Backup scripts

Howdy,

I'm using Slackware GNU/Linux 12.0 and would like to back up
certain
files in my home directory: these are just data and
configuration files,
not system files of any kind.  Reading the `tar' manual I
came across
the backup scripts, on my system in /usr/bin/backup.  I
created a
backup-specs file, and have gotten a bunch of errors that
don't seem to
jive with the documentation.  Here's my backup-specs file:

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>
# backups for joel
#

ADMINISTRATOR=joel
#BLOCKING=8
TAPE_FILE=/dev/sdb1
VOLNO_FILE=/home/joel/var/backup/volno_file/

BACKUP_HOUR="now"
# BACKUP_DIRS="
#     /home/joel/ado
#     /home/joel/data
#     /home/joel/docs
#     /home/joel/svn_repo
#     /home/joel/Mail
#     /home/joel/News
#     /home/joel/lisp"
BACKUP_FILES="
    /home/joel/office-directory
    /home/joel/.emacs
    /home/joel/.emacs-custom.el"
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
<<<<
The directories are commented out for testing purposes (to
avoid doing
the whole thing).

When I run backup I get:

/home/joel/etc/backup Super-User > backup -f --time=now
backup -f --time=now
/dev/sdb1: Invalid argument
Backing up -f at Thu Nov 29 12:22:28 EST 2007
tar: -f: Cannot chdir: No such file or directory
tar: Error is not recoverable: exiting now
/dev/sdb1: Invalid argument
sleeping 60 seconds
  C-c C-c
/home/joel/etc/backup Super-User >

Observations and questions:
1. are the options are being accepted as arguments?
2. whatever I put for TAPE_FILE I get invalid argument,
except when I
   get "invalid ioctl for device" --- does this
only work with actual tapes?
3. everything I find on the internet is about how to clone a
system,
   backup system files or a bunch of other stuff that would
be useless
   to me: does anyone use /usr/bin/backup?  It sounds like
it's designed
   for the purpose I want, so I'd really like it to work.

Thanks for any help you can offer,
Joel
   

-- 
Joel J. Adamson
Biostatistician
Pediatric Psychopharmacology Research Unit
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, MA  02114
(617) 643-1432
(303) 880-3109

On Thu, Nov 29, 2007 at 12:26:47PM -0500, Joel J. Adamson
wrote:
> Howdy,
> 
> I'm using Slackware GNU/Linux 12.0 and would like to
back up certain
> files in my home directory: these are just data and
configuration files,
> not system files of any kind.  Reading the `tar' manual
I came across
> the backup scripts, on my system in /usr/bin/backup.  I
created a
> backup-specs file, and have gotten a bunch of errors
that don't seem to
> jive with the documentation.  Here's my backup-specs
file:
> 
>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>
> # backups for joel
> #
> 
> ADMINISTRATOR=joel
> #BLOCKING=8
> TAPE_FILE=/dev/sdb1
> VOLNO_FILE=/home/joel/var/backup/volno_file/
> 
> BACKUP_HOUR="now"
> # BACKUP_DIRS="
> #     /home/joel/ado
> #     /home/joel/data
> #     /home/joel/docs
> #     /home/joel/svn_repo
> #     /home/joel/Mail
> #     /home/joel/News
> #     /home/joel/lisp"
> BACKUP_FILES="
>     /home/joel/office-directory
>     /home/joel/.emacs
>     /home/joel/.emacs-custom.el"
>
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
<<<<
> The directories are commented out for testing purposes
(to avoid doing
> the whole thing).
> 
> When I run backup I get:
> 
> /home/joel/etc/backup Super-User > backup -f
--time=now
> backup -f --time=now
> /dev/sdb1: Invalid argument

Perhaps it needs to be mounted.

grep mount /usr/sbin/backup didn't produce anything.

Tom

TBlittlefoot <littlefoot8earthlink.net> writes:

> On Thu, Nov 29, 2007 at 12:26:47PM -0500, Joel J.
Adamson wrote:
>> Howdy,
>> 
>> I'm using Slackware GNU/Linux 12.0 and would like
to back up certain
>> files in my home directory: these are just data and
configuration files,
>> not system files of any kind.  Reading the `tar'
manual I came across
>> the backup scripts, on my system in
/usr/bin/backup.  I created a
>> backup-specs file, and have gotten a bunch of
errors that don't seem to
>> jive with the documentation.  Here's my
backup-specs file:
>> 

[...]

>> 
>> /home/joel/etc/backup Super-User > backup -f
--time=now
>> backup -f --time=now
>> /dev/sdb1: Invalid argument
>
> Perhaps it needs to be mounted.

Perhaps...

>
> grep mount /usr/sbin/backup didn't produce anything.

That's what I thought the first time.  The drive has been
mounted the
entire time.  I did discover that it was incorrectly
partitioned
(i.e. not partitioned).  But I solved that and I still get
the same
error.

I'll take a deeper look at the script itself.

Thanks!
Joel

-- 
Joel J. Adamson
Biostatistician
Pediatric Psychopharmacology Research Unit
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, MA  02114
(617) 643-1432
(303) 880-3109

On Fri, Nov 30, 2007 at 09:32:05AM -0500, Joel J. Adamson
wrote:
> TBlittlefoot <littlefoot8earthlink.net> writes:
> 
> > On Thu, Nov 29, 2007 at 12:26:47PM -0500, Joel J.
Adamson wrote:
> >> Howdy,
> >> 
> >> I'm using Slackware GNU/Linux 12.0 and would
like to back up certain
> >> files in my home directory: these are just
data and configuration files,
> >> not system files of any kind.  Reading the
`tar' manual I came across
> >> the backup scripts, on my system in
/usr/bin/backup.  I created a
> >> backup-specs file, and have gotten a bunch of
errors that don't seem to
> >> jive with the documentation.  Here's my
backup-specs file:
> >> 
> 
> [...]
> 
> >> 
> >> /home/joel/etc/backup Super-User > backup
-f --time=now
> >> backup -f --time=now
> >> /dev/sdb1: Invalid argument
> >
> > Perhaps it needs to be mounted.
> 
> Perhaps...
> 
> >
> > grep mount /usr/sbin/backup didn't produce
anything.
> 
> That's what I thought the first time.  The drive has
been mounted the
> entire time.  I did discover that it was incorrectly
partitioned
> (i.e. not partitioned).  But I solved that and I still
get the same
> error.

Wouldn't you put the directory it was mounted on in place of
the
device name?


Tom

TBlittlefoot <littlefoot8earthlink.net> writes:

> On Fri, Nov 30, 2007 at 09:32:05AM -0500, Joel J.
Adamson wrote:
>> TBlittlefoot <littlefoot8earthlink.net> writes:
>> 
>> > On Thu, Nov 29, 2007 at 12:26:47PM -0500, Joel
J. Adamson wrote:
>> >> Howdy,
>> >> 
>> >> I'm using Slackware GNU/Linux 12.0 and
would like to back up certain
>> >> files in my home directory: these are just
data and configuration files,
>> >> not system files of any kind.  Reading the
`tar' manual I came across
>> >> the backup scripts, on my system in
/usr/bin/backup.  I created a
>> >> backup-specs file, and have gotten a bunch
of errors that don't seem to
>> >> jive with the documentation.  Here's my
backup-specs file:
>> >> 
>> 
>> [...]
>> 
>> >> 
>> >> /home/joel/etc/backup Super-User >
backup -f --time=now
>> >> backup -f --time=now
>> >> /dev/sdb1: Invalid argument
>> >
>> > Perhaps it needs to be mounted.
>> 
>> Perhaps...
>> 
>> >
>> > grep mount /usr/sbin/backup didn't produce
anything.
>> 
>> That's what I thought the first time.  The drive
has been mounted the
>> entire time.  I did discover that it was
incorrectly partitioned
>> (i.e. not partitioned).  But I solved that and I
still get the same
>> error.
>
> Wouldn't you put the directory it was mounted on in
place of the
> device name?

Yeah, except that I did that and it still didn't work ;)

It turns out that /usr/bin/backup is supplied with a host of
variables
from backup.sh, so I am examining both of them.  The
"invalid argument"
message arises from the init_backup function in
/usr/libexec/backup.sh
on line 178.

Joel

-- 
Joel J. Adamson
Biostatistician
Pediatric Psychopharmacology Research Unit
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, MA  02114
(617) 643-1432
(303) 880-3109