How to log the output from an rsync backup which runs from a script using crontab?

I would like to log all the output that is generated by rsync; the output that I see when I run the script myself in terminal. I would prefer this logging to occur from within my script.

Here is my backup script, it works fine. BackupPC.sh:

#!/bin/bash
#current date and time to be used as filename
CDT=`date +%d-%b-%Y-%H-%M`
echo "[START] $(date)" >> /home/pi/logs/${CDT}.txt
rsync "-avXP" "bassam@192.168.1.2:/home/bassam/Desktop" "/media/hitachi/backup"
echo "[END] $(date)" >> /home/pi/logs/${CDT}.txt

Here is my crontab entry:

0 2 * * * ~/scripts/BackupPC.sh >/dev/null 2>&1

1 Answer

Bassam:

The rsync command has the --log-file option. In the manual entry:

$ -> man -P cat rsync | grep 'log-file=FILE' --log-file=FILE log what we're doing to the specified FILE

Then, if I wanna move the file from source/Example to destination and dump the result in the result file, e,g:

rsync -avz source/Example destination/ --log-file=result

The result is:

)$ -> cat result
2020/06/11 22:09:04 [13891] building file list
2020/06/11 22:09:04 [13891] >f+++++++++ Example
2020/06/11 22:09:04 [13891] sent 101 bytes received 35 bytes 272.00 bytes/sec
2020/06/11 22:09:04 [13891] total size is 0 speedup is 0.00

Or you can use "--log-file=filename -q" It has more information:

cat result
2020/06/11 22:20:47 [16240] building file list
2020/06/11 22:20:47 [16240] [sender] make_file(Example,*,0)
2020/06/11 22:20:47 [16240] send_file_list done
2020/06/11 22:20:47 [16240] send_files starting
2020/06/11 22:20:47 [16240] send_files phase=1
2020/06/11 22:20:47 [16240] send_files phase=2
2020/06/11 22:20:47 [16240] send files finished
2020/06/11 22:20:47 [16240] total: matches=0 hash_hits=0 false_alarms=0 data=0
2020/06/11 22:20:47 [16240] sent 61 bytes received 12 bytes 146.00 bytes/sec
2020/06/11 22:20:47 [16240] total size is 0 speedup is 0.00
2020/06/11 22:20:47 [16240] [sender] _exit_cleanup(code=0, file=main.c, line=1196): about to call exit(0)

Edit:

This could also be helpful: Is it possible to make rsync make a log-file on a remote system?

You have another information that can be helpful in your log file:

$ -> rsync --info=help
Use OPT or OPT1 for level 1 output, OPT2 for level 2, etc.; OPT0 silences.
BACKUP Mention files backed up
COPY Mention files copied locally on the receiving side
DEL Mention deletions on the receiving side
FLIST Mention file-list receiving/sending (levels 1-2)
MISC Mention miscellaneous information (levels 1-2)
MOUNT Mention mounts that were found or skipped
NAME Mention 1) updated file/dir names, 2) unchanged names
PROGRESS Mention 1) per-file progress or 2) total transfer progress
REMOVE Mention files removed on the sending side
SKIP Mention files that are skipped due to options used
STATS Mention statistics at end of run (levels 1-3)
SYMSAFE Mention symlinks that are unsafe
ALL Set all --info options (e.g. all4)
NONE Silence all --info options (same as all0)
HELP Output this help message
Options added for each increase in verbose level:
1) COPY,DEL,FLIST,MISC,NAME,STATS,SYMSAFE
2) BACKUP,MISC2,MOUNT,NAME2,REMOVE,SKIP