as I said it is very basic.
If you were to use it on a regular basis it would need much improvement.

for instance the genisofs loop is dumb, so should it fail ( empty tray, none blank disk, etc ) it will screw up.
I threw that in last minute

Decided to use this script today, it fell over

Fixed the script in the post

It is still a very lame script for instance, won't handle files names with special characters.

That's ok; you provided a workable script and warned any readers.
That's good enough to get any serious user going

Since you haven't told us exactly what you are trying to do, and you comment above implies that other OS'es have programs that do what you want, can you mention one or two of those other OS'es programs by name and say "I want it done like THIS program does it". Be sure to list the options/choices you made in those other programs so we can see what exactly you are wanting to do. Maybe somebody will be familiar with one of those other programs and could then suggest a Linux alternative.

I am guessing, and it is only a guess, that you want to start writing files/directories to a DVD, and when it fills up, start writing to another DVD, and so on. All in native file format - no compression, encyrption, etc. If this is the case, what do you want to do when the the DVD is starting to run out of space? Write as much of the current subdirectory to the 1st DVD as possible and then start another version of that same subdirectory on the 2nd DVD with the remaining files? Do not split subdirectories across DVD's? Will you be adding files to this source directory structure over time and want to add those to the DVD set later? Then you'd have to leave room on the target DVDs for expansion and also write them in a mode that allows you to append later.

You've got to provide a detailed description of your requirements before we can offer a meaningful solution. You've got some great solutions proposed thus far, but each solution is based on what the responder assumed you might want. If the assumptions are wrong, tell us what you really want. Specifically.

I know this thread is semi-old, but I came across it looking for info on "dar" and just had to reply for future searchers.

First, it sounds like "mtb" didn't want to mess with the command line, so that limits things a bit for backup purposes. A quick Google search came up with LOTS of answers, but since he mentioned he's on Arch, I'll include their wiki page on the subject: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Backup_Programs

Second, on "split/cat": I've been doing that for years. It just works, although you'd better hope you don't suffer any data corruption. "mtb" and the many of the rest of you have forgotten "The UNIX Way" and that it was originally built for manipulation of text files--only later (mostly thanks to the GNU project) did the utilities become 8-bit clean. Even tar itself was originally formed of other commands strung together using pipes.

One option I just remembered for tar is --multi-volume. This, and a lot more, is explained in a GNU Info(?) page ported to the web: http://www.gnu.org/software/tar/manu...es.html#SEC163

Bear in mind dar and other programs including the various "zip" programs do a lot more than tar, which is really long in the tooth; OTOH, tar is on EVERY UNIX/Linux system (with a normal UNIX/POSIX userspace, anyway--not sure whether Android has it).

But to show "mtb" is more right than he knows, here's the relevant XKCD: https://xkcd.com/1168/

@storkus

mtb's requirement was that the iso image contain files 'in full' so they can be opened without having to 'reconstruct'

not so much a 'backup', but working copies

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A little 'binging' brought up this:
http://www.techradar.com/news/softwa...on-test-909380

From reading it, the Fwbackups software might fit your needs. According to the blurb it can do a plain dump of files, but it didn't say if it could split a directory for you.

Somewhere on the Linux Questions 'Newbie' forum is a very lengthy thread on using 'dd'. I was amazed at what you can do with it. If you can't find what you are looking for, maybe that thread along with some scripting can give you most of what you want.

Coordially

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@Firerat: Ohhhh...lol Tough one, there.

@Spect73: dd is indeed just amazing, I'm always reading somewhere where something new has been done with it. Slackware 14.1 (and I guess 14.0?) has something I've never heard of before called dc3dd, which, according to its SourceForge page, is GNU dd patched with added things for forensics--but I guess useful enough for Pat to include in mainline Slackware: quite the honor!