Re: [rdiff-backup-users] The rdiff-backup poll!

[dean gaudet]

On Wed, 21 Dec 2005, Chris Wilson wrote:

> Hi Ben,
> 
> > I actually consider this a feature.  Since rdiff-backup only makes one
> > pass, it saves time making an extra pass through the directory tree.
> > Also, it doesn't need to fit the entire directory list in memory at
> > the same time (this is a common complaint against rsync).  Finally, it
> > doesn't need to worry about the various ways that the first pass can
> > differ from the second pass if the directory is changed.
> > 
> > You could have your program make a preliminary pass just to count the
> > number of files in the source directory, but I don't think
> > rdiff-backup needs to do this as a matter of course.
> 
> I'd probably do that then, as long as I can handle rdiff-backup's exclude
> lists and get the same results as it does. I don't need to hold the whole file
> list in memory, just the total file and byte counts.

that's a lot of overhead just to pretty print some percentage progress 
meter...

not to mention that the rdiff algorithm pretty much guarantees any 
estimate you make is going to be way off in many cases because you don't 
know which files will need to be transferred in full and which won't...

good luck :)

-dean