Shell script to zip files from input file?

Donny Bahama · 03-22-2021, 01:24 PM

I'm trying to write a single line shell script to backup my browser profile using zip. I don't want to backup the whole thing (way too many cache files, and other non-essential stuff) - I just want the bare essentials. So I created a text file "profile_files" and populated it with all the file and directory names I want to backup. But several of these files and directories have spaces in the name. I tried wrapping each line in double quotes. That didn't work. I tried escaping the space with a preceding "" and when that didn't work I tried a back-tick instead of a back slash. No matter what I do, it skips over any file or subdirectory that has a space in the name.

Turbocapitalist · 03-22-2021, 01:33 PM

It'll help to see the script, but pass the paths and file names using null as a terminator rather than the default of whitespace.

If you are using find then you can use -print0. If you are using xargs thenn see the --null option. Again, it would help to see the script. Please remember to use [code] [/code] tags around it.

shruggy · 03-22-2021, 01:37 PM

AFAIK, zip -@ archive <profile_files will take file names with spaces just fine.

Code:

$ find -name f\*|zip -@ archive
  adding: a b/examples/f2 (stored 0%)
  adding: a b/examples/f1 (stored 0%)
$ unzip -l archive
Archive:  archive.zip
  Length      Date    Time    Name
---------  ---------- -----   ----
       14  04-24-2013 15:55   a b/examples/f2
       10  04-24-2013 15:55   a b/examples/f1
---------                     -------
       24                     2 files

Donny Bahama · 03-22-2021, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turbocapitalist

Again, it would help to see the script.

There is no script. As I said, it'll basically be a one-line script. Something like:

Code:

#!/bin/bash
[zip command I need help with]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shruggy

AFAIK, zip -@ archive <profile_files will take file names with spaces just fine.

Interesting. When I run the command, everything without a space in the name gets zipped up into the archive; everything with a space does not.

Donny Bahama · 03-22-2021, 07:08 PM

Problem solved.
This:
zip -r ChromeProfile.zip $(cat profile_files)
doesn't work

But this:
zip -r ChromeProfile -@ < profile_files
does.

Not sure why but I have a follow up question... when I create that zip file, it's creating the path within the zip file. I.e. when I open the zip file, all I see is a directory - "home". When I double click that, it takes me to [user name]. When I double click that, it takes me to ".config", etc. I'd much prefer, when I open the zip file, to just see the files and (recursed) subdirectories in /home/username/.config/google-chrome/Default

michaelk · 03-22-2021, 08:15 PM

If a directory contains files like

Code:

file 1.txt
file 2.txt

And profile_files contains

Code:

/home/username/path_to/file 1.txt
/home/username/path_to/file 2.txt

Code:

zip test.zip -@ < /path/to/profiles_files
adding: home/username/path_to/file 1.txt 
adding: home/username/path_to/file 2.txt 

unzip -t test.zip
Archive:  test.zip
    testing: home/username/path_to/file 1.txt   OK
    testing: home/username/path_to/file 2.txt   OK

I see you have found the problem...

NevemTeve · 03-23-2021, 05:13 AM

@OP: please don't double-click at all, instead check the output of `unzip -l myfile.zip`: what would you like to get, and what do you get instead.

MadeInGermany · 03-23-2021, 09:23 AM

After the $ substitution the shell splits the result into words according to IFS (defaults to whitespace), and then (by default) attempts filename generation.
You can improve it with

Code:

IFS=; set -f; zip -r ChromeProfile.zip $(cat profile_file)

But it still can overflow with "two many arguments".
Reading the filenames from stdin or an input file is much better.

shruggy · 03-23-2021, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donny Bahama

when I create that zip file, it's creating the path within the zip file

From the zip manual page

Quote:

-D
--no-dir-entries

Do not create entries in the zip archive for directories. Directory entries are created by default so that their attributes can be saved in the zip archive.