I'm working on a backup script (backups to NAS) and was looking for some clarification on tar command options. I would like to do a complete tar archive once a week, with incremental on all other days. Common Variables are: DATE=$(/bin/date -I) NAME=$(/bin/uname -n) DEST=/mnt/backup FILENAME=$NAME.$DATE.tar The complete backup tar command is: tar -Pcvpf $DEST/$FILENAME -X /etc/backup.exclude --verify / The incremental backup tar command (and the one I have questions on): tar -Pcpvf $DEST/$FILENAME -X /etc/backup.exclude --verify --newer=/etc/backup.DATE / Questions: It's not clear to me what exactly DATE should be when using the --newer (-N, --after-date) options. The man page only shows; -N, --after-date DATE, --newer DATE only store files newer than DATE Is this supposed to a time stamp of some sort, like DEC 12, 2004? What is the format? Can it be a file, so incremental backups all files newer than DATE of file (as I have attempted to use)? For example, which is the proper use? --newer with some kind of Date specified; tar -Pcvpf $DEST/$FILENAME -X /etc/backup.exclude --verify --newer=DEC 9, 2004 --newer with file name specified (in the hope incremental grabs anything newer than timestamp on file) tar -Pcvpf $DEST/$FILENAME -x /etc/backup.exclude --verify --newer=/etc/backup.DATE NOTE: /etc/backup.DATE is modified after each backup script run by echoing $DATE DATE=$(/bin/date -I) ... Backup script ... echo $DATE > /etc/backup.DATE Any other suggestions on better ways to do handle full/incremental backups? ______________________________ James _______________________________________________ TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota Help beta test TCLUG's potential new home: http://plone.mn-linux.org Got pictures for TCLUG? Beta test http://plone.mn-linux.org/gallery tclug-list at mn-linux.org https://mailman.real-time.com/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list