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Akeeba Backup for Joomla!

#32759 random string added at the end of the archivename

Posted in ‘Akeeba Backup for Joomla! 4 & 5’
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Environment Information

Joomla! version
n/a
PHP version
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Akeeba Backup version
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Latest post by JoomlaVerenigingNederland on Monday, 30 March 2020 07:36 CDT

JoomlaVerenigingNederland
Please look at the bottom of this page (under Support Policy Summary) for our support policy summary, containing important information regarding our working hours and our support policy. Thank you!

EXTREMELY IMPORTANT: Please attach a ZIP file containing your Akeeba Backup log file in order for us to help you with any backup or restoration issue. If the file is over 2Mb, please upload it on your server and post a link to it.

Description of my issue:
Just read this topic about changing the filenames.
strange file name
Is it possible that this could be turned into an option? We have a cronjob in place that stores backups in google drive.
i.e.
Monday: backupname1.jpa
Tuesday: backupname2.jpa
Wednesday: backupname3.jpa
Thursday: backupname4.jpa
Friday: backupname1.jpa
etc..
So we have at least 4 recent backups.
With the new filenames all backup files are added to Google drive in stead of being overwritten and thus causing problems with storage space.

nicholas
Akeeba Staff
Manager
The behavior your are experiencing is, indeed, the expected one per our documentation (see "Backup archive name" on that page). As I have written in there:

Please note that -[RANDOM] will be appended automatically to the Backup archive name if you are using the default backup output directory and you are not already using the [RANDOM] variable in your Backup archive name. This will happen automatically at backup time. You cannot override this behavior because it is a security feature.


I will not give you an option to override a security feature for the same reason you can't remove the beeping sound when you don't fasten the seatbelt in your car. It's a security feature. If you disable it bad things can happen. They will not necessarily happen but they can happen. Much like you're wearing a seatbelt in case you get into an accident, not because you know for sure that you'll get into an accident. Seat belts save lives. Random characters at the end of a backup archive's name save sites.

Of course you can have these characters not added by moving your backup output directory to a non-default location as it has been documented for the last 13 years. Moreover, for the past 12 years, every time you go to Akeeba Backup's Control Panel with that backup profile active or take a backup through your site's backend with that backup profile active a warning about it appears with a link to a page with the same information and with a bit more detail. Please follow that link and do as it says. As long as that directory is not accessible over the web (Akeeba Backup will check it when you save the Configuration page) the -[RANDOM] bit will not be appended to your backup archive's name. Your problem is solved AND you have increased the security of your site. Killing two birds with one stone :)

Nicholas K. Dionysopoulos

Lead Developer and Director

🇬🇷Greek: native 🇬🇧English: excellent 🇫🇷French: basic • 🕐 My time zone is Europe / Athens
Please keep in mind my timezone and cultural differences when reading my replies. Thank you!

JoomlaVerenigingNederland
Thx! Forgot that option. Works like a charm now.

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