Bump version to 4.3.0

paramiko's connect had no timeout, so a server that doesn't answer
made the program hang until the OS gave up (about 2 minutes). Give up
after 15 seconds and exit with code 5.

PKGBUILD

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 pkgname=simple_backup
 pkgdesc='Simple backup script that uses rsync to copy files'
-pkgver=4.1.6
+pkgver=4.2.0
 pkgrel=1
 url="https://git.shouldnt.work/fuxino/${pkgname}"
 arch=('any')
@@ -12,18 +12,16 @@ license=('GPL-3.0-or-later')
 makedepends=('git'
              'python-setuptools'
              'python-build'
-             'python-installer'
+             'python-installer')
-             'python-wheel')
 depends=('python>=3.10'
-         'rsync'
+         'rsync')
-         'python-dotenv')
 optdepends=('python-systemd: use systemd log'
             'python-dbus: for desktop notifications'
             'python-paramiko: for remote backup through ssh')
 conflicts=('simple_backup-git')
 source=(git+${url}?signed#tag=${pkgver})
 validpgpkeys=('7E12BC1FF3B6EDB2CD8053EB981A2B2A3BBF5514')
-sha256sums=('b3b29d9e2e1b7b949e95674d9a401e8eeb0d5f898e8450473dce94f799ee9df3')
+sha256sums=('6c674f7981e3e5222594bdb735d4fb02ca2fcc829de57ea8f92ce71e679853f9')
 
 build()
 {

README.md

@@ -20,21 +20,19 @@ The script uses rsync to actually run the backup, so you will have to install it
 sudo pacman -Syu rsync
 ```
 
-It's also required to have python-dotenv
+Optional dependencies are systemd-python to enable using systemd journal for logging, dbus-python for desktop notifications, and paramiko for remote backup.
-
-Optional dependencies are systemd-python to enable using systemd journal for logging, and dbus-python for desktop notifications.
 
 ## Install
 To install the program, first clone the repository:
 
 ```bash
-git clone https://github.com/Fuxino/simple_backup.git
+git clone https://git.shouldnt.work/fuxino/simple_backup.git
 ```
 
 Then install the tools required to build the package:
 
 ```bash
-pip install --upgrade build wheel
+pip install --upgrade build
 ```
 
 Finally, run:
@@ -49,11 +47,16 @@ For Arch Linux and Arch-based distros, two packages are available in the AUR (au
 - **simple_backup** for the release version
 - **simple_backup-git** for the git version
 
+## Old backups
+The number of old backups to keep can be set with the --keep (or -k) argument (or in the configuration file).
+Old backups are only removed if rsync completes successfully, so that they are not deleted when the new backup may be incomplete.
+The only rsync error that is ignored is return code 24 (source files vanished during the transfer), which is common when backing up a live system.
+
 ## Remote backup
 > **Warning**
 > This feature is experimental
 
-It's possible to use a remote server as destination for the backup. Just use the --username (or -u) and --host arguments (or set them in the configuration file).
+It's possible to use a remote server as destination for the backup. Just use the --ssh-user and --ssh-host arguments (or set them in the configuration file).
 For this to work, rsync must be installed on the server too.
 
 ### Server authentication

man/simple_backup.1

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.TH SIMPLE_BACKUP 1 2025-03-30 SIMPLE_BACKUP 4.1.6
+.TH SIMPLE_BACKUP 1 2026-10-08 SIMPLE_BACKUP 4.3.0
 .SH NAME
 simple_backup \- Backup files and folders using rsync
 .SH SYNOPSIS
@@ -52,7 +52,15 @@ or to use single or double quotes around them.
 .B \-o, \-\-output DIR
 Specify the directory where the files will be copied. The program will automatically
 create a subdirectory called \(aqsimple_backup\(aq (if it does not already exist) and
-inside this directory the actual backup directory (using the current date and time).
+inside this directory the actual backup directory (using the current date and time, for example
+\(aq2026\-10\-08_17\-34\-47\(aq).
+.RS
+.P
+Backups are best stored on a Linux filesystem (e.g. ext4 or btrfs). FAT and exFAT filesystems
+are supported, but they don\(aqt support hard links, so each backup will be a full copy instead
+of only storing files that changed since the previous one. File ownership and permissions are
+not preserved either.
+.RE
 .TP
 .B \-e, \-\-exclude FILE|DIR|PATTERN [FILE|...]]
 Specify files, directories or patterns to exclude from the backup. Matching files and directories
@@ -61,6 +69,10 @@ will not be copied. Multiple elements can be specified, in the same way as for t
 .B \-k, \-\-keep N
 Specify how many old backups (so excluding the current one) will be kept. The default behavior
 is to keep them all (same as N=\-1).
+Old backups are only removed if rsync completes successfully, to avoid deleting them when the
+new backup may be incomplete. rsync return code 24 (source files vanished during the transfer)
+is treated as success, while any other error (including return code 23, partial transfer due to error)
+will prevent old backups from being removed. This does not apply when using \-\-remove\-before\-backup.
 .TP
 .B \-u, \-\-user USERNAME
 Explicitly specify the user running the backup (in case it is needed for home directory expansion).
@@ -86,6 +98,9 @@ if saving bandwith is needed.
 Remove old backups (if necessary) before creating the new backup. Useful to free some space
 before performing the backup.
 Default behavior is to remove old backups after successfully completing the backup.
+Note that if the backup fails after old backups have been removed, only the backups kept
+according to \-\-keep will be left, and the new backup may be incomplete. In particular, with
+\-\-keep 0 there will be no complete backup available until the next successful one.
 .TP
 .B \-\-no\-syslog
 Don't use systemd journal for logging.
@@ -100,7 +115,7 @@ Using \-\-rsync\-options it is possible to manually select which options to use.
 .P
     \-a, \-l, \-p, \-t, \-g, \-o, \-c, \-h, \-D, \-H, \-X, \-s
 .P
-Options \-r and \-v are used in any case. Not that options must be specified without dash (\-), for example:
+Options \-r, \-v, \-\-ignore\-missing\-args and \-\-mkpath are used in any case. Note that options must be specified without dash (\-), for example:
 .P
 .EX
     simple_backup \-\-rsync\-options a l p
@@ -131,6 +146,14 @@ Copy it to the default location ($HOME/.config/simple_backup) and edit it as nee
 It is possible to choose a directory on a remote server as destination for the backup. The files
 are copied by rsync through SSH. Server hostname and username must be specified, either in the
 configuration file, or on the command line (\(aq\-\-ssh\-host\(aq and \(aq\-\-ssh\-user\(aq options).
+.P
+The output directory is a path on the server. A leading \(aq~\(aq and relative paths refer to the
+home directory of the user on the server. On the command line, quote \(aq~\(aq so that the local
+shell doesn\(aqt expand it, for example:
+.P
+.EX
+    simple_backup \-\-ssh\-host server \-\-ssh\-user user \-o \(aq~/backups\(aq
+.EE
 .SS AUTHENTICATION
 For authentication, it is possible to use SSH key or password.
 .P
@@ -165,7 +188,8 @@ for details. For this reason, use SSH key authentication if possible.
 .SH EXIT STATUS
 .TP
 .B 0
-The backup was completed without errors.
+The backup was completed without errors. This includes rsync return code 24 (some source files
+vanished during the transfer), which only logs a warning.
 .TP
 .B 1
 No valid inputs selected for backup.
@@ -177,13 +201,13 @@ Backup failed because output directory for storing the backup does not exist.
 Permission denied to access the output directory.
 .TP
 .B 4
-rsync error (rsync returned a non-zero value).
+rsync error (rsync returned a value other than 0 or 24).
 .TP
 .B 5
 SSH connection failed.
 .TP
 .B 6
-Bad configuration file.
+Bad configuration file or options (for example, only one of SSH host and SSH user specified).
 .SH SEE ALSO
 .BR rsync (1)
 .SH AUTHORS

pyproject.toml

@@ -1,3 +1,48 @@
 [build-system]
-requires = ['setuptools']
+requires = ['setuptools>=77']
 build-backend = 'setuptools.build_meta'
+
+[project]
+name = "simple_backup"
+dynamic = ["version"]
+description = "Simple backup script that uses rsync to copy files"
+readme = "README.md"
+requires-python = ">=3.10"
+license = "GPL-3.0-or-later"
+license-files = ["LICENSE"]
+authors = [
+  { name = "Daniele Fucini", email = "dfucini@gmail.com" }
+]
+maintainers = [
+  { name = "Daniele Fucini", email = "dfucini@gmail.com" }
+]
+classifiers = [
+  "Development Status :: 4 - Beta",
+  "Environment :: Console",
+  "Natural Language :: English",
+  "Operating System :: POSIX :: Linux",
+  "Programming Language :: Python :: 3",
+  "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10",
+  "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11",
+  "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12",
+  "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13",
+  "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14",
+  "Topic :: System :: Archiving :: Backup",
+]
+
+[project.optional-dependencies]
+JOURNAL = ["systemd-python"]
+NOTIFICATIONS = ["dbus-python"]
+REMOTE = ["paramiko>=3.2"]
+
+[project.urls]
+Homepage = "https://git.shouldnt.work/fuxino/simple_backup"
+
+[project.scripts]
+simple_backup = "simple_backup.simple_backup:simple_backup"
+
+[tool.setuptools]
+packages = ["simple_backup"]
+
+[tool.setuptools.dynamic]
+version = { attr = "simple_backup.__version__" }

setup.cfg

@@ -1,39 +0,0 @@
-[metadata]
-name = simple_backup
-version = attr: simple_backup.__version__
-description = Simple backup script using rsync
-long_description = file: README.md
-author = Daniele Fucini
-author_email = dfucini@gmail.com
-license = GPL3
-url = https://git.shouldnt.work/fuxino
-classifiers =
-   Development Status :: 4 - Beta
-   Environment :: Console
-   License :: OSI Approved :: GNU General Public License v3 (GPLv3)
-   Natural Language :: English
-   Operating System :: POSIX :: Linux
-   Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10
-   Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11
-   Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12
-   Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13
-   Topic :: System :: Archiving :: Backup
-
-[options]
-packages = simple_backup
-python_requires = >=3.10
-install_requires =
-   python-dotenv
-
-[options.extras_require]
-JOURNAL =
-    systemd-python
-NOTIFICATIONS =
-    dbus-python
-REMOTE =
-    paramiko
-
-[options.entry_points]
-console_scripts =
-   simple_backup = simple_backup.simple_backup:simple_backup
-

simple_backup/__init__.py

@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 """Init."""
 
-__version__ = '4.1.6'
+__version__ = '4.3.0'

simple_backup/simple_backup.conf

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 # Files and directories to backup. Multiple items can be separated using a comma (','). It is possible to use wildcards (i.e. '*' to match multiple characters and '~' for the user's home directory).
 inputs=/home/user
 
-# Output directory.
+# Output directory. For remote backups, this is a path on the server ('~' and relative paths refer to the home directory on the server).
 backup_dir=/media/Backup
 
 # Files, directories and patterns to exclude from the backup. Multiple items can be separated using a comma.
@@ -18,5 +18,5 @@ keep=-1
 # ssh_host=
 # ssh_user=
 # ssh_keyfile=
-# remote_sudo=
+# remote_sudo=false
-# numeric_ids=
+# numeric_ids=false