I would like to reopen this bug for Lucid. I have pasted the output at the default verbosity below. Let me know if more information is needed. The error seems to be the same, although the output is different, perhaps due to some changes in the source.

As with the previous report, I am also running on a 64-bit machine (Python version 2.6.5).

Exception 'signed integer is greater than maximum' raised of class '<type 'exceptions.OverflowError'>':
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/rdiff_backup/robust.py", line 32, in check_common_error
    try: return function(*args)
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/rdiff_backup/rpath.py", line 118, in copy
    rpout.makedev("b", major, minor)
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/rdiff_backup/rpath.py", line 1260, in makedev
    try: self.conn.os.mknod(self.path, mode, self.conn.os.makedev(major, minor))

Exception 'signed integer is greater than maximum' raised of class '<type 'exceptions.OverflowError'>':
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/rdiff_backup/Main.py", line 304, in error_check_Main
    try: Main(arglist)
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/rdiff_backup/Main.py", line 324, in Main
    take_action(rps)
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/rdiff_backup/Main.py", line 280, in take_action
    elif action == "backup": Backup(rps[0], rps[1])
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/rdiff_backup/Main.py", line 346, in Backup
    backup.Mirror(rpin, rpout)
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/rdiff_backup/backup.py", line 38, in Mirror
    DestS.patch(dest_rpath, source_diffiter)
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/rdiff_backup/backup.py", line 232, in patch
    ITR(diff.index, diff)
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/rdiff_backup/rorpiter.py", line 281, in __call__
    last_branch.fast_process(*args)
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/rdiff_backup/backup.py", line 529, in fast_process
    if self.patch_to_temp(mirror_rp, diff_rorp, tf):
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/rdiff_backup/backup.py", line 553, in patch_to_temp
    result = self.patch_snapshot_to_temp(diff_rorp, new)
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/rdiff_backup/backup.py", line 577, in patch_snapshot_to_temp
    self.write_special(diff_rorp, new)
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/rdiff_backup/backup.py", line 617, in write_special
    if robust.check_common_error(eh, rpath.copy, (diff_rorp, new)) == 0:
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/rdiff_backup/robust.py", line 32, in check_common_error
    try: return function(*args)
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/rdiff_backup/rpath.py", line 118, in copy
    rpout.makedev("b", major, minor)
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/rdiff_backup/rpath.py", line 1260, in makedev
    try: self.conn.os.mknod(self.path, mode, self.conn.os.makedev(major, minor))

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 30, in <module>
    rdiff_backup.Main.error_check_Main(sys.argv[1:])
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/rdiff_backup/Main.py", line 304, in error_check_Main
    try: Main(arglist)
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/rdiff_backup/Main.py", line 324, in Main
    take_action(rps)
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/rdiff_backup/Main.py", line 280, in take_action
    elif action == "backup": Backup(rps[0], rps[1])
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/rdiff_backup/Main.py", line 346, in Backup
    backup.Mirror(rpin, rpout)
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/rdiff_backup/backup.py", line 38, in Mirror
    DestS.patch(dest_rpath, source_diffiter)
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/rdiff_backup/backup.py", line 232, in patch
    ITR(diff.index, diff)
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/rdiff_backup/rorpiter.py", line 281, in __call__
    last_branch.fast_process(*args)
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/rdiff_backup/backup.py", line 529, in fast_process
    if self.patch_to_temp(mirror_rp, diff_rorp, tf):
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/rdiff_backup/backup.py", line 553, in patch_to_temp
    result = self.patch_snapshot_to_temp(diff_rorp, new)
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/rdiff_backup/backup.py", line 577, in patch_snapshot_to_temp
    self.write_special(diff_rorp, new)
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/rdiff_backup/backup.py", line 617, in write_special
    if robust.check_common_error(eh, rpath.copy, (diff_rorp, new)) == 0:
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/rdiff_backup/robust.py", line 32, in check_common_error
    try: return function(*args)
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/rdiff_backup/rpath.py", line 118, in copy
    rpout.makedev("b", major, minor)
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/rdiff_backup/rpath.py", line 1260, in makedev
    try: self.conn.os.mknod(self.path, mode, self.conn.os.makedev(major, minor))
OverflowError: signed integer is greater than maximum