Backing up entire system with tar

Backing up entire system with tar

[Saqib Shaikh]

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Hi,

I keep on finding myself wanting to play with new things etc.  Instead of having to reinstall my system ever time I end up breaking something (sorry, I'm a perfectionist who feels my system must be perfect!), can I just back up my entire system with tar.

The first question is: what is the syntax for this?

Secondly, where will the tar file go.  What I mean is, if the command were:
tar cf /* ./backup.tar
then won't the program get into a loop since I'm backing up the current directory, but also continually writing data to this directory?  Equally, if I mount a second partition under /mnt and save the tar file to /mnt/backup.tar won't it try and backup the mounted partition also?

I'd be greatful if anyone has the answer to my question.

Thanks, Saqib


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Re: Backing up entire system with tar

[Thomas Ward]

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Hi, I use a dos/Windows program called Image cast which does the job nicely.
It makes an image of your drive as it is, and then can be sent to another computer on the network, to another partition, or be burned onto a cd.
Haven't tried it with ext3, but it works good with ext2.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Saqib Shaikh 
  To: speakup@braille.uwo.ca ; blinux-newbie@braille.uwo.ca 
  Sent: Sunday, November 11, 2001 10:54 PM
  Subject: Backing up entire system with tar


  Hi,

  I keep on finding myself wanting to play with new things etc.  Instead of having to reinstall my system ever time I end up breaking something (sorry, I'm a perfectionist who feels my system must be perfect!), can I just back up my entire system with tar.

  The first question is: what is the syntax for this?

  Secondly, where will the tar file go.  What I mean is, if the command were:
  tar cf /* ./backup.tar
  then won't the program get into a loop since I'm backing up the current directory, but also continually writing data to this directory?  Equally, if I mount a second partition under /mnt and save the tar file to /mnt/backup.tar won't it try and backup the mounted partition also?

  I'd be greatful if anyone has the answer to my question.

  Thanks, Saqib


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Re: Backing up entire system with tar

[Saqib Shaikh]

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Thanks for the info, but:

1.  Where can I get the program.
2.  These kinds of programs often snapshot the entire partition, including free space.  I may have a 1gb partition with only 100 mb used.  Therefore I'd want a 100mb image only.  The other reason why I don't want a snapshot is so that I can copy my configuration to another computer that may have a different size partition.

Thanks, Saqib

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Thomas Ward 
  To: speakup@braille.uwo.ca 
  Sent: Monday, November 12, 2001 5:33 AM
  Subject: Re: Backing up entire system with tar


  Hi, I use a dos/Windows program called Image cast which does the job nicely.
  It makes an image of your drive as it is, and then can be sent to another computer on the network, to another partition, or be burned onto a cd.
  Haven't tried it with ext3, but it works good with ext2.

    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Saqib Shaikh 
    To: speakup@braille.uwo.ca ; blinux-newbie@braille.uwo.ca 
    Sent: Sunday, November 11, 2001 10:54 PM
    Subject: Backing up entire system with tar


    Hi,

    I keep on finding myself wanting to play with new things etc.  Instead of having to reinstall my system ever time I end up breaking something (sorry, I'm a perfectionist who feels my system must be perfect!), can I just back up my entire system with tar.

    The first question is: what is the syntax for this?

    Secondly, where will the tar file go.  What I mean is, if the command were:
    tar cf /* ./backup.tar
    then won't the program get into a loop since I'm backing up the current directory, but also continually writing data to this directory?  Equally, if I mount a second partition under /mnt and save the tar file to /mnt/backup.tar won't it try and backup the mounted partition also?

    I'd be greatful if anyone has the answer to my question.

    Thanks, Saqib


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Re: Backing up entire system with tar

[Kerry Hoath]

Here is how it works.
Tar is smart enough to not add an archive to itself. This will work:
tar cvpf /tmp/foo.tar /
If you want the tar under /mnt then do something like this:
mount /dev/hdxx /mnt
cd /mnt
tar cvplf backup.tar /
or
tar czvplf mnt.tar /

c means create. v be verbose. p save/restore permitions. l stay in local filesystem i.e. do not cross mountpoints
f write archive to a file not magnetic tape. z pipe the archive through gzip

Hope this helps.

Regards, Kerry.
On Mon, Nov 12, 2001 at 03:54:29AM -0000, Saqib Shaikh wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I keep on finding myself wanting to play with new things etc.  Instead of having to reinstall my system ever time I end up breaking something (sorry, I'm a perfectionist who feels my system must be perfect!), can I just back up my entire system with tar.
> 
> The first question is: what is the syntax for this?
> 
> Secondly, where will the tar file go.  What I mean is, if the command were:
> tar cf /* ./backup.tar
> then won't the program get into a loop since I'm backing up the current directory, but also continually writing data to this directory?  Equally, if I mount a second partition under /mnt and save the tar file to /mnt/backup.tar won't it try and backup the mounted partition also?
> 
> I'd be greatful if anyone has the answer to my question.
> 
> Thanks, Saqib
> 

-- 
Kerry Hoath: kerry@gotss.net kerry@gotss.eu.org or  kerry@gotss.spice.net.au
ICQ UIN: 8226547

Re: Backing up entire system with tar

[Jason]

tar can also take a device or NFS share as its destination, I don't remember 
the exact syntax so check the docs (or if I have some time I'll do it later 
and post what I find).


On Monday November 12, 2001 12:43 am, you wrote:
> Here is how it works.
> Tar is smart enough to not add an archive to itself. This will work:
> tar cvpf /tmp/foo.tar /
> If you want the tar under /mnt then do something like this:
> mount /dev/hdxx /mnt
> cd /mnt
> tar cvplf backup.tar /
> or
> tar czvplf mnt.tar /
>
> c means create. v be verbose. p save/restore permitions. l stay in local
> filesystem i.e. do not cross mountpoints f write archive to a file not
> magnetic tape. z pipe the archive through gzip
>
> Hope this helps.

RE: Backing up entire system with tar

[Dawes, Stephen]

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Attached is a Web site that has an directions on how to make a
compressed that you can then extract to a different system.  The nice
thing about it, is that, it can all be done using a console in Linux,
and thus speakup.
 
 
Steve Dawes 
PH:  (403) 268-5527. 
MailTo:  sdawes@gov.calgary.ab.ca 


 

-----Original Message-----
From: Saqib Shaikh [mailto:ss@saqibshaikh.com]
Sent: 2001 November 11 11:20 PM
To: speakup@braille.uwo.ca
Subject: Re: Backing up entire system with tar


Thanks for the info, but:
 
1.  Where can I get the program.
2.  These kinds of programs often snapshot the entire partition,
including free space.  I may have a 1gb partition with only 100 mb used.
Therefore I'd want a 100mb image only.  The other reason why I don't
want a snapshot is so that I can copy my configuration to another
computer that may have a different size partition.
 
Thanks, Saqib
 

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Thomas Ward <mailto:tward@bright.net>  
To: speakup@braille.uwo.ca 
Sent: Monday, November 12, 2001 5:33 AM
Subject: Re: Backing up entire system with tar

Hi, I use a dos/Windows program called Image cast which does the job
nicely.
It makes an image of your drive as it is, and then can be sent to
another computer on the network, to another partition, or be burned onto
a cd.
Haven't tried it with ext3, but it works good with ext2.
 

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Saqib  <mailto:ss@saqibshaikh.com> Shaikh 
To: speakup@braille.uwo.ca ; blinux-newbie@braille.uwo.ca 
Sent: Sunday, November 11, 2001 10:54 PM
Subject: Backing up entire system with tar

Hi,
 
I keep on finding myself wanting to play with new things etc.  Instead
of having to reinstall my system ever time I end up breaking something
(sorry, I'm a perfectionist who feels my system must be perfect!), can I
just back up my entire system with tar.
 
The first question is: what is the syntax for this?
 
Secondly, where will the tar file go.  What I mean is, if the command
were:
tar cf /* ./backup.tar
then won't the program get into a loop since I'm backing up the current
directory, but also continually writing data to this directory?
Equally, if I mount a second partition under /mnt and save the tar file
to /mnt/backup.tar won't it try and backup the mounted partition also?
 
I'd be greatful if anyone has the answer to my question.
 
Thanks, Saqib
 


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From: "Dawes, Stephen" <Stephen.Dawes@gov.calgary.ab.ca>
To: "Keith Watson (E-mail)" <kwatson@grtk.com>
Subject: FW: Supid DD tricks
Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 08:17:43 -0700
Message-ID: <649662AEC65BA1438E05FFBB02B6D8B3012166@COCMAIL2.coc.ca>



Stephen Dawes B.A. B.Sc.
Web Business Office, The City of Calgary
PHONE:  (403) 268-5527. 
FAX: (403) 268-6423
E-MAIL ADDRESS:  Stephen.Dawes@gov.calgary.ab.ca 
Internet: http://www.gov.calgary.ab.ca


-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Mason [mailto:smmason@masoncomputing.yi.org] 
Sent: 2001 August 07 3:03 PM
To: Stephen Dawes
Subject: Supid DD tricks


here's the link

http://www.signalground.com/article/3149311157

Also you can get Copernic at http://www.compernic.com

Steve