From owner-freebsd-questions Wed Dec 25 18:16:46 1996 Return-Path: Received: (from root@localhost) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.8.4/8.8.4) id SAA02165 for questions-outgoing; Wed, 25 Dec 1996 18:16:46 -0800 (PST) Received: from diablo.ppp.de (diablo.ppp.de [193.141.101.34]) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.8.4/8.8.4) with SMTP id SAA02157 for ; Wed, 25 Dec 1996 18:16:39 -0800 (PST) Received: from freebie.lemis.de by diablo.ppp.de with smtp (Smail3.1.28.1 #1) id m0vd5N1-000QaRC; Thu, 26 Dec 96 03:16 MET Received: (grog@localhost) by freebie.lemis.de (8.8.4/8.6.12) id DAA16709; Thu, 26 Dec 1996 03:13:21 +0100 (MET) From: grog@lemis.de Organisation: LEMIS, Schellnhausen 2, 36325 Feldatal, Germany Phone: +49-6637-919123 Fax: +49-6637-919122 Message-Id: <199612260213.DAA16709@freebie.lemis.de> Subject: Re: Tape backup (was: another question for you?) In-Reply-To: <199612172242.PAA21103@xmission.xmission.com> from Softweyr LLC at "Dec 17, 96 03:42:35 pm" To: softweyr@xmission.com (Softweyr LLC) Date: Thu, 26 Dec 1996 03:13:19 +0100 (MET) Cc: questions@FreeBSD.org (FreeBSD Questions) X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4ME+ PL28 (25)] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: owner-questions@FreeBSD.org X-Loop: FreeBSD.org Precedence: bulk Softweyr LLC writes: > I advised: > % The cheapest and easiest way would be to buy another tape drive for the > % FreeBSD system. Seriously. > > To which you replied: >> okay...I took your advice..I just installed a HP C1536A SCSI DAT >> Drive. Kernel recognizes it as /dev/nrst0 ...I have a 90 meter DDS1 >> tape in it.. >> Now how do I back stuff up to it..? >> I presume that I use dump. > > dump, cpio, or tar. There is also a program called pax, which is > cpio and tar rolled into one. > >> but how..it doesn't seem to like me very much..and the documentation >> in the freebsd handbook is very sparce.. >> The manpage is semi-useful...Do i need to format the tape at all? I >> don't think so..but If I do..how would I do it? How do I tell dump >> the density of my tape? it doesnt' like my command line options.. >> If only I had an example...and example could go a long way.. => > > I've always used tar myself. To backup your entire system onto > a single DAT tape (if it'll fit), try: > > tar -cvf /dev/rst0 / > > This tells tar to (c)reate an archive, be (v)erbose about it, i.e. > print the filenames as they're added to the archive, on (f)ile > /dev/rst0. Agreed. I've never liked dump much, either. On a DDS tape, you'll find that the backup runs a whole lot faster if you use 64 kB blocks: # tar cvbf 128 /dev/rst0 / > Try reading the man pages on tar, pax, and dump. They're pretty > obtuse, but might give you some help. > > I also recommend that you RUN to the nearest bookstore and get get a > copy of _Essential System Administration_ from O'Reilly and Associates; > it will help greatly in your quest to become > *SUPER-USER*. IMO Nemeth and Co are better. But I haven't got round to looking into the new edition. >> There is a manpage for st (SCSI tape controller) but the command >> isn't present on either of my two freebsd systems that I can find. > > That's odd. It should be there. I don't have FreeBSD up right now, so > I can look for you. I gotta get a little BSD box here at work... ;^) The man page is in section 4 of the manual, which describes special devices, not commands. Greg