Is rdiff-backup outdated? [closed]

I just find it a bit odd that this powerful tool does not have any bug fix (if there are any) since 2009!

So is it outdated stable, or its so powerful that there is no need for any update?

(P.S. The reason behind this is that I'm looking for a backup tool. rdiff-backup really suits my needs but the lack of bug fixes/active development is what is keeping me away from using this tool)

This question, and this reply, also on the mailing list including additional related conversations.

This is a really good question, and right now, I can't provide a simple answer. For the last ~3 years, it has been unmaintained. I just became the new maintainer, but I haven't done anything yet except fix broken links on the webpage and start reading the code. I have at least some vague plans to revive maintenance with other people, but like everyone else, I'm a volunteer with non-infinite time, and it's yet to be seen how much contribution we'll actually gain here.

I can say this much: I've spoken with lots and lots of IT people out there, who swear by rdiff-backup, rsnapshot, and rsync. There certainly do exist bugs, as is also true for everything else. But the anecdotal evidence is very high, that it's still a reliable product.

I guess I'll have to go post the same answer on that serverfault page. ;-)

I still have several machines being backed up with rdiff-backup. It still works great. And it restores, too! Did I mention that you can get your files back in case of a disaster?

It backs up and it restores. It's powerful enough that I'd describe it as "Time Machine on the command line" if I weren't afraid of Apple suing me. If there are no features to add and no bugs to fix, then what possible update could one release? Sure, I suppose you could add a GUI, but that would be a separate project...

In short, no, there's no real need for concern here.

If you really find this a cause for concern, try contacting the developer and asking why there haven't been any updates recently.

Keep in mind that it's also free software, so if the developer isn't responsive, or died four years ago, or whatever, anyone can pick up the project and run with it. It wouldn't be the first time such a thing has happened.