Howdy, I'm using Slackware GNU/Linux 12.0 and would like to back up certain files in my home directory: these are just data and configuration files, not system files of any kind. Reading the `tar' manual I came across the backup scripts, on my system in /usr/bin/backup. I created a backup-specs file, and have gotten a bunch of errors that don't seem to jive with the documentation. Here's my backup-specs file:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> # backups for joel # ADMINISTRATOR=joel #BLOCKING=8 TAPE_FILE=/dev/sdb1 VOLNO_FILE=/home/joel/var/backup/volno_file/ BACKUP_HOUR="now" # BACKUP_DIRS=" # /home/joel/ado # /home/joel/data # /home/joel/docs # /home/joel/svn_repo # /home/joel/Mail # /home/joel/News # /home/joel/lisp" BACKUP_FILES=" /home/joel/office-directory /home/joel/.emacs /home/joel/.emacs-custom.el" <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< The directories are commented out for testing purposes (to avoid doing the whole thing). When I run backup I get: /home/joel/etc/backup Super-User > backup -f --time=now backup -f --time=now /dev/sdb1: Invalid argument Backing up -f at Thu Nov 29 12:22:28 EST 2007 tar: -f: Cannot chdir: No such file or directory tar: Error is not recoverable: exiting now /dev/sdb1: Invalid argument sleeping 60 seconds C-c C-c /home/joel/etc/backup Super-User > Observations and questions: 1. are the options are being accepted as arguments? 2. whatever I put for TAPE_FILE I get invalid argument, except when I get "invalid ioctl for device" --- does this only work with actual tapes? 3. everything I find on the internet is about how to clone a system, backup system files or a bunch of other stuff that would be useless to me: does anyone use /usr/bin/backup? It sounds like it's designed for the purpose I want, so I'd really like it to work. Thanks for any help you can offer, Joel -- Joel J. Adamson Biostatistician Pediatric Psychopharmacology Research Unit Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, MA 02114 (617) 643-1432 (303) 880-3109