Help with output redirect please.

I have loaded my Rock64 with LibreElec, and I am also using it as my Samba server.

I want to run a sync between the two USB hard drives I have attached to maintain a backup of my media.

I can't seem to get the command quite right. I want to copy the data, and redirect the output to a text file so I can see what it is doing later on.

I do want it to overwrite the old log file.

This is the command I am trying to use:

rsync -rav --modify-window=300 --homan-readable --progress  --stats --force --delete /var/media/8TB_WD/ /var/media/8TB_WD2/ |& tee /var/media/8TB_WD2/synclog.txt 

-sh: syntax error: unexpected "&"

I have also tried > but I get no log file output at all.

rsync -rav --modify-window=300 --homan-readable --progress  --stats --force --delete /var/media/8TB_WD/ /var/media/8TB_WD2/ > /var/media/8TB_WD2/synclog.txt 

If I cut off the redirect, it outputs to bash exactly what I would expect, but I can't get it to output to a log file.

Works with output to bash ->

rsync -rav --modify-window=300 --homan-readable --progress  --stats --force --delete /var/media/8TB_WD/ /var/media/8TB_WD2/

Can someone make a suggestion. I am probably missing something crazy simple, but just can't see it.

PS for some reason the word hu.man is censored here. Please replace the homan with hu.man when reading my code above.

It would be nice to get the output in the terminal and the log file, but I can live with not having it in the terminal.

Thanks for the suggestion, but no luck. The rsync starts, but there is no log file.

I am using almost identical code on my dd-wrt router, and it works there as expected.

DD-WRT:
rsync -rav --modify-window=300 --hu.man-readable --progress  --stats --force --delete /tmp/mnt/8TB_USB/ /tmp/mnt/5TB_Seagate_USB/ > /tmp/mnt/8TB_USB/rsync_Status.txt

Just tried both suggestions, and there was no log file created.

Suggestion #1

rsync -rav --modify-window=300 --hu.man-readable --progress --log-file=/var/media/8TB_WD2/synclog.txt --force --delete /var/media/8TB_WD/ /var/media/8TB_WD2/ &>/dev/null

Suggestion #2

rsync -rav --modify-window=300 --hu.man-readable --progress --force --delete /var/media/8TB_WD/ /var/media/8TB_WD2/ 2>&1 | tee /var/media/8TB_WD2/synclog.txt

Terminal output:

^CLibreELEC:/var/media/8TB_WD2/Media/Movies # rsync -rav --modify-window=300 --hu.man-readable --progress --force --delete /var/media/8TB_WD/ /var/media/8TB_WD2/ 2>&1 | tee /var/media/8TB_WD2/synclog.txt

sending incremental file list
deleting synclog.txt
./
Media/Epsoides/Hogans Heroes/Hogans.Heroes.S1.DVDRip/
Media/Epsoides/Hogans Heroes/Hogans.Heroes.S1.DVDRip/Hogans.Heroes.1x32.dvdrip.xvid-BBBear_TMindTV.avi
        314.32M 100%   50.49MB/s    0:00:05 (xfr#1, ir-chk=1013/63529)

Second SSH to check for log file:

LibreELEC (Raybuntu): rb-leia20 (ROCK64.arm)
LibreELEC:~ # ls
backup       music        pictures     tvshows
lost+found   nohup.out    screenshots  videos
LibreELEC:~ # cd ..
LibreELEC:/ # ls
bin      etc      lib      proc     sbin     sys      usr
dev      flash    media    run      storage  tmp      var
LibreELEC:/ # cd media/
LibreELEC:/var/media # ls
8TB_WD   8TB_WD2
LibreELEC:/var/media # cd 8TB_WD2
LibreELEC:/var/media/8TB_WD2 # ls
Apps                       Other
Bios                       PhoneStuff
Documents                  Pics
Drivers                    System Volume Information
ISOs                       gamez
Kodi                       tomato_137_7_14_16.cfg
Media
LibreELEC:/var/media/8TB_WD2 #

No log file here :(

Am I missing something, or is the system not working right?

I feel like an idiot. I can't see any reason why all of these would fail to generate some kind of output file.

I did just notice a .fuse_hidden0000f49000000005 file being created when I kick off these commands.

I am assuming that is a temp file for rsync, but it is the only thing at the root of that drive which is new.

It also vanishes when I kill the rsync command.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Maybe I need to get out my voodoo chicken bones and grass skirt...

Could be running low on magic smoke.

Quote from subzero79

I didn’t test to output the log to the destination disk maybe is getting deleted at the end. Try another location maybe /storage for the log file

I redirected the log to storage, and it worked. A gold star to you.

rsync -rav --modify-window=300 --hu.man-readable --progress --log-file=/storage/backup/synclog.txt --force --delete /var/media/8TB_WD/ /var/media/8TB_WD2/ &>/dev/null

LibreELEC:~/backup # ls
synclog.txt

Now the question is why can't I write to my external HD as root? That is just all kinds of special.

nickr

Can you tell me why hum.an is a censored word? I have to admit I am curious.

Is this place ran by aliens, or powered by the screams of children? That would make sense.

Quote from nickr

No I don't know, I was going to correct you on your options, but it wouldn't let me, and I realised that your post was deliberately misspelled.

I'll see if someone higher up the foad chain can help with that.

PS apparently f o o d is banned too.

It must be aliens. They don't want the secret getting out. Homans are f00d!

Resolved.

I am not sure how, but I can redirect to my external hd now.

The command is the same as the one I first tried.

rsync -rav --modify-window=300 --homan-readable --progress  --stats --force --delete /var/media/8TB_WD/ /var/media/8TB_WD2/ > /var/media/8TB_WD2/synclog.txt

I guess I was not biting my tongue just right.

Now to stick it in cron and see if it plays nice there...