gsettings... what am I doing wrong?

[GhX6GZMB]

I'm trying to set up an exclude list for Deja-dup, but Gnome geekyness got me (why is it so hard just to make an ASCII exclude/include file?).
Apparently Deja-dup/Duplicity maintain an internal backup file list that can only be accessed with special Gnome commands. I only know this from proprietary software, but OK.

The recipe for doing this I found here:https://answers.launchpad.net/deja-dup/+question/280954

However, I get these outputs from the commands that I'm not able to decipher:

macro@macro-pc:~$ sudo gsettings get org.gnome.DejaDup exclude-list
['$TRASH', '$DOWNLOAD']
macro@macro-pc:~$ sudo gsettings set org.gnome.DejaDup exclude-list [$HOME/.*]
expected value:
  [/home/macro/.*]
   ^              
macro@macro-pc:~$ sudo gsettings set org.gnome.DejaDup exclude-list [/home/macro/.*]
expected value:
  [/home/macro/.*]
   ^              
macro@macro-pc:~$ sudo gsettings set org.gnome.DejaDup exclude-list /home/macro/.*
Usage:
  gsettings [--schemadir SCHEMADIR] set SCHEMA[:PATH] KEY VALUE


Set the value of KEY to VALUE


Arguments:
  SCHEMADIR A directory to search for additional schemas
  SCHEMA    The name of the schema
  PATH      The path, for relocatable schemas
  KEY       The key within the schema
  VALUE     The value to set


macro@macro-pc:~$ sudo gsettings set org.gnome.DejaDup exclude-list '/home/macro/.*'
expected value:
  /home/macro/.*
  ^             
macro@macro-pc:~$ sudo gsettings set org.gnome.DejaDup exclude-list "/home/macro/.*"
expected value:
  /home/macro/.*
  ^             
macro@macro-pc:~$

As you can see, I'm trying to keep the hidden files out of my $HOME backups (they are covered by my system backup already, and I want no interference there).

The first command shows the current exclude settings (I think), but the following make trouble.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

[CatKiller]

Don't use sudo with gsettings. It's just going to break things.

[GhX6GZMB]

OK, just tried it without sudo. Same non-result.

[GhX6GZMB]

OK, it seems I'm out of luck, as this thread describes:
https://askubuntu.com/questions/6909...eja-dup-backup

Comment from the link:
"the ms-windows registry was such a good idea that some linux developers felt the need to borrow the idea – "

I'll now manually copy my $HOME files to my external USB-HDD instead. Sensible backup programs for user files seems to be non-existent. Has everyone moved to cloud storage today?

Cheers.

[halogen2]

Do you have dconf-editor installed? Are those settings visible in dconf-editor; if so can you successfully change them using dconf-editor?

[CatKiller]

OK, just tried it without sudo. Same non-result.

Since it didn't work you probably didn't break anything, but it's worth checking that you haven't made some of the files in your Home directory owned by root. The gconf/dconf/gsettings stuff is just nested text files as I recall (I don't use Gnome any more).

If you want more control over your backups, you'd probably find it useful to look at duplicity; Déjà Dup is just an automatic front end for duplicity. Certain behaviors are built in, like never backing up ~/.steam even if you're otherwise backing up hidden directories in your Home directory. For direct control, duplicity would be a better bet, I'd say.

[philhughes]

You are missing the single quotation marks around each value in the list, as shown in the get request you made initially, and require quotation marks around the whole list . eg

gsettings set org.gnome.DejaDup exclude-list "['home/macro/*', '/home/somewhere_else']"

[GhX6GZMB]

Ah!
That is the one permutation I overlooked. I'll experiment further.

Thanks.

[GhX6GZMB]

OK, update on this:

Issuing:

macro@macro-pc:~$ gsettings set org.gnome.DejaDup exclude-list "['$HOME/.*']"

Results in:

macro@macro-pc:~$ gsettings get org.gnome.DejaDup exclude-list
['/home/macro/.*']

Which is fine. In the DejaDup (GUI) exclude list, ~/.* appears.
All seems fine... until you do the backup
DejaDup happily includes all files/folders in the exclude list when backing up.

Useless. This is the last time I've installed/deinstalled this "backup software".

Thanks for Your help.