Add option to use non-standard port for ssh connections in Webmin Filesystem Backup

Submitted by soydemadrid on Wed, 09/07/2016 - 05:46 Pro Licensee

Hi I am trying to use SSH to do a Webmin Filesystem Backup but due to my backup server using a non-standard port I can't get it to backup.

I found other users with the same issue here:

https://www.virtualmin.com/node/25047

It would be great if there was some kind of workaround and if this feature could please be added.

The 'Backup Configuration Files' section in Webmin DOES allow to specify a port. And in Virtualmin when doing Virtual Server backups you can add a colon and port number xxx.xxx.xxx.ip:333 etc and get it to work. But when trying this workaround in 'Filesystem Backup' it doesn't connect.

Thanks for any advice or if this can be added in somehow?

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Comments

Submitted by JamieCameron on Wed, 09/07/2016 - 23:57

The problem here is that the Filesystem Backup module uses the tar command to do the remote backup, and it doesn't support a custom SSH port in the backup URL.

Submitted by soydemadrid on Fri, 09/09/2016 - 14:27 Pro Licensee

Hi thanks Jamie, is there any way to use the same command that Virtual Server backup and Config backup use instead on the Filesystem backup to achieve this?

Thanks again :)

Submitted by andreychek on Fri, 09/09/2016 - 16:51

Jamie, I believe he's not looking to backup a remote directory... but instead, is hoping to use a remote server as a backup destination similar to how Virtualmin backups work.

Is that correct soydemadrid ?

Submitted by JamieCameron on Fri, 09/09/2016 - 17:45

Right, it's the backups to a remote destination with a custom port that TAR doesn't support.

Submitted by soydemadrid on Sat, 09/10/2016 - 03:54 Pro Licensee

Hi here is the error I get in an email:

tar: Removing leading `/' from member names
ssh: connect to host xx.xx.xxx.xxx port 22: Connection timed out
tar (child): user@xx.xx.xxx.xxx\:/home/FileSystemBackup.tar.bz2: Cannot open: Input/output error
tar (child): Error is not recoverable: exiting now

The port is specified as 22 as if it may be possible to put which port is required?

Submitted by andreychek on Sat, 09/10/2016 - 10:07

Unfortunately, it sounds like Jamie is saying that an alternate port isn't going to work for that particular screen.

Sorry!

If you need to use an alternate port, you may need to look into a different tool for performing your filesystem backup.

I might suggest rsync, which is very good at performing backups.

Submitted by andreychek on Sat, 09/10/2016 - 10:10

Howdy -- in general, a given user can only have one top-level Virtual Server (ie, an account).

They can be restricted to how many domains are in that account though.

The only kind of user who can create additional top-level domains is a reseller.

If you need a user who can create additional top-level accounts, they would need to be a reseller though.

Does that answer your question, or do I misunderstand what it is you're trying to do?

Submitted by soydemadrid on Sat, 10/22/2016 - 09:58 Pro Licensee

Hi thanks - I'm not sure what you mean about top-level users etc.

I just wanted the Filesystem backup to backup to my server which uses a custom port.

I saw a similar bug report on the issue tracker where you mentioned there may be a fix for this by adding an entry to /root/.ssh/config to specify the different port:

https://www.virtualmin.com/node/39357

I wonder if this would be an option to get it to work and how exactly would be best to go about it?

I had a look to edit that file but it doesn't exist for me. Would it be /etc/ssh/ssh_config I'd put the entry in and how do I format it if so?

Thanks again for any help on this.

Submitted by andreychek on Sat, 10/22/2016 - 11:24

Oh nuts, it looks like my Comment #7 above was supposed to be for another user. It looks like I posted that in the wrong place. Sorry for the confusion!

The comment that applies to your request is Comment #6 above that though... I'll paste it in again here:

Unfortunately, it sounds like Jamie is saying that an alternate port isn't going to work for that particular screen.

Sorry!

If you need to use an alternate port, you may need to look into a different tool for performing your filesystem backup.

I might suggest rsync, which is very good at performing backups.