tar exclude not working for directories

Jerri · Post by **Jerri** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 3:24 am

Well, as the subject suggests, i'm trying to backup some files (well, my whole system) but tar is not cooperating.

the following command *does* work:

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pwd
/usr/src/linux/kernel
tar  --exclude=irq -cvf new.tar ./

it succesfully removes the directory irq, and everything underneath it. However, if i'm trying to backup my entire system, i wont to specify the exact path to the directory to be excluded.

the following commands *do not* work:

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pwd
/usr/src/linux/kernel
tar  --exclude=/usr/src/linux/kernel/irq -cvf new.tar ./
tar  --exclude=/usr/src/linux/kernel/irq/ -cvf new.tar ./
tar  --exclude=/usr/src/linux/kernel/irq/* -cvf new.tar ./
tar  --exclude="/usr/src/linux/kernel/irq" -cvf new.tar ./
tar  --exclude="/usr/src/linux/kernel/irq/" -cvf new.tar ./
tar  --exclude='/usr/src/linux/kernel/irq' -cvf new.tar ./
tar  --exclude='/usr/src/linux/kernel/irq/' -cvf new.tar ./

snippet of whats tarred:

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intermodule.c
intermodule.o
irq/
irq/.autoprobe.o.cmd
irq/Makefile
irq/.manage.o.cmd
irq/internals.h
irq/spurious.c
irq/spurious.o
irq/.handle.o.cmd
irq/.built-in.o.cmd
irq/manage.c
irq/manage.o
irq/handle.c

irq remains! ahhh!!

I'm going crazy over this tiny little thing (i guess thats how it usually goes).

I'm all ears for suggestions.

jdgill0 · Post by **jdgill0** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 3:33 am

Looking at the man page for tar:

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       --wildcards
              use wildcards with --exclude

       --wildcards-match-slash
              wildcards match slashes (/) with --exclude

       --exclude PATTERN
              exclude files based upon PATTERN

       -X, --exclude-from FILE
              exclude files listed in FILE

It looks like the slashes are the problem. You should try the --wildcards-match-slash option, or you can put /usr/src/linux/kernel/irq within a file and use the -X, --exclude-from FILE option, which I know will work.

Jerri · Post by **Jerri** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 3:37 am

no dice, i tried exclude-from FILE, same results. i'm really stumped here...

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[root][/usr/src/linux/kernel]: tar  --wildcards-match-slash --exclude=/usr/src/linux/kernel/irq/* -cvf new.tar * | grep irq
tar: new.tar: file is the archive; not dumped
irq/
irq/.autoprobe.o.cmd
irq/Makefile
irq/.manage.o.cmd
irq/internals.h
irq/spurious.c
irq/spurious.o
irq/.handle.o.cmd
irq/.built-in.o.cmd
irq/manage.c
irq/manage.o
irq/handle.c

jdgill0 · Post by **jdgill0** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 3:46 am

OK. Tried this myself. The problem is because of the ./ is not an absolute path, hence the absolute path /usr/src/linux/kernel/irq does not match anything in ./.

For example, to backup /usr/src/linux without irq.

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tar  --exclude=/usr/src/linux/kernel/irq -cvf new.tar /usr/src/linux

Jerri · Post by **Jerri** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 3:49 am

thanks, that gives me some ideas :)

Jerri · Post by **Jerri** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 4:03 am

jdgill0 you are the man.

Thanks you so much :)

jdgill0 · Post by **jdgill0** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 4:07 am

I actaully learned something myself. I never noticed this "quirk" about tar before. Guess I have been lucky and not run into it ever

Anyways, glad I could help. Good luck.