I've been following the tutorial here: http://linode.com/wiki/index.php/AutomatedRdiffBackup

I've come to step 6 just before the "setting up rdiff-backup" part. When I try to execute

# rdiff-backup --test-server source-backup::/ignored

I get the following error:

/var/lib/python-support/python2.6/rdiff_backup/SetConnections.py:148: DeprecationWarning: os.popen2 is deprecated.  Use the subprocess module.
  stdin, stdout = os.popen2(remote_cmd)
root@XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX's password: 
Warning: Local version 1.2.7 does not match remote version 1.1.15.
Exception '
Warning Security Violation!
Bad request for function: rpath.make_file_dict
with arguments: ['/ignored']
' raised of class '<class 'rdiff_backup.Security.Violation'>':
  File "/var/lib/python-support/python2.6/rdiff_backup/Main.py", line 304, in error_check_Main
    try: Main(arglist)
  File "/var/lib/python-support/python2.6/rdiff_backup/Main.py", line 321, in Main
    rps = map(SetConnections.cmdpair2rp, cmdpairs)
  File "/var/lib/python-support/python2.6/rdiff_backup/SetConnections.py", line 78, in cmdpair2rp
    return rpath.RPath(conn, filename).normalize()
  File "/var/lib/python-support/python2.6/rdiff_backup/rpath.py", line 884, in __init__
    else: self.setdata()
  File "/var/lib/python-support/python2.6/rdiff_backup/rpath.py", line 908, in setdata
    self.data = self.conn.rpath.make_file_dict(self.path)
  File "/var/lib/python-support/python2.6/rdiff_backup/connection.py", line 450, in __call__
    return apply(self.connection.reval, (self.name,) + args)
  File "/var/lib/python-support/python2.6/rdiff_backup/connection.py", line 370, in reval
    if isinstance(result, Exception): raise result

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 30, in <module>
    rdiff_backup.Main.error_check_Main(sys.argv[1:])
  File "/var/lib/python-support/python2.6/rdiff_backup/Main.py", line 304, in error_check_Main
    try: Main(arglist)
  File "/var/lib/python-support/python2.6/rdiff_backup/Main.py", line 321, in Main
    rps = map(SetConnections.cmdpair2rp, cmdpairs)
  File "/var/lib/python-support/python2.6/rdiff_backup/SetConnections.py", line 78, in cmdpair2rp
    return rpath.RPath(conn, filename).normalize()
  File "/var/lib/python-support/python2.6/rdiff_backup/rpath.py", line 884, in __init__
    else: self.setdata()
  File "/var/lib/python-support/python2.6/rdiff_backup/rpath.py", line 908, in setdata
    self.data = self.conn.rpath.make_file_dict(self.path)
  File "/var/lib/python-support/python2.6/rdiff_backup/connection.py", line 450, in __call__
    return apply(self.connection.reval, (self.name,) + args)
  File "/var/lib/python-support/python2.6/rdiff_backup/connection.py", line 370, in reval
    if isinstance(result, Exception): raise result
rdiff_backup.Security.Violation: 
Warning Security Violation!
Bad request for function: rpath.make_file_dict
with arguments: ['/ignored']

As you can see it's asking for the root password (which is weird, considering I've set up the ssh key) but this is not my primary concern now. Why does the test fail? Any ideas?

Warning: Local version 1.2.7 does not match remote version 1.1.15.

Is pretty much your main reason. 1.1 and 1.2 dont talk to each other nicely.. I found that after i upgraded one of my etch boxes to lenny, that it wouldnt sync anymore..

Failed with that exact same error. Id suggest getting your versions in sync..

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Wow, thanks!

Testing server started by:  ssh -C source-backup rdiff-backup --server
Server OK

The thing is, the server has Ubuntu 8.04 (which has rdiff-backup 1.1.15) but the local system (Debian Lenny) has rdiff-backup 1.2.7.1 installed.

For future reference, Ubuntu doesn't provide any backports of rdiff-backup for version >= 1.2.6 for Hardy. Instead, you can use the debian backport located here: http://archive.undebian.org/debian-back ... 50+1_i386/

OK new problem, rdiff-backup doesn't sync my /var/www directory. It "processes" it just like all the other directories, but no file is actually copied over. Any ideas?

FWIW I had the same problem with ubuntu 8.04 and 9.10.

I had another server I was going to deprecate. It has 8.10 but does works as my backup, so I'll be keeping that alive for now.

Well, thanks. Any other ideas guys?