[rdiff-backup-users] Trouble restoring, files created then deleted?

[Jeff Lessem]

I'm trying to restore some backups created a long time ago, with an old
version of rdiff-backup, and I am getting a strange error.  Files are
created, then deleted, and then rdiff-backup complains that the file
doesn't exist.  This backup is from July 31, 2002.  The backup was
probably created with whatever rdiff-backup release was current at that
time.

I see the problem with rdiff-backup 0.13.4 from Debian, and I get the
same error with rdiff-backup 1.0.1 with Python 2.3 and 2.4.

It seems to be happening (or, this is my current theory) with files that
did not exist at the time of the original backup, but were later added
to the archive.  The first file here is dated December, 2002, so it
wouldn't have existed in the original July, 2002 archive, but only added
later.

Any advice on what to do?  Should I roll back to an old version of
rdiff-backup to do these restores?

I'm happy to provide any additional information.

This is the relevant part of the traceback:

Thu Sep 22 17:50:47 2005  Processing changed file 
5229_HomewoConsultancy_OU_25-Nov-02(final)2.doc
Thu Sep 22 17:50:47 2005  Regular copying 
('5229_HomewoConsultancy_OU_25-Nov-02(final)2.doc',) to home/rdiff-backup.tmp.13
Thu Sep 22 17:50:47 2005  Renaming home/rdiff-backup.tmp.13 to 
home/5229_HomewoConsultancy_OU_25-Nov-02(final)2.doc
Thu Sep 22 17:50:47 2005  Deleting 
home/5229_HomewoConsultancy_OU_25-Nov-02(final)2.doc
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/local/bin/rdiff-backup", line 23, in ?
    rdiff_backup.Main.Main(sys.argv[1:])
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.4/site-packages/rdiff_backup/Main.py", line 283, 
in Main
    take_action(rps)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.4/site-packages/rdiff_backup/Main.py", line 263, 
in take_action
    elif action == "restore-as-of": Restore(rps[0], rps[1], 1)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.4/site-packages/rdiff_backup/Main.py", line 496, 
in Restore
    inc_rpath, dest_rp, time)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.4/site-packages/rdiff_backup/restore.py", line 
45, in Restore
    TargetS.patch(target, diff_iter)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.4/site-packages/rdiff_backup/restore.py", line 
317, in patch
    ITR(diff.index, diff)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.4/site-packages/rdiff_backup/rorpiter.py", line 
285, in __call__
    last_branch.fast_process(*args)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.4/site-packages/rdiff_backup/restore.py", line 
634, in fast_process
    rpath.rename(tf, rp)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.4/site-packages/rdiff_backup/rpath.py", line 
220, in rename
    if not rp_source.lstat(): rp_dest.delete()
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.4/site-packages/rdiff_backup/rpath.py", line 
879, in delete
    else: self.conn.os.unlink(self.path)
OSError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: 
'home/5229_HomewoConsultancy_OU_25-Nov-02(final)2.doc'

Here is another traceback:

Thu Sep 22 17:56:29 2005  Processing changed file addhealth
Thu Sep 22 17:56:29 2005  Regular copying ('addhealth',) to 
home/rdiff-backup.tmp.1
Thu Sep 22 17:56:29 2005  Renaming home/rdiff-backup.tmp.1 to home/addhealth
Thu Sep 22 17:56:29 2005  Deleting home/addhealth
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/local/bin/rdiff-backup", line 23, in ?
    rdiff_backup.Main.Main(sys.argv[1:])
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.4/site-packages/rdiff_backup/Main.py", line 283, 
in Main
    take_action(rps)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.4/site-packages/rdiff_backup/Main.py", line 263, 
in take_action
    elif action == "restore-as-of": Restore(rps[0], rps[1], 1)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.4/site-packages/rdiff_backup/Main.py", line 496, 
in Restore
    inc_rpath, dest_rp, time)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.4/site-packages/rdiff_backup/restore.py", line 
45, in Restore
    TargetS.patch(target, diff_iter)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.4/site-packages/rdiff_backup/restore.py", line 
317, in patch
    ITR(diff.index, diff)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.4/site-packages/rdiff_backup/rorpiter.py", line 
285, in __call__
    last_branch.fast_process(*args)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.4/site-packages/rdiff_backup/restore.py", line 
634, in fast_process
    rpath.rename(tf, rp)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.4/site-packages/rdiff_backup/rpath.py", line 
220, in rename
    if not rp_source.lstat(): rp_dest.delete()
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.4/site-packages/rdiff_backup/rpath.py", line 
879, in delete
    else: self.conn.os.unlink(self.path)
OSError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: 'home/addhealth'