Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 22:05:25 +0100 (BST) From: Mark Ovens <mark@ukug.uk.freebsd.org> To: FreeBSD-gnats-submit@freebsd.org Subject: docs/13605: Add content for the empty section on floppy backups in the handbook. Message-ID: <199909062105.WAA01403@marder-1.>
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>Number: 13605
>Category: docs
>Synopsis: Add content for the empty section on floppy backups in the handbook.
>Confidential: no
>Severity: non-critical
>Priority: low
>Responsible: freebsd-doc
>State: open
>Quarter:
>Keywords:
>Date-Required:
>Class: doc-bug
>Submitter-Id: current-users
>Arrival-Date: Mon Sep 6 14:20:00 PDT 1999
>Closed-Date:
>Last-Modified:
>Originator: Mark Ovens <mark@ukug.uk.freebsd.org>
>Release: FreeBSD 3.1-RELEASE i386
>Organization:
>Environment:
>Description:
Add content for the empty section "What about backups to floppies?"
in the handbook.
>How-To-Repeat:
Read chapter of the handbook.
>Fix:
Apply the following diffs.
I have also changed the order of the sections in this chapter because
9. Backups
9.1. Tape Media
9.2. Backup Programs
9.3. What about backups to floppies?
seems more logical than
9. Backups
9.1. What about backups to floppies?
9.2. Tape Media
9.3. Backup Programs
*** /usr/doc/en_US.ISO_8859-1/books/handbook/backups/chapter.sgml.orig Sat Aug 28 16:20:37 1999
--- /usr/doc/en_US.ISO_8859-1/books/handbook/backups/chapter.sgml Mon Sep 6 21:46:38 1999
***************
*** 30,41 ****
remember to specify exactly what version of FreeBSD you are using and
include as many details of your hardware as possible.</para>
- <sect1>
- <title>* What about backups to floppies?</title>
-
- <para></para>
- </sect1>
-
<sect1 id="backups-tapebackups">
<title>Tape Media</title>
--- 30,35 ----
***************
*** 607,612 ****
--- 601,707 ----
</sect3>
</sect2>
</sect1>
+
+ <sect1 id="backups-floppybackups">
+ <title>What about backups to floppies?</title>
+
+ <sect2 id="floppies-using">
+ <title>Can I use floppies for backing up my data?</title>
+
+ <para>Floppy disks are not really a suitable media for
+ making backups as:</para>
+
+ <itemizedlist>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>The media is unreliable, especially over long
+ periods of time</para>
+ </listitem>
+
+ <listitem>
+ <para>Backing up and restoring is very slow</para>
+ </listitem>
+
+ <listitem>
+ <para>They have a very limited capacity (the days of
+ backing up an entire hard disk onto a dozen or so
+ floppies has long since passed).</para>
+ </listitem>
+ </itemizedlist>
+
+ <para>However, if you have no other method of backing up your
+ data then floppy disks are better than no backup at all.</para>
+
+ <para>If you do have to use floppy disks then ensure that you use
+ good quality ones. Floppies that have been lying around the
+ office for a couple of years are a bad choice. Ideally use new
+ ones from a reputable manufacturer.</para>
+
+ </sect2>
+
+ <sect2 id="floppies-creating">
+ <title>So how do I backup my data to floppies?</title>
+
+ <para>The best way to backup to floppy disk is to use
+ <filename>tar(1)</filename> with the <filename>[-]M</filename>
+ (multi volume) option, which allows backups to span multiple
+ floppies.</para>
+
+ <para>To backup all the files in the current directory and
+ sub-directory use this (as root):</para>
+
+ <screen>&prompt.root; <userinput>tar Mcvf /dev/rfd0 *</userinput>
+ </screen>
+
+ <para>When the first floppy is full <filename>tar(1)</filename>
+ will prompt you to insert the next volume
+ (because <filename>tar(1)</filename> is media independent it
+ refers to volumes. In this context it means floppy disk)</para>
+
+ <screen>Prepare volume #2 for /dev/rfd0 and hit return:</screen>
+
+ <para>This is repeated (with the volume number incrementing)
+ until all the specified files have been archived.</para>
+
+ </sect2>
+
+ <sect2 id="floppies-compress">
+ <title>Can I compress my backups?</title>
+
+ <para>Unfortunately, <filename>tar(1)</filename> will not allow
+ the <filename>-z</filename> option to be used for multi-volume
+ archives. You could, of course, <filename>gzip(1)</filename>
+ all the files, <filename>tar(1)</filename> them to the floppies,
+ then <filename>gunzip(1)</filename> the files again!</para>
+
+ </sect2>
+
+ <sect2 id="floppies-restoring">
+ <title>How do I restore my backups?</title>
+
+ <para>To restore the entire archive use:</para>
+ <screen>&prompt.root; <userinput>tar Mxvf /dev/rfd0</userinput>
+ </screen>
+
+ <para>To restore only specific files you can either start
+ with the first floppy and use:</para>
+
+ <screen>&prompt.root; <userinput>tar Mxvf /dev/rfd0 filename..
+ </userinput></screen>
+
+ <para><filename>tar(1)</filename> will prompt you to insert
+ subsequent floppies until it finds the required file.</para>
+
+ <para>Alternatively, if you know which floppy the file is on
+ then you can simply insert that floppy and use the same
+ command as above. Note that if the first file on the floppy is
+ a continuation from the previous one then
+ <filename>tar(1)</filename> will warn you that it cannot
+ restore it, even if you have not asked it to!</para>
+
+ </sect2>
+
+ </sect1>
+
</chapter>
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