Re: Backup scripts

[Joel J. Adamson]

TBlittlefoot <littlefoot8@earthlink.net> writes:

> On Fri, Nov 30, 2007 at 09:32:05AM -0500, Joel J. Adamson wrote:
>> TBlittlefoot <littlefoot8@earthlink.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