rsync+"permission+denied"+during+backup

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

Rsync permission denied splits into source reads and destination writes, and the log line names which side. For reads, the backup user needs traverse and read rights on the tree, often via a dedicated backup account or sudo-wrapped rsync on the remote side. For writes, check destination ownership and whether preserving owner and group needs elevated rights.

rsync "permission denied" during backup

Use this when

• rsync logs permission denied on specific files or directories.
• Files owned by other users or root are skipped every run.
• Destination files arrive but ownership preservation errors fill the log.

Not for this skill when

• SSH authentication itself is denied before rsync starts. Fix keys and accounts first.
• The destination disk is mounted read-only. That is a mount problem.

Steps

1. From the log, separate denied lines into source read failures and destination write failures with their paths. Verify: each denial is assigned a side
2. Check the identity rsync runs as on both ends, including the remote command user for SSH transfers. Verify: both identities are known
3. Grant the backup identity read access on the source tree via group membership or ACLs, avoiding world-readable changes on sensitive data. Verify: the backup user can read one previously denied file
4. On the destination, fix directory ownership or drop owner and group preservation flags the run cannot honour, keeping permissions flags that matter. Verify: a test transfer writes without denial lines
5. Rerun the full backup and confirm no permission denied lines remain. Verify: the run exits 0 with a clean log

Variant phrasings

rsync permission denied backup user sudo

The sudo-rsync phrasing.

rsync failed to set permissions destination

The destination-preservation variant.

rsync cannot read files permission denied root

The root-owned files wording.

Compatibility: rsync 3.2 and later over SSH and daemon modes on Linux and macOS, including sudo rsync remote helper setups.

Why it happens

Backups want to read everything and preserve everything, which collides with least-privilege defaults. An unprivileged backup user cannot read other users private files or chown destination files, so the same run shows two different denial classes. Fixing them needs access design, not a retry.

Edge cases / pitfalls

• Using --fake-super on the destination stores ownership in extended attributes without needing root.
• A dedicated backup group with read ACLs is safer than running the whole backup as root over SSH.
• Daemon mode has its own uid and gid settings that override the connecting user. Check rsyncd configuration.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_ADcV7KSSerQcjnCrHFdvnQ

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_ADcV7KSSerQcjnCrHFdvnQ

Thread query: rsync "permission denied" during backup

TL;DR: Rsync permission denied splits into source reads and destination writes, and the log line names which side. For reads, the backup user needs traverse and read rights on the tree, often via a dedicated backup account or sudo-wrapped rsync on the remote side. For writes, check destination ownership and whether preserving owner and group needs elevated rights.

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

Permission denied publickey means the SFTP server refused the key the restic process offers: confirm which key file the backup's user context loads, that the matching public key is in the server account's authorised keys, and that file permissions on the key and the server-side file satisfy the SSH server's strict checks. Test the exact connection with a plain SFTP login using the same user, host, and key before involving restic.

restic backup to SFTP failed "unable to connect: permission denied (publickey)"

Use this when

• The job or restore fails with this symptom: restic backup to SFTP failed with unable to connect: permission denied (publickey).
• You are working on a restic backup writing to an SFTP backend and the failure repeats on the same target or schedule.
• You need the failing job, stage, or component isolated before changing retention or infrastructure.

Not for this skill when

• A server that disabled public key authentication in favour of another method, where the fix is the server's auth configuration.
• The error text names a different product, stage, or root cause. Match the verbatim error first and use that skill.

Steps

1. Reproduce the connection with a verbose SFTP or SSH attempt using the backup job's user, host, and key file. Verify: the offered key and the server's response are visible
2. Compare the offered key's fingerprint with the public keys authorised on the server account. Verify: key pairing is confirmed or found mismatched
3. Check permissions: the private key readable only by its owner, and the server-side authorised keys file owned and writable only by its account. Verify: permission causes are cleared
4. Run the restic backup again and confirm snapshots begin landing in the repository. Verify: the backup connects and writes

Variant phrasings

restic sftp unable to connect permission denied publickey

The verbatim phrasing.

restic backup sftp publickey denied key authorised fix

The key phrasing.

restic sftp backend authentication failed verbose ssh

The verbose phrasing.

Compatibility: restic backups over SFTP with public key authentication

Why it happens

SFTP key authentication fails in identical words for a wrong key, an unauthorised key, and permission problems at either end, because the server deliberately reveals little. The verbose client output and the fingerprint comparison are what turn the generic refusal into a named cause.

Edge cases / pitfalls

• Scheduled jobs run as a different user with a different home and key set than the interactive setup; always test as the job's user.
• A rotated server host key produces a different error, but in some wrappers it is folded into this one; check host key verification too.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_67kcN53vIGGhGoVVlbAepw

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_67kcN53vIGGhGoVVlbAepw

Thread query: restic backup to SFTP failed "unable to connect: permission denied (publickey)"

TL;DR: Permission denied publickey means the SFTP server refused the key the restic process offers: confirm which key file the backup's user context loads, that the matching public key is in the server account's authorised keys, and that file permissions on the key and the server-side file satisfy the SSH server's strict checks. Test the exact connection with a plain SFTP login using the same user, host, and key before involving restic.

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

Fix this in right to erasure handling for backups by doing this first: record the backup copies under a documented erasure path, either restore-time deletion, key destruction for encrypted backups, or deletion when the backup rotates out, and give the requester that timeline in the response. Do not rerun the whole job unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one item, then rerun the full scope and reconcile the counts.

backups still contain personal data

Use this when

• The operation fails with this exact problem: backups still contain personal data.
• The same failure repeats on retry with unchanged inputs.
• An audit, review, or request is blocked until this item completes.

Not for this skill when

• The message is a platform outage notice or a general sign-in failure. Resolve that first, then return here if this problem remains.
• The operation completes and you only disagree with its output. That is a quality review, not this failure.

Steps

1. Reproduce the failure with the smallest scope that still shows it in right to erasure handling for backups, and copy the full message plus the item, account, or request involved into the run notes. Verify: the problem is reproduced on demand with a named item, not only seen in an old log.
2. Apply the specific fix for this problem: record the backup copies under a documented erasure path, either restore-time deletion, key destruction for encrypted backups, or deletion when the backup rotates out, and give the requester that timeline in the response. Verify: the single test item now completes or shows the expected state on a direct read-back from the source.
3. Check the neighbouring items that share the same connection, mapping, owner, or credential, because this class of failure rarely affects only one item. Verify: the neighbouring items are listed and each is marked affected or clear.
4. Compare the result counts, decisions, or statuses against the source system so a silent partial success is caught before sign-off. Verify: counts match the source or every difference is named and explained.
5. Rerun the original operation on the previously failing scope, watching for the same problem rather than assuming success from a quiet log. Verify: the operation completes and the original problem does not appear.
6. Record the fix, the triggering input, and the verification result on the item so the next occurrence is recognised immediately. Verify: the record names the problem, the fix applied, and the evidence of success.

Why it happens

Backups are immutable snapshots by design, so live-system erasure never touches them, and without a documented rotation or key-destruction path the data persists indefinitely.

Variant phrasings

how to fix right to erasure error backups still contain personal data fails

The verbatim form searchers paste from the console or ticket. Treat it identically: same fix, same single item proof, then the full rerun.

How to fix this failure in practice

The how-to phrasing for the same failure. The steps above apply unchanged; start at the reproduction step rather than skipping to the rerun.

Troubleshooting the symptom-first form

The phrasing used when the console hides the full message. Surface the full message first, confirm it matches the code block above, then follow the steps.

Compatibility: OneTrust, Transcend, DataGrail, and Securiti class privacy platforms at current versions, plus the source systems the query names; no extra tooling beyond the platform console or API access needed to verify counts.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pstpUZ8-sc0R9j3VscIkcWMQ

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pstpUZ8-sc0R9j3VscIkcWMQ

Thread query: how to fix right to erasure error backups still contain personal data fails

TL;DR: Fix this in right to erasure handling for backups by doing this first: record the backup copies under a documented erasure path, either restore-time deletion, key destruction for encrypted backups, or deletion when the backup rotates out, and give the requester that timeline in the response. Do not rerun the whole job unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one item, then rerun the full scope and reconcile the counts.