Howdy -

I'm trying to set up a simple script to do some automated backups.
The basic command to create the archive is something like:

tar -cvf archive.tar files-to-be-tar'd

"files-to-be-tar'd" can include path, but there are some tradeoffs on
how you do that path:

/path/to/directory/*    - will pull correct files no matter what the
pwd is when the tar command is run
- will restore files to that same location
(is there some way to override?)
path/to/directory/*     - will pull correct files only if the tar
command is run from the root directory
- will restore files to whatever the
pwd is when the tar command is run

[I hope that formatted properly, try fixed width if it didn't]

I'd like to pull the files from a path that starts explicitely from
root (e.g. /path/to/directory) so it doesn't matter what the pwd is
when it runs, but I don't like that the restore (xvf) puts them back
in that same spot, *no matter* what the pwd is when I run it.  I'd
like to be able to restore them someplace else.

Is there some trivial way to redirect where the files go when I
un-tar, even if the paths in the tar explicitely start at root?  Note
that the archive may contain several directories, not just a bunch of
files from one directory.

Sorry if this is a stupid question.  Thanks!

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On 17 Sep 2003 11:40:30 -0700, Chris Campbell <chris-google@pobox.com> wrote:
quote:

> Howdy -
>
> I'm trying to set up a simple script to do some automated backups.
> The basic command to create the archive is something like:
>
>    tar -cvf archive.tar files-to-be-tar'd
>
> "files-to-be-tar'd" can include path, but there are some tradeoffs on
> how you do that path:
>
> /path/to/directory/*    - will pull correct files no matter what the
>                           pwd is when the tar command is run
>                         - will restore files to that same location
>                           (is there some way to override?)
> path/to/directory/*     - will pull correct files only if the tar
>                           command is run from the root directory
>                         - will restore files to whatever the
>                           pwd is when the tar command is run
>
> [I hope that formatted properly, try fixed width if it didn't]
>
> I'd like to pull the files from a path that starts explicitely from
> root (e.g. /path/to/directory) so it doesn't matter what the pwd is
> when it runs, but I don't like that the restore (xvf) puts them back
> in that same spot, *no matter* what the pwd is when I run it.  I'd
> like to be able to restore them someplace else.
>
> Is there some trivial way to redirect where the files go when I
> un-tar, even if the paths in the tar explicitely start at root?  Note
> that the archive may contain several directories, not just a bunch of
> files from one directory.
>
> Sorry if this is a stupid question.  Thanks!


The GNU version of tar will strip the leading slash and
that can be overridden with the -P option.  You should be
able to use this to accomplish your goal, if you're using
the GNU version.

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

In article <ba42132e.0309171040.29f7b0ff@posting.google.com>,
Chris Campbell <chris-google@pobox.com> wrote:
quote:

>Howdy -
>
>I'm trying to set up a simple script to do some automated backups.
>The basic command to create the archive is something like:
>
>   tar -cvf archive.tar files-to-be-tar'd
>
>"files-to-be-tar'd" can include path, but there are some tradeoffs on
>how you do that path:
>
>/path/to/directory/*    - will pull correct files no matter what the
>                          pwd is when the tar command is run
>                        - will restore files to that same location
>                          (is there some way to override?)
>path/to/directory/*     - will pull correct files only if the tar
>                          command is run from the root directory
>                        - will restore files to whatever the
>                          pwd is when the tar command is run
>
>[I hope that formatted properly, try fixed width if it didn't]
>
>I'd like to pull the files from a path that starts explicitely from
>root (e.g. /path/to/directory) so it doesn't matter what the pwd is
>when it runs, but I don't like that the restore (xvf) puts them back
>in that same spot, *no matter* what the pwd is when I run it.  I'd
>like to be able to restore them someplace else.
>
>Is there some trivial way to redirect where the files go when I
>un-tar, even if the paths in the tar explicitely start at root?  Note
>that the archive may contain several directories, not just a bunch of
>files from one directory.


./path/to/directory/*

Notice the "./" at the beginning of the path.
I think that counts as a trivial modification.

This will take files from wherever tar is run (e.g. root directory)
They will be restored to the pwd when the tar extract is run.

carl
--
carl lowenstein         marine physical lab     u.c. san diego
clowenst@ucsd.edu

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

On 17 Sep 2003 11:40:30 -0700, chris-google@pobox.com (Chris Campbell)
wrote:
quote:

>Howdy -
>
>I'm trying to set up a simple script to do some automated backups.
>The basic command to create the archive is something like:
>
>   tar -cvf archive.tar files-to-be-tar'd
>
>"files-to-be-tar'd" can include path, but there are some tradeoffs on
>how you do that path:
>
>/path/to/directory/*    - will pull correct files no matter what the
>                          pwd is when the tar command is run
>                        - will restore files to that same location
>                          (is there some way to override?)
>path/to/directory/*     - will pull correct files only if the tar
>                          command is run from the root directory
>                        - will restore files to whatever the
>                          pwd is when the tar command is run
>
>[I hope that formatted properly, try fixed width if it didn't]
>
>I'd like to pull the files from a path that starts explicitely from
>root (e.g. /path/to/directory) so it doesn't matter what the pwd is
>when it runs, but I don't like that the restore (xvf) puts them back
>in that same spot, *no matter* what the pwd is when I run it.  I'd
>like to be able to restore them someplace else.
>
>Is there some trivial way to redirect where the files go when I
>un-tar, even if the paths in the tar explicitely start at root?  Note
>that the archive may contain several directories, not just a bunch of
>files from one directory.
>
>Sorry if this is a stupid question.  Thanks!


Most Tar's will have an option to "remove" the leading "/" while
creating the archive file. (e.g. Solaris is "-P" or "-p", not sure
now)

Do a man tar and search for it.

If you tell us which OS we may be able to tell you what option it is,
but your manual is a better target.




Frederico Fonseca
ema il: frederico_fonseca at syssoft-int.com

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

> > Is there some trivial way to redirect where the files go when I
quote:
 
[QUOTE]
> 	./path/to/directory/*
>
> Notice the "./" at the beginning of the path.
> I think that counts as a trivial modification.
>
> This will take files from wherever tar is run (e.g. root directory)
> They will be restored to the pwd when the tar extract is run.


Yep, that did it.  Thanks!

In reply to the other posts, this is on a QNX 4.25 system, and it does
not appear to be the GNU version of tar; there is no -p or -P option
affecting the leading directory slash.  Oddly, a Solaris machine I
looked at referred to the -p option as affecting the *trailing* slash.

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In article <ba42132e.0309201302.6b1e1971@posting.google.com>,
Chris Campbell <chris-google@pobox.com> wrote:
quote:
 
> 
> 
>
>Eh, actually it didn't.  I was misled because I happened to have a
>/path/to/directory/path/to/directory/* directory branch set up as part
>of testing.  The above syntax takes it from the pwd, NOT from root.
>
>If anyone can help, look back in the thread.  I want to run tar from
>anywhere (pwd irrelevant), explicitlying specify the files-to-archive
>path, but I want the restore to go where I tell it.


Well then, how about

(cd / && tar -cf ./path/to/directory/*)

You can't have everything.  If you are using GNU tar, then

gnutar -C / -cf ./path/to/directory/*

carl
--
carl lowenstein         marine physical lab     u.c. san diego
clowenst@ucsd.edu

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