[CentOS] Taring up the OS - how to exclude directories

Fri Sep 8 16:38:04 UTC 2006
Robert Moskowitz <rgm at htt-consult.com>

Robert wrote:
> Robert Moskowitz wrote:
>> From the howto:  http://www.faqs.org/docs/securing/chap29sec305.html
>>
>> I got some ideas to help me to tar up the OS.  I had already been 
>> shown how to wrap it into SSH to deposit the tar file on another 
>> system, so I tried the following:
>>
>> tar cpvzf - -C / --exclude  home --exclude  media --exclude  mnt 
>> --exclude  proc --exclude  */lost+found | ssh root at 10.0.0.2 
>> "cat>backup-060907.tgz"
>>
>> But, whereas the howto is talking about --exclude dealing with files, 
>> the Centos Man on tar is saying that it applies to files.
>>
>>
>> So what is wrong?  I know the SSH stuff is correct as when I put in 
>> something like ls I get a file with result of the ls.  Also I had 
>> done this without the excludes and of course it died slowing when it 
>> got to /media/cdrom   :(
>
> I recall that before USB2, when tape backup made sense, I used an 
> "exclude file" rather than doing it on the command line.  I also 
> remember that "/"s most definitely affect the outcome. I believe that 
> if you'll look at the info pages (not man) for tar, you'll find a few 
> examples buried in the document that will make the tar part of your 
> puzzle crystal clear.
>
At the very end of info tar, it talks a LITTLE bit about -- exclude PATTERN.

I guess you have to know what pattern means.  So should I be using 
entries like:

--exclude '/home'  ?