Timeshift returns E: rsync returned an error and fails on a fresh install

[alelom]

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS fresh install. Server, only from terminal. Nothing else done before attempted usage of timeshift.
Timeshift used for the absolute first time on a clean install with nothing else installed prior, using the following command:

sudo timeshift --create --comments "First backup" --tags B

Timeshift throws:

E: rsync returned an error
E: Failed to create new snapshot

Versions: rsync --version shows 3.2.7, while timeshift --version shows 24.01.1.

Attempted workarounds

Attempt 1: Install timeshift from PPA version

I have read several posts suggesting to use a PPA version of timeshift instead. So I tried:

1. Uninstalled and purged existing timeshift and rsync with sudo apt autoremove timeshift --purge and sudo apt autoremove rsync --purge
2. Installed Timesync from the PPA version with sudo add-apt-repository ppa:teejee2008/timeshift && sudo apt update, then sudo apt-get install timeshift

Issue not resolved. Uninstalled and purged timeshift and rysnc.

Attempt 2: Install older version of rsync

Many users report that this can be solved by using version 3.2.3 of rsync. Did it this way:

Download and unpack rsync 3.2.3:

wget https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+archive/primary/+sourcefiles/rsync/3.2.3-8ubuntu3/rsync_3.2.3.orig.tar.gz
tar -xvzf rsync_3.2.3.orig.tar.gz
cd rsync-3.2.3

Compile and install rysnc 3.2.3 (requires sudo apt-get install build-essential):

./configure --prefix=/usr --disable-lz4 --disable-xxhash --without-included-zlib --disable-zstd && make
sudo make install

Keep rsync on hold, then install timeshift:

sudo apt-mark hold rsync
sud apt-get install timeshift

Still same error.

[ykarrde]

The Workarounds you tried are for Ubuntu 22.04 and its older timeshift.

The PPA version is probably currently equivalent with your 24.01.1 from Ubuntu 24.04
and at least with my still Ubuntu 22.04 based distro (PPA) timeshift 24.01.1 and rsync 3.2.7 protocol 31 are working together.

Does the logfile, located at /var/log/timeshift , contain more details (maybe the specific rsync error) ?