Doesn't exclude as many cache directories as it could

[Ken Sharp]

When running deja-dup the app tries to exclude some rubbish (such as caches and temp files) but there is a lot more that could be excluded. The Google Earth cache alone could bankrupt an Ubuntu One user.

I've included a screenshot of the exclusions I have added quickly. I'm sure this could be improved a great deal.

As this is likely to be updated quite regularly maybe it would be worth adding the exclusions to a separate package?

If implemented, there should be an option to include files on the exclude list (i.e. to override) if people really want to.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: deja-dup 22.0-0ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-25.40-generic 3.2.18
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-25-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: fglrx wl
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu8
Architecture: amd64
Date: Tue Jun 26 22:47:28 2012
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release amd64 (20110427.1)
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_GB:en
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_GB.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: deja-dup
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2012-06-26 (0 days ago)

[Michael Terry (mterry)]

~/.cache is secretly excluded by default. And my general answer for these sorts of things is that apps should be putting their cache files in ~/.cache as the XDG spec suggests.

This is a problem for all similar backup apps as well as any other app that cares about what a cache file is. So I'd rather not patch it just in deja-dup.

I've added some popular folders that are unlikely to get fixed soon (like the flash plugin's cache folder), but I don't want to play whack-a-mole.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Naël (nathanael-naeri)]

Given that any application developer can decide to store their cache and/or history and/or temporary files in whatever specific location they like, rather than in ~/.cache, Déjà Dup can't be expected to maintain a list of cache locations to exclude.

Cache directories can be added manually to the exclude list one by one, as Ken did, but it would be nice if the user could also exclude them by extended shell globbing patterns, as in **[cC]ache* (the user's responsibility to make sure that the patterns they use cover exactly what they want to exclude). And this of course leads to bug 374274.

[Ken Sharp (kennybobs)]

Never a solution, always an excuse.

I'm sick of talking to you people and nobody cares about this app. I'm not interested any more.