Free tech support / small logo


How do I do just incremental backups?

A reader writes:
"My question concerns backup.sh (script #56 in the book Wicked Cool Shell Scripts). I am a little confused how to set up my directory list file INITIALLY to use for the backup script to work. Do you have to do a -f (full backup) first, then I'm free to incrementally backup as desired? Even then I'm only interested in backing some key directories not my whole home space...."
Dave's Answer: Ideally you should start with a full backup, but the script can work with incremental backups by themselves.

To do that you would need to fool the script into thinking that you've done that first full backup by manually creating a starting 'timestamp' file.

You can do this by entering the following two commands at the prompt: 

timestamp="$(date +'%m%d%I%M')"
touch -t $timestamp $HOME/.backup.timestamp
That should take care of things and you can run the incremental backups starting at that point.

But I nonetheless recommend at least one full backup rather than circumventing it. You can never have too many backups.




Categorized: Shell Script Programming   (Article 3725, Written by )
Tagged:
Previous: Getting external style sheets to link properly
Next: Permission to reuse the Wicked Cool scripts




Subscribe!
Never miss another Q&A article! Click to subscribe: Add to Google Reader Add to My Yahoo! Subscribe in NewsGator RDF XML
Comments
Rather amazingly, there are no comments on this article yet.

I have something to say, now that you mention it, but ...
Starbucks coffee cup I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you for all your efforts on this Web site by buying you a cup of coffee!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!











Remember personal info?


Please note that I will never send you any unsolicited email. Ever.

While I'm at it, please note that by submitting a question or comment you're agreeing to my terms of service, which are: you relinquish any subsequent rights of ownership to your material by submitting it on this site.









Recent Entries


Search
I Need Help!
Need Help? Ask Dave Taylor!

Even More Help

film blog - social media / blogging speaking - business blog - Colorado photography - free tech support
© 2002 - 2012 by Dave Taylor. All Rights Reserved.

Note: This web site is for the purpose of disseminating information for educational purposes, free of charge, for the benefit of all visitors. We take great care to provide quality information. However, we do not guarantee, and accept no legal liability whatsoever arising from or connected to, the accuracy, reliability, currency or completeness of any material contained on this web site or on any linked site.

[whiteboard marker tray]
"Ask Dave Taylor®" is a registered trademark of Intuitive Systems, LLC.