tell rsync  to continue trying futher link-dest
> directories in the hope of finding a match ?
> 
> I have rsync 3.1.2.
> 
> 
> 
I am still interested in any response to my original question, but I've
just noticed that the --link-dest option can only be used a limited
number of times and, in my version of rsync (3.1.2), that limit is 10.

This is contrary to the error message that is reported when that limit
is exceeded, which states:

    rsync: ERROR: at most 20 --link-dest args may be specified