tar exclude from not working

noir911 · 08-05-2006, 03:30 AM

I'm using GNU/tar & trying to exclude a directory which is not working. Here are the various switches I tried -

tar -cjvf back.full.tar.bz2 / --exclude-from='/tmp/*'

tar -cjvf back.full.tar.bz2 / --exclude-from='/tmp/'

tar -cjvf back.full.tar.bz2 / --exclude=/tmp/*

none of them work.

The directory I am trying to exclude is /tmp. It doesn't have sub-directories.

druuna · 08-05-2006, 04:16 AM

Hi,

I do believe you are using the wrong option.

You are using:

--exclude-from=FILE (exclude patterns listed in FILE), but you are giving it a pattern, not a file with entries that tar should exclude.

If you want to give the file/dir to exclude directly to tar use:
--exclude=PATTERN (exclude files, given as a PATTERN).

Something like this should work:

tar -cjvf back.full.tar.bz2 / --exclude=/tmp*

Hope this helps.

noir911 · 08-05-2006, 06:05 PM

I tried the exact same command but it doesn't work. I also tried to put "/tmp*" and "/tmp/*" (without quotes) in a file and did -

tar -cjvf back.full.tar.bz2 / --exclude=file

doesn't work.

I am using Fedora Core 5's gnu/tar as root.

druuna · 08-05-2006, 06:37 PM

Hi,

The command you are using is incorrect:

tar -cjvf back.full.tar.bz2 / --exclude-from=file

If file is filled with:
/tmp
It should be excluded from the archive.

billymayday · 08-05-2006, 06:43 PM

tar -cjvf back.full.tar.bz2 --exclude="/tmp" /

is what I think you are after

homey · 08-05-2006, 07:05 PM

Tar works for me using either method.
For example:

# ls Music
mp3 files wav files

Code:

(cd /home ; tar -cvf /mnt/backup/my_backup.tar --exclude wav\ files Music)
or
(cd /home ; tar -cvf /mnt/backup/my_backup.tar --exclude "wav files" Music)

### Second method
# create a file with list of directories and/or files to be excluded.
find Music -type d -name 'wav\ files' > file.txt

(cd /home ; tar -cvf /mnt/backup/my_backup.tar -X file.txt Music)