Scripted Resilio Sync Installation

Scripted Resilio Sync Installation

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Jan 4, 2014
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Basil Hendroff submitted a new resource:

Scripted Resilio Sync Installation - Script to install Resilio Sync for selective backups

Resilio Sync has disappeared from the FreeNAS Plugins Collection. Curiously, while Resilio Sync can still be compiled from a FreeBSD port, due to licensing restrictions, a pre-built binary package of the port is no longer available, so pkg install rslsync returns nothing from the FreeBSD package mirrors.

This scripted installation of Resilio Sync will create a jail, install the latest version of Resilio Sync, and store its configuration and backed-up data outside the jail...

Read more about this resource...
 
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Jul 10, 2016
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521
No interest in bringing the iocage-plugin back from the dead?
 
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No interest in bringing the iocage-plugin back from the dead?
Now, you're pushing your luck. Maybe as the author of the resource Create an unofficial iocage plugin, you might like to pick up the mantle :wink:.

I've found plugins quite inflexible in the past and have migrated away from using them. If I recall correctly, there were several limitations of using the Resilio Sync plugin when it was around:
  1. While client data could be stored outside the plugin jail, client metadata was stored within the jail. With only a few clients, this isn't such a big issue, but if you had a lot of clients and had to rebuild the plugin jail, it meant all those client connections had to be set up again. This was laborious for anything more than a few connections.
  2. Plugin jails aren't designed to be tampered with, so tweaks to the rslsync plugin jail were overwritten when the plugin was updated.
  3. The rslsync plugin was updated infrequently, as the package repository is set by default to quarterly. I recall there was an issue with syncing files larger than 4GB in v2.6.3. The workaround at the time was to revert to v2.6.1. The issue was finally resolved when 2.7.0 was released (we're currently at v2.7.2). Using the rslsync plugin made it cumbersome to deal with these issues.
This scripted version addresses these limitations.

When I have some time, I'd like to add in a check for, and automatically update to, newer versions of rslsync. At this stage, if a new version becomes available, it's easy enough to destroy the jail and run the script again to acquire the new version. This action does not affect existing client metadata and backup data.
 
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Yeah, the iocage-based plugin system doesn't seem to be getting much love in the forums.

I'm curious to hear from people with scripting skills what they like (or not like) about them, so thank you for your response!

A lot of headaches can indeed be avoided by mounting an outside dataset in your jail to keep the configuration and data separate from the application. The iocage-plugins have pre- and post_update scripts available to control what happens when one updates the plugin. As the plugin-developer you also control the package-repo; most all the plugins in the community-repo are using "latest".

IMHO, there are still some features missing to make plugins a killer-app, e.g.
 

Michael Sparks

Explorer
Joined
Apr 23, 2014
Messages
56
Thank you for this, I have been unable to backup my photos since this plugin went down without a way to reinstall.
 
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Thank you for this, I have been unable to backup my photos since this plugin went down without a way to reinstall.
You're welcome, Michael.

If you're a happy snapper like me and use your iOS or Android smartphone for taking photos, alternatives to Resilio Sync include the Camera Upload feature in the Plex smartphone app, and the InstantUpload feature in the Nextcloud app. However, compared to Resilio Sync, these have heavyweight server-side backends. Of the three, Resilio Sync is my personal favourite for photo backup. It's simple to use and robust. The others also have some unresolved issues on the client-side for media backup or viewing, which marginally diminishes their usefulness. I've tabled these below for general interest. While viewing is not a backup requirement, I've included it in the table as well because it's not immediately obvious how photos are accessed outside of the Plex and Nextcloud ecosystems.

Smartphone app for photo backupCurrent Backup IssuesCurrent Viewing IssuesAndroid app availableiOS app available
Nextcloud's InstantUpload feature
None I've personally experienced.​
Inconsistent image behaviour across platforms
Yes​
Yes​
Plex Camera Upload feature[BUG] Plex Android mobile beta - Camera Upload issue[BUG] Plex Photos Android TV beta - Video Orientation Issue
Yes
Yes
Resilio Sync
None I've personally experienced.​
Not applicable​
Yes​
Yes​
Syncthing
?​
Not applicable​
Yes​
No​

Note: Syncthing is a viable alternative to Resilio Sync. However, there isn't an iOS app for it, which can be a problem if any family member prefers using an iPhone (as is the case with my family). There may be other backup tools as well, but, apart from Syncthing, the ones listed are the ones I've personally used and am therefore familiar with.
 
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IMHO, there are still some features missing to make plugins a killer-app the plugin developer
Thank you, Jurgen, for your insight and balanced viewpoints on the world of plugins. What I do miss about plugins is the ability to access the application through the plugin. With jails, I need to enter the jail's IP address and advertised application port in a browser to do the same.

Just to add to the discussion, missing features are just one side of the coin. On the flip side, I have to say that it isn't obvious to the casual user how to contact the plugin developer to report issues, suggest improvements, or seek advice. Compare this, for instance, with the scripted resources that @danb35 has made available for community use. There is a discussion area associated with each resource where community members can contact him directly for advice, or to seek advice from, or share experiences with, other users of the resource.

Yes, I'm aware that there is a plugin sub-forum, but it doesn't appear to marry up nicely with the plugins that are currently available in the Community and IXsystems plugin collections. It's also not altogether clear, when you look at the collections, who the plugin developers are, or how to get in touch with them. I just had a look at the current set of plugins and noticed some new plugins that I had not seen before. There's no fanfare when a new plugin is made available. The perception I still have. whether it's true or not, is that plugin developers are 'invisible' and operate at arm's length to the forum. Better marketing to raise awareness of plugins and dispel these sorts of perceptions, I believe, is what is also required for the iocage-based plugin system to become truly successful.

One way to address this might be for plugin developers to make themselves available and their plugin known through the Resources area of the forum. 'Hi! I'm John Smith. I've got a great new plugin for you. This is what it does. Contact me through the discussion area for this plugin for support and discussion.'

* This is an opinion piece. In no way does it reflect the general views of the community on plugins. Apologies for the rant.
 
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There's no fanfare when a new plugin is made available. The perception I still have. whether it's true or not, is that plugin developers are 'invisible' and operate at arm's length to the forum. Better marketing to raise awareness of plugins and dispel these sorts of perceptions, I believe, is what is also required for the iocage-based plugin system to become truly successful.

The one--forum-thread-to-track-all-issues approach is indeed very convenient and an introductory post/resource is a great idea. I know @tprelog has a resource for various Home Automation plugins.

Plugins are visible to all FreeNAS users though, and not all users are on this forum. The same goes for the developers. Issues with plugins are reported accross GitHub, JIRA and the forum. It doesn't help that the Github, JIRA and forum accounts may not match, so I can agree that there's some mystery on where to reach out for help. :smile:
 
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Last edited:

semson

Cadet
Joined
Nov 12, 2020
Messages
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I'm installing on TrueNAS-12.0-STABLE but failed. Is it not compatible with 12.0 stable?
root@truenas[/tmp/freenas-iocage-rslsync]# ./rslsync-jail.sh JAIL_INTERFACES not set, defaulting to: vnet0:bridge0 POOL_PATH defaulting to /mnt/tank 12.2-RC3 was not found! Failed to create jail
 

Alecmascot

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I'm installing on TrueNAS-12.0-STABLE but failed. Is it not compatible with 12.0 stable?
Thanks for reporting this. TN12 is reporting the FreeBSD version differently to FN11.3. I've made a minor script change to address the issue. This should be fixed now.
 
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semson

Cadet
Joined
Nov 12, 2020
Messages
7
Thanks for reporting this. TN12 is reporting the FreeBSD version differently to FN11.3. I've made a minor script change to address the issue. This should be fixed now.
Thank you very much for the efficiency! confirming it is working now :)
 

nikinp

Contributor
Joined
Sep 7, 2014
Messages
116
You're welcome, Michael.

If you're a happy snapper like me and use your iOS or Android smartphone for taking photos, alternatives to Resilio Sync include the Camera Upload feature in the Plex smartphone app, and the InstantUpload feature in the Nextcloud app. However, compared to Resilio Sync, these have heavyweight server-side backends. Of the three, Resilio Sync is my personal favourite for photo backup. It's simple to use and robust. The others also have some unresolved issues on the client-side for media backup or viewing, which marginally diminishes their usefulness. I've tabled these below for general interest. While viewing is not a backup requirement, I've included it in the table as well because it's not immediately obvious how photos are accessed outside of the Plex and Nextcloud ecosystems.

Smartphone app for photo backupCurrent Backup IssuesCurrent Viewing IssuesAndroid app availableiOS app available
Nextcloud's InstantUpload feature
None I've personally experienced.​
Inconsistent image behaviour across platforms
Yes​
Yes​
Plex Camera Upload feature[BUG] Plex Android mobile beta - Camera Upload issue[BUG] Plex Photos Android TV beta - Video Orientation Issue
Yes​
Yes​
Resilio Sync
None I've personally experienced.​
Not applicable​
Yes​
Yes​
Syncthing
?​
Not applicable​
Yes​
No​

Note: Syncthing is a viable alternative to Resilio Sync. However, there isn't an iOS app for it, which can be a problem if any family member prefers using an iPhone (as is the case with my family). There may be other backup tools as well, but, apart from Syncthing, the ones listed are the ones I've personally used and am therefore familiar with.
HI Basil
Thanks for directing me to this thread. I read that Nexcloud has launched support for Livephotos backup and restore. Do you know if Resilio Sync supports this too?
 
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cap

Contributor
Joined
Mar 17, 2016
Messages
122
If you're a happy snapper like me and use your iOS or Android smartphone for taking photos, alternatives to Resilio Sync include the Camera Upload feature in the Plex smartphone app, and the InstantUpload feature in the Nextcloud app. However, compared to Resilio Sync, these have heavyweight server-side backends.
You could take a look at Mylio. This is a complete DAM with synchronization. Currently you could create a Vault on TrueNAS. In the future there might be a server version (see forum).
Unfortunately, if the free option isn't enough, it gets expensive.


Note: Syncthing is a viable alternative to Resilio Sync. However, there isn't an iOS app for it, which can be a problem if any family member prefers using an iPhone (as is the case with my family). There may be other backup tools as well, but, apart from Syncthing, the ones listed are the ones I've personally used and am therefore familiar with.
As far as I know Syncthing cannot synchronize Xattrs.
 
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This is a complete DAM with synchronization.
Before you mentioned it, I'd not heard the term DAM (Digital Asset Management) before. I'm guessing photo gallery software like Google Photos is a subset of DAM. I did a search for free DAM software and happened upon this article 8 Best Free and Open Source Digital Asset Management Software. Phraseanet and Pimcore caught my attention as they're both open source and have free versions available. Do you have any experience with either of these?
 

cap

Contributor
Joined
Mar 17, 2016
Messages
122
In the open source world, I have little experience with digiKam, Shotwell and gthumb. digiKam is the most powerful.
However, as far as I know, only Mylio can do the synchronization. Mylio is available for Windows, macOS, iOS and I think Android .

With digikam you can probably set up a multiuser environment. I think this is still experimental.
 
Joined
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Messages
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You're welcome, Michael.

If you're a happy snapper like me and use your iOS or Android smartphone for taking photos, alternatives to Resilio Sync include the Camera Upload feature in the Plex smartphone app, and the InstantUpload feature in the Nextcloud app. However, compared to Resilio Sync, these have heavyweight server-side backends. Of the three, Resilio Sync is my personal favourite for photo backup. It's simple to use and robust. The others also have some unresolved issues on the client-side for media backup or viewing, which marginally diminishes their usefulness. I've tabled these below for general interest. While viewing is not a backup requirement, I've included it in the table as well because it's not immediately obvious how photos are accessed outside of the Plex and Nextcloud ecosystems.

Smartphone app for photo backupCurrent Backup IssuesCurrent Viewing IssuesAndroid app availableiOS app available
Nextcloud's InstantUpload feature
None I've personally experienced.​
Inconsistent image behaviour across platforms
Yes​
Yes​
Plex Camera Upload feature[BUG] Plex Android mobile beta - Camera Upload issue[BUG] Plex Photos Android TV beta - Video Orientation Issue
Yes
Yes
Resilio Sync
None I've personally experienced.​
Not applicable​
Yes​
Yes​
Syncthing
?​
Not applicable​
Yes​
No​

Note: Syncthing is a viable alternative to Resilio Sync. However, there isn't an iOS app for it, which can be a problem if any family member prefers using an iPhone (as is the case with my family). There may be other backup tools as well, but, apart from Syncthing, the ones listed are the ones I've personally used and am therefore familiar with.

Oh dear!

Screenshot_20210319-154214.png


...and this notice is the nail in the coffin...

Important info about Camera Upload in Plex
 

cap

Contributor
Joined
Mar 17, 2016
Messages
122
You can use also Emby instead of Plex.
"Camera upload allows automatic uploading of photos taken from mobile devices to your Emby Server. It requires Emby apps installed on your mobile devices as well as for the app to support the feature."

In some aspects, Emby is also the better choice, like privacy, no required account, no need to connect to the Internet, etc.
 
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