BACKUPMON BACKUPMON v1.5.10 -Mar 1, 2024- Backup/Restore your Router: JFFS + NVRAM + External USB Drive! (**Thread closed due to age**)

[Viktor Jaep]

I have been on Merline firmware for 5 years now and never have backup my setting. Your addon was just what I was looking for. I came across this error. How I find the error log?

Can you send me a screenshot of your configuration settings please? Do you have an External USB drive plugged in? What happens when you go through the steps for item #1 in the config menu (Source EXT USB Drive Mount Point)?

 

[SomeWhereOverTheRainBow]

I have been on Merline firmware for 5 years now and never have backup my setting. Your addon was just what I was looking for. I came across this error. How I find the error log?

You've come to the right place.... @Viktor Jaep is big on sharing that Merlin experience. You don't quite get the Merlin experience without trying out some of these addons. I didn't think backups were important until I experienced how useful it can be. Now I use backupmon for all my Merlin backup needs.

 

[minhgi]

Can you send me a screenshot of your configuration settings please? Do you have an External USB drive plugged in? What happens when you go through the steps for item #1 in the config menu (Source EXT USB Drive Mount Point)?

Here is the config. I have only usb 3 flash drive. I did not touch with usb setting think it auto config with the correct usb drive.

 

[minhgi]

You've come to the right place.... @Viktor Jaep is big on sharing that Merlin experience. You don't quite get the Merlin experience without trying out some of these addons. I didn't think backups were important until I experienced how useful it can be. Now I use backupmon for all my Merlin backup needs.

Everybody in this forum is friendly and helpful. My go to source for anything regarding asus router. Thank.

 

[Viktor Jaep]

Here is the config. I have only usb 3 flash drive. I did not touch with usb setting think it auto config with the correct usb drive.

I have a feeling it might be using some default name... try hitting the "1" option under the config, and let it choose the correct name... then save your settings.

 

[Ripshod]

Here is the config. I have only usb 3 flash drive. I did not touch with usb setting think it auto config with the correct usb drive.

Item #7 in the settings look like the default setting. Are you sure this is correct for your server?

 

[minhgi]

Yeah.....When I thought about it, I did not run through the setting. But the default setting looks correct, so I didn't go each step. It's oversight. Will report back if I could get it running or not.

 

[Ripshod]

Yeah.....When I thought about it, I did not run through the setting. But the default setting looks correct, so I didn't go each step. It's oversight. Will report back if I could get it running or not.

You also need to check if #5 is correct. Normally a share on a (Linux) samba server would not use capital letters in the share name (IIRC)

 

[Viktor Jaep]

Yeah.....When I thought about it, I did not run through the setting. But the default setting looks correct, so I didn't go each step. It's oversight. Will report back if I could get it running or not.

You definitely need to step through these one by one... many of these are just sample default entries to show correct syntax. Once you go into each item, it will explain what it needs so that you pick what is right for your particular environment.

 

[js28194]

I apologize if this has been asked... search for "labels" returns over 5 pages of results, which is super hard to navigate.

Reading through restore restore instructions.txt it states: "2.) Run "AMTM" and format a new USB drive on your router - label it exactly the same name as before (see above)! Reboot."

Looking above it states:

RESTORE INSTRUCTIONS

IMPORTANT:
Asus Router Model: GT-AX11000
Firmware/Build Number: 3004.388.6_2
EXT USB Drive Label Name: NOTFOUND

However SSH into router and run blkid, it states:

admin@GT-AX11000-25C0:/tmp/home/root# blkid
/dev/sda1: LABEL="entware" UUID="d143e504-332f-419d-acb2-3dcdfbef8f85"

What to belive? backupmon 1.5.9 and no update avalible if there is one, so assuming latest version.
I am not restoring yet, just reading at the moment (at least reading something)

 

[Viktor Jaep]

I apologize if this has been asked... search for "labels" returns over 5 pages of results, which is super hard to navigate.

Reading through restore restore instructions.txt it states: "2.) Run "AMTM" and format a new USB drive on your router - label it exactly the same name as before (see above)! Reboot."

Looking above it states:

RESTORE INSTRUCTIONS

IMPORTANT:
Asus Router Model: GT-AX11000
Firmware/Build Number: 3004.388.6_2
EXT USB Drive Label Name: NOTFOUND

However SSH into router and run blkid, it states:

admin@GT-AX11000-25C0:/tmp/home/root# blkid
/dev/sda1: LABEL="entware" UUID="d143e504-332f-419d-acb2-3dcdfbef8f85"

What to belive? backupmon 1.5.9 and no update avalible if there is one, so assuming latest version.
I am not restoring yet, just reading at the moment (at least reading something)

Has everything been backing up OK? What happens when you go through the configuration steps, and select option 1 (Source EXT USB Drive Mount Point)? Does it show a valid USB drive mount point? Can you share a screenshot of your configuration settings?

Your USB Label would be marked as "NOTFOUND" if a drive label was not able to be detected and the product name is null. If both of those are true, then there's a pretty good chance no USB drive is plugged in. When it's "NOTFOUND", it will not back up the contents of your EXT USB drive. So when you look at your backup folders, it will only contain a copy of your JFFS and router .CFG file.

Can you run these 2 statements and let me know what info returns?

nvram get usb_path1_product
nvram get usb_path_sda1_label

 

[Martinski]

Your USB Label would be marked as "NOTFOUND" if a drive label was not able to be detected and the product name is null. If both of those are true, then there's a pretty good chance no USB drive is plugged in. When it's "NOTFOUND", it will not back up the contents of your EXT USB drive. ...

I just had an idea to improve the detection of the "volume labels" for mounted USB drive partitions.
Give me about 10 minutes & I'll submit a PR.

UPDATE:
GitHub PR #21 has been submitted to 'develop' branch.

 

[Viktor Jaep]

I just had an idea to improve the detection of the "volume labels" for mounted USB drive partitions.
Give me about 10 minutes & I'll submit a PR.

UPDATE:
GitHub PR #21 has been submitted to 'develop' branch.

Thanks much, @Martinski! Working perfectly for me... I really appreciate it! Will get this published tomorrow -- also very curious to see what @js28194 comes back with.

 

[SomeWhereOverTheRainBow]

Thanks much, @Martinski! Working perfectly for me... I really appreciate it! Will get this published tomorrow -- also very curious to see what @js28194 comes back with.

By the time you and @Martinski have worked out all the kinks, this script will be more hardened then a genzu. Nice work.

 

[Viktor Jaep]

By the time you and @Martinski have worked out all the kinks, this script will be more hardened then a genzu. Nice work.

I was gonna say "banshee"... but "genzu" works! Lol

 

[js28194]

Has everything been backing up OK? What happens when you go through the configuration steps, and select option 1 (Source EXT USB Drive Mount Point)? Does it show a valid USB drive mount point? Can you share a screenshot of your configuration settings?

Your USB Label would be marked as "NOTFOUND" if a drive label was not able to be detected and the product name is null. If both of those are true, then there's a pretty good chance no USB drive is plugged in. When it's "NOTFOUND", it will not back up the contents of your EXT USB drive. So when you look at your backup folders, it will only contain a copy of your JFFS and router .CFG file.

Can you run these 2 statements and let me know what info returns?

nvram get usb_path1_product
nvram get usb_path_sda1_label

Backups have been running fine I think. I was just reading the documents on restore procedure and noticed this. I honestly don't fully understand what is going on. My Friday (this morning) backup contains alot less then my Wednesday backup. P.S Yes I know the directory name is not correct... I will change that at somepoint but that has no bearing on the actual backup.

 

[js28194]

Also, it did skip on Thursday.... I suspect something to do with Leap Year? Coincidence?

Yeah, my Tuesday and Wednesday directory have the same count of files including entware file and multiple jffs, it skipped Thursday and Friday is alot less.

 

[Viktor Jaep]

View attachment 56882

Backups have been running fine I think. I was just reading the documents on restore procedure and noticed this. I honestly don't fully understand what is going on. My Friday (this morning) backup contains alot less then my Wednesday backup. P.S Yes I know the directory name is not correct... I will change that at somepoint but that has no bearing on the actual backup.

They don't look fine to me! All directories should have the same number of files... it's missing multiple days of the week... there's something going on. Is everything OK with your router? Is it staying up? Are you seeing any weird errors in the syslog, or in the BACKUPMON log?

Alright... First off... I'm not understanding why that first NVRAM statement isn't returning anything. What kind of External USB drive are you using? Can you share the make/model/size/etc? Could you also please run this statement, and share the output?

nvram show | grep usb_path

View attachment 56883

This wednesday folder only has 1 copy of your "entware" external USB drive... and that was back from 10/25/2023! That is definitely not right... There should be a matching copy of that backup along with matching NVRAM, JFFS and the routerfw.txt files...

View attachment 56884

Your Friday folder doesn't have a copy of your External USB drive backup either... it should be like an "entware-###...tar.gz" file.

View attachment 56885

When you select the 1 option, does it automatically pick your /tmp/mnt/entware mount point?

Also, it did skip on Thursday.... I suspect something to do with Leap Year? Coincidence?

It doesn't care about leap years... it will back up every day of the week no matter what...

View attachment 56886

Yeah, my Tuesday and Wednesday directory have the same count of files including entware file and multiple jffs, it skipped Thursday and Friday is alot less.

Missing multiple days of the week here... something is definitely off. I would definitely be worried about whether or not BACKUPMON is kicking off automatically at the set time (5:30am every day), and figure out why it's not running on Mon, Thu, Sat and Sun...

I'm publishing a new version of BACKUPMON in a few minutes... please try upgrading to that, and try kicking off a backup, let's take a look at some of your results from your NVRAM command, and please share some of your backupmon logs after running a manual backup from the setup + operations menu, OK?

@js28194 ... this thread is now closed because it hit its 6mo mark... please respond here when you get a chance. I look forward to analyzing your results from that nvram show statement above...

 

[Viktor Jaep]

New BACKUPMON v1.5.10 with some changes courtesy of @Martinski when it comes to EXT USB drive label detection! Thank you!

What's new?
v1.5.10 - (March 1, 2024)
- PATCH: @Martinski came up with some new ideas on best ways to capture the EXT USB drive label. Many thanks to him for bringing this change to BACKUPMON, and hope this helps solve some of the issues that some are facing when it comes to drive label detection.

Download link (or update directly from AMTM/BACKUPMON):

curl --retry 3 "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ViktorJp/BACKUPMON/master/backupmon.sh" -o "/jffs/scripts/backupmon.sh" && chmod 755 "/jffs/scripts/backupmon.sh"

 

[monkitrainer]

I updated the script to 1.5.10 and started seeing this kernel log whenever I open the backupmon config menu:

RT-AX88U-4533 kernel: ubi0 error: ubi_open_volume: cannot open device 0, volume 0, error -16

and found that the new blkidLabels statement (line 1759) is the culprit. It's returning the USB drive label correctly so probably okay to ignore though.

@Viktor Jaep did you notice anything during PR?

xxx@RT-AX88U-4533:/tmp/home/root# blkid
/dev/sda1: LABEL="MERLIN-SSD" UUID="662fe021-75bf-fds1-8ebc-6dec1f4ddedf"
xxx@RT-AX88U-4533:/tmp/home/root# blkid | grep "^/dev/sd.*: LABEL=" | sort -dt ':' -k 1 | awk -F
' ' '{print $2}' | awk -F '"' '{print $2}'
MERLIN-SSD