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 know this works for me: tar clf homes.tar --exclude=scripts --exclude=conf --exclude=bin \ --exclude=incoming -C ${BASEDIR} . but I had a completely garbage backup of my firewall, taken just before the disk died (I thought, briefly, how fortuitous my timing was!) using ssh that way. The problem is, I have this alias: alias ssh='ssh -t' and the result of that is the shell (or something) injects the occasional screen control sequence, and my backup was cactus. Absolute junk. The way to be sure is: tar cpvzf - -C / <more tar stuff> | \ssh <ssh stuff> btw unless you have a very fast CPU and/or a slow link, it's faster without the compression. You might also find it simpler to use the "l" switch as I do to avoid crossing filesystem boundaries; in your case it would automatically exclude /proc, /sys and anything mounted anywhere, such as /media, /home, /mnt. I do this: tar clC / / /boot /home /var \ | tar xpC /mnt/backup || { df -h ; exit ; } I do have a list of exclusions (eg --exclude=/var/spool/postfix/), enough to cloud the issue:-) This example's on Debian, and the buffer command's there in hopes of reducing head movement and so accelerating the process. -- Cheers John -- spambait 1aaaaaaa at coco.merseine.nu Z1aaaaaaa at coco.merseine.nu Tourist pics http://portgeographe.environmentaldisasters.cds.merseine.nu/ Please do not reply off-list