Clearing Cache

[Quarkrad]

I run a (rsync) script when I shutdown that saves /home and a number of other (personal) data partitions to a backup HD automatically. This is great but I notice that an awful amount of cache files (mainly from /.cache) are also checked/backed up when the saving is taking place. Is there some way I can clear my cache files automatically (Software Centre seems to be a big culprit) before the 'backup' script runs? (Thunderbird is also another 'biggie).

[monkeybrain20122]

bleachbit.

[Quarkrad]

Thanks. My rsync script is in init.d - how do I get (as I shut down down the pc) bleachbit to run automatically before my backup script?

[ajgreeny]

Why not just use the --exclude option in your rsync command, eg

rsync -r -n -t -p -o -v --progress -h --exclude-from=/full/path/to/excludecache.txt /path/to/source/ /path/to/destination/

where the excludecache.txt is a simple txt file with a list of folders to exclude. This is mine.

.adobe/Flash_Player/AssetCache
.cache
.local/share/Trash
.macromedia
.mozilla/firefox/qn4bdmr0.default/Cache
.mozilla/firefox/qn4bdmr0.default/Cache.Trash
.thumbnails
.thunderbird/cauxhqch.default/Cache
.thunderbird/cauxhqch.default/Cache.Trash

[Quarkrad]

This is my backup script (generated by Gadmin rsync):

#!/bin/sh

START_TIME=`date +%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M:%S`;
if [ ! -e '/media/backup' ]; then
MISSING_PATH=1
echo -n Missing_destination_path:_ >> /var/log/gadmin-rsync/gadmin-rsync-backup.log
else
MISSING_PATH=0
rsync --archive --human-readable --verbose --stats --log-file=/var/log/gadmin-rsync/gadmin-rsync-backup.log.details '/home/dad' '/media/backup'
fi


if [ $? -eq 0 ] && [ $MISSING_PATH -eq 0 ]; then
STOP_TIME=`date +%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M:%S`;
echo "$START_TIME $STOP_TIME Backup successful: Source: [/home/dad] Destination: [/media/backup]" >> /var/log/gadmin-rsync/gadmin-rsync-backup.log
else
STOP_TIME=`date +%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M:%S`;
echo "$START_TIME $STOP_TIME Backup failure: Source: [/home/dad] Destination: [/media/backup]" >> /var/log/gadmin-rsync/gadmin-rsync-backup.log
fi

START_TIME=`date +%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M:%S`;
if [ ! -e '/media/backup' ]; then
MISSING_PATH=1
echo -n Missing_destination_path:_ >> /var/log/gadmin-rsync/gadmin-rsync-backup.log
else
MISSING_PATH=0
rsync --archive --human-readable --verbose --stats --log-file=/var/log/gadmin-rsync/gadmin-rsync-backup.log.details '/media/store' '/media/backup'
fi


if [ $? -eq 0 ] && [ $MISSING_PATH -eq 0 ]; then
STOP_TIME=`date +%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M:%S`;
echo "$START_TIME $STOP_TIME Backup successful: Source: [/media/store] Destination: [/media/backup]" >> /var/log/gadmin-rsync/gadmin-rsync-backup.log
else
STOP_TIME=`date +%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M:%S`;
echo "$START_TIME $STOP_TIME Backup failure: Source: [/media/store] Destination: [/media/backup]" >> /var/log/gadmin-rsync/gadmin-rsync-backup.log
fi


how would I include your line(?) - add this to the bottom of the page:

if [ $? -eq 0 ] && [ $MISSING_PATH -eq 0 ]; then
STOP_TIME=`date +%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M:%S`;
echo "$START_TIME $STOP_TIME Backup successful: Source: [/media/store] Destination: [/media/backup]" >> /var/log/gadmin-rsync/gadmin-rsync-backup.log
else
STOP_TIME=`date +%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M:%S`;
echo "$START_TIME $STOP_TIME Backup failure: Source: [/media/store] Destination: [/media/backup]" >> /var/log/gadmin-rsync/gadmin-rsync-backup.log
fi

rsync -r -n -t -p -o -v --progress -h --exclude-from=/full/path/to/excludecache.txt /home/dad/ /media/backup/dad/

fi

[ajgreeny]

I think you would just need to add the option

--exclude-from=/full/path/to/excludecache.txt

to your full rsync execution commands in the top and the third stanza of that script, eg,

rsync --archive --human-readable --verbose --stats  --log-file=/var/log/gadmin-rsync/gadmin-rsync-backup.log.details  '/media/store' '/media/backup'

so it becomes

rsync --archive --human-readable --verbose --exclude-from=/full/path/to/excludecache.txt --stats  --log-file=/var/log/gadmin-rsync/gadmin-rsync-backup.log.details  '/media/store' '/media/backup'

Try it out to see if that works as I think it should. I have never used nor have any knowledge of Gadmin rsync, so I may be totally wrong about all of this.

[Jonners59]

did you get this to work? And if you did, would you share your script and how to use it?