RealTimeSyncdoesn't skip errors when unabe to open a directory

[Commander_Keen]

Hello,

using FFS on Linux Mint 22.2 I am trying to set up a backup batch via RealTimeSync similar as described here: https://freefilesync.org/manual.php?topic=realtimesync
The configuration is running in FFS just fine.

So I am having the mount folder of the external harddisk being scanned for changes by RTS:
/media/myuser/DatenBlackboxBkp
and fired it up.

At first i ran into the problem that the lost+found folder cannot be scanned by RTS. (Initially I had the same issue using FFS, where I set a Filter to ignore it and that fixed it)
Now after I learned from a forums search that RealTimeSync does not apply my Filters specified in FFSgui to the project/configuration, I decided to go ahead by just activating the option to ignore errors. But still RTS is stopping at the very same stage of failing to open the folder. (so it does not ignore the error. Bug?)

With no more ideas left: How can the user backup the full disk to an external disk automatically like this when unaccessible folders are in the way?

[xCSxXenon]

If you are trying to back up an OS volume, FFS isn't really the correct solution anyway.
Since lost+found can't be disabled or ignored by RTS, you won't be able to solve this. Usually having RTS monitor an entire drive isn't feasible because there are usually constant modifications on such a wide scope of files. Constant modifications under 'idle time' means it will never fire off and sync. Is this really what you want? If so, you probably want to look into scheduling the task or configuring a RAID1, both of which are better solutions to whole-disk replication.

[Commander_Keen]

Thank you for your comment.
The operating system itself resides on a seperate SSD. The drive to backup is another HDD as data storage. Therefor I wouldn't expect too much workload on it.

As suggested in the linked manual topic, I want to attach an external USB drive to automatically start the backup of the internal data storage HDD (not messing with the SSD).
As the external drive is not attached permanently, but only from time to time to backup, RAID or scheduled task doesn't work in this scenario.

[xCSxXenon]

Few options:
- Figure out how to open up permissions of that directory so it can be monitored
- Wait until RTS has exclusion support (unlikely)
- Have RTS look for a subdirectory on the external, instead of the drive itself.

The last one is how I would do it. Yes, the data will be one folder deeper, but the only reason that can't work is if you are wanting it to be a drop-in hot spare.

[xCSxXenon]

Can you post a screenshot of the RTS configuration window?
Use "Editor" below

[Commander_Keen]

- Have RTS look for a subdirectory on the external, instead of the drive itself.
The last one is how I would do it. Yes, the data will be one folder deeper, but the only reason that can't work is if you are wanting it to be a drop-in hot spare.

Wouldn't RTS fail for the lost+found of the source-disk then also? (which is interesting, that it complains about the target first)

Can you post a screenshot of the RTS configuration window?
Use "Editor" below

2025-09-15_Auswahl_001.png (137.37 KiB) Viewed 263 times

[xCSxXenon]

Since you configured RTS to monitor only the external location, the lost+found directory on the source poses no issue. I'm guessing "DatenBlackboxBkp" is the mount point of the external. Move the data into a subfolder, name it whatever you want, and have RTS monitor that instead.

[Commander_Keen]

Ok, but why would Lost+Found on the source disk be no issue then (as it shall copy the full source drive)? Shouldn't it struggle with the same issue once copying started as there is no ignore filter like in FreeFileSync or is that kind of error ignored duting copying for some strange reason while the error is not ignored for scanning?

[xCSxXenon]

RTS and FFS are completely different programs.
There is no issue in FFS because it is ignored in the filters you set.
There is no issue in RTS because you aren't monitoring the source location at all.

[Commander_Keen]

Now after I learned from a forums search that RealTimeSync does not apply my Filters specified in FFSgui to the project/configuration, I decided to go ahead by just activating the option to ignore errors. But still RTS is stopping at the very same stage of failing to open the folder. (so it does not ignore the error. Bug?)

I checked the *.batch file and there is indeed the filter list inside, too. (same as the *.gui file for FFS)
Also it will not sync the folders listed in there. So I assume the information that no filters work for RTS from the older thread is maybe outdated.
But I wonder why the corresponding entries are not ignored on the target drive then, also. Maybe a bug or other limitation...

[xCSxXenon]

Nope, RTS doesn't have support for any filter settings.
Filters in FFS support relative paths and wildcards, whether they apply to one or both sides can depend on syntax

[Plerry]

@Coomnader_Keen
As xCSxXenon already wrote, RTS and FFS are completely different programs.

RTS simply monitors the folders shown/specified in the RTS gui (and potentially saved in a *.ffs_real file) for changes, and upon detecting any changes in the monitored folders executes the RTS command-line, normally launching FFS to run a specified saved sync configuration.

*.ffs_batch files and *.ffs_gui files are both saved FFS sync configurations.
Any In- and/or Exclude Filters in FFS (or in any of its saved configurations) only apply to FFS, not to RTS.