From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG  Mon Mar  4 13:41:35 2013
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG>
Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org
 [IPv6:2001:1900:2254:206a::19:1])
 by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id DD888FF1
 for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>; Mon,  4 Mar 2013 13:41:35 +0000 (UTC)
 (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com)
Received: from wonkity.com (wonkity.com [67.158.26.137])
 by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 83C0A18B2
 for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>; Mon,  4 Mar 2013 13:41:34 +0000 (UTC)
Received: from wonkity.com (localhost [127.0.0.1])
 by wonkity.com (8.14.6/8.14.6) with ESMTP id r24DfUC3066600;
 Mon, 4 Mar 2013 06:41:30 -0700 (MST)
 (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com)
Received: from localhost (wblock@localhost)
 by wonkity.com (8.14.6/8.14.6/Submit) with ESMTP id r24DfUis066597;
 Mon, 4 Mar 2013 06:41:30 -0700 (MST)
 (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com)
Date: Mon, 4 Mar 2013 06:41:30 -0700 (MST)
From: Warren Block <wblock@wonkity.com>
To: Polytropon <freebsd@edvax.de>
Subject: Re: Grepping though a disk
In-Reply-To: <20130304121524.63685108.freebsd@edvax.de>
Message-ID: <alpine.BSF.2.00.1303040637210.66382@wonkity.com>
References: <20130304013608.7981e8a9.freebsd@edvax.de>
 <51347454.5060605@gmail.com> <20130304121524.63685108.freebsd@edvax.de>
User-Agent: Alpine 2.00 (BSF 1167 2008-08-23)
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
X-Greylist: Sender IP whitelisted, not delayed by milter-greylist-4.2.7
 (wonkity.com [127.0.0.1]); Mon, 04 Mar 2013 06:41:30 -0700 (MST)
Cc: Joshua Isom <jrisom@gmail.com>, freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.14
Precedence: list
List-Id: User questions <freebsd-questions.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/options/freebsd-questions>, 
 <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>, 
 <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 04 Mar 2013 13:41:35 -0000

On Mon, 4 Mar 2013, Polytropon wrote:

> The file size of the file I'm searching for is less than 10 kB.
> It's a relatively small text file which got some subsequent
> additions in the last days, but hasn't been part of the backup
> job yet.

There have been some good suggestions.  I would use a large buffer with 
dd, say 1M or more, both for speed and to reduce the chance of hitting 
only part of the search string.

For the future, look at sysutils/rsnapshot.  Easy to set up, 
space-efficient, and provides an easily-accessed file history.