The cback command
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## The cback command

### Introduction

Cedar Backup's primary command-line interface is the cback command. It controls the entire backup process.

### Syntax

The cback command has the following syntax:

     Usage: cback [switches] action(s)

     The following switches are accepted:

       -h, --help         Display this usage/help listing
       -V, --version      Display version information
       -b, --verbose      Print verbose output as well as logging to disk
       -q, --quiet        Run quietly (display no output to the screen)
       -c, --config       Path to config file (default: /etc/cback.conf)
       -f, --full         Perform a full backup, regardless of configuration
       -M, --managed      Include managed clients when executing actions
       -N, --managed-only Include ONLY managed clients when executing actions
       -l, --logfile      Path to logfile (default: /var/log/cback.log)
       -o, --owner        Logfile ownership, user:group (default: root:adm)
       -m, --mode         Octal logfile permissions mode (default: 640)
       -O, --output       Record some sub-command (i.e. cdrecord) output to the log
       -d, --debug        Write debugging information to the log (implies --output)
       -s, --stack        Dump a Python stack trace instead of swallowing exceptions
       -D, --diagnostics  Print runtime diagnostics to the screen and exit

     The following actions may be specified:

       all                Take all normal actions (collect, stage, store, purge)
       collect            Take the collect action
       stage              Take the stage action
       store              Take the store action
       purge              Take the purge action
       rebuild            Rebuild "this week's" disc if possible
       validate           Validate configuration only
       initialize         Initialize media for use with Cedar Backup

     You may also specify extended actions that have been defined in
     configuration.

     You must specify at least one action to take.  More than one of
     the "collect", "stage", "store" or "purge" actions and/or
     extended actions may be specified in any arbitrary order; they
     will be executed in a sensible order.  The "all", "rebuild",
     "validate", and "initialize" actions may not be combined with
     other actions.

Note that the all action only executes the standard four actions. It never executes any of the configured extensions. [18]

### Switches

`-h`, `--help`

  Display usage/help listing.

`-V`, `--version`

  Display version information.

`-b`, `--verbose`

  Print verbose output to the screen as well writing to the logfile. When this option is enabled, most information that would normally be written to the logfile will also be written to the screen.

`-q`, `--quiet`

  Run quietly (display no output to the screen).

`-c`, `--config`

  Specify the path to an alternate configuration file. The default configuration file is `/etc/cback.conf`.

`-f`, `--full`

  Perform a full backup, regardless of configuration. For the collect action, this means that any existing information related to incremental backups will be ignored and rewritten; for the store action, this means that a new disc will be started.

`-M`, `--managed`

  Include managed clients when executing actions. If the action being executed is listed as a managed action for a managed client, execute the action on that client after executing the action locally.

`-N`, `--managed-only`

  Include only managed clients when executing actions. If the action being executed is listed as a managed action for a managed client, execute the action on that client — but do not execute the action locally.

`-l`, `--logfile`

  Specify the path to an alternate logfile. The default logfile file is `/var/log/cback.log`.

`-o`, `--owner`

  Specify the ownership of the logfile, in the form `user:group`. The default ownership is `root:adm`, to match the Debian standard for most logfiles. This value will only be used when creating a new logfile. If the logfile already exists when the cback command is executed, it will retain its existing ownership and mode. Only user and group names may be used, not numeric uid and gid values.

`-m`, `--mode`

  Specify the permissions for the logfile, using the numeric mode as in chmod(1). The default mode is `0640` (`-rw-r-----`). This value will only be used when creating a new logfile. If the logfile already exists when the cback command is executed, it will retain its existing ownership and mode.

`-O`, `--output`

  Record some sub-command output to the logfile. When this option is enabled, all output from system commands will be logged. This might be useful for debugging or just for reference.

`-d`, `--debug`

  Write debugging information to the logfile. This option produces a high volume of output, and would generally only be needed when debugging a problem. This option implies the `--output` option, as well.

`-s`, `--stack`

  Dump a Python stack trace instead of swallowing exceptions. This forces Cedar Backup to dump the entire Python stack trace associated with an error, rather than just propagating last message it received back up to the user interface. Under some circumstances, this is useful information to include along with a bug report.

`-D`, `--diagnostics`

  Display runtime diagnostic information and then exit. This diagnostic information is often useful when filing a bug report.

### Actions

You can find more information about the various actions in the section called “The Backup Process” (in Chapter 2, Basic Concepts). In general, you may specify any combination of the `collect`, `stage`, `store` or `purge` actions, and the specified actions will be executed in a sensible order. Or, you can specify one of the `all`, `rebuild`, `validate`, or `initialize` actions (but these actions may not be combined with other actions).

If you have configured any Cedar Backup extensions, then the actions associated with those extensions may also be specified on the command line. If you specify any other actions along with an extended action, the actions will be executed in a sensible order per configuration. The `all` action never executes extended actions, however.

[18] Some users find this surprising, because extensions are configured with sequence numbers. I did it this way because I felt that running extensions as part of the all action would sometimes result in “surprising” behavior. Better to be definitive than confusing.

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