--- dtu...@vianet.ca wrote: From: "Douglas A. Tutty" <dtu...@vianet.ca> To: pos...@basicisp.net Cc: debian-user@lists.debian.org Subject: Re: tar on flash drive Date: Mon, 19 Jan 2009 11:05:44 -0500
On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 11:25:01PM -0800, pos...@basicisp.net wrote: > I have a damaged system on my laptop and am trying to salvage data, > then will likely install a new system (etch or lenny, was sarge). I'd > like to save the home folder and a few useful files gleaned from the > etc folder, keeping permissions. I'll use a live cd to do the salvage > work (lenny live, knoppix, knoppix STD or slax -- I have all > available) and write to a 4GB usb flash drive. > > Is this the proper syntax? I believe the -c must be first and the -f > last. > > tar -chpvf /mnt/sda1/homebackup.tar /mnt/hda2/home > > -c is create a new archive -h is retain symlinks but not the files to > which they point -p is preserve permissions -v is verbose -f is > indicating that the destination file name follows immediately after > > Is -h the best way to handle symlinks? Is having the destination file > on a flash drive a potential problem? > Your input is appreciated. Please cc me as I am not currently > subcribed to the list. [done] For what it does, yes your tar options look fine. Are you sure that you want to lose other stuff such as /etc, your package choices, etc? I'll attach the script I use. I alter it for each box (since each is slightly diffferent). The script I'm attaching is what I run on the box from which I'm sending this email (plot). It uses a list of directories to backup and a list to exclude. I'll include those files too. Doug. Thanks, gentlemen for your input. I was aware of needing to save some things from etc, so I had copied the contents of fstab, modules, hosts, inittab, network/interfaces and resolve.conf into a text file. I had also copied the contents of grub's menu.lst and copied the folders modprobe.d, modutils and ppp. I had copied some files from home, hoping that somewhere in there (a subfolder in a dot file?) were the browser bookmarks, address books and e-mail folders. It was then that I got to thinking about the symlinks and using tar rather than simply copying. I'll save what I need on CDs so I'll have to do tar a handful of times, recording bite-sized chunks that the CDs can swallow. Wish I had a DVD burner. I'll tar to the flash drive, then transfer those tar folders to CDs. Again, thanks for your input and scripts. postid -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
