Can I get the backup option of cp and mv to work with directories?
2
--backup[=CONTROL]
make a backup of each existing destination file
The man page does say that it works on file. It doesn't seem to have any effect on directories. Is there anyway to make this work with directories as well? I want the destination directory, if it exists, to be backed up in the same way that a file would be backed up.
shell-script backup rename cp
asked Feb 22 '12 at 13:58
phunehehephunehehe
12.3k1882141
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 20 mins ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
add a comment |
2
--backup[=CONTROL]
make a backup of each existing destination file
The man page does say that it works on file. It doesn't seem to have any effect on directories. Is there anyway to make this work with directories as well? I want the destination directory, if it exists, to be backed up in the same way that a file would be backed up.
shell-script backup rename cp
asked Feb 22 '12 at 13:58
phunehehephunehehe
12.3k1882141
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 20 mins ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
What does "work" mean for a directory? Are you trying to back up the information about the directory itself, or are you trying to organize the backed-up files into a separate back-up directory (instead of having each file backed up in the directory in which it is found)? Either way, "cp" will not do this for you; you need to write a script.
– Ian D. Allen
Oct 14 '13 at 15:32
@IDAllen Yeah I have come to that same conclusion. Let me make the script an answer instead.
– phunehehe
Oct 15 '13 at 3:52
add a comment |
2
2
2
--backup[=CONTROL]
make a backup of each existing destination file
The man page does say that it works on file. It doesn't seem to have any effect on directories. Is there anyway to make this work with directories as well? I want the destination directory, if it exists, to be backed up in the same way that a file would be backed up.
shell-script backup rename cp
asked Feb 22 '12 at 13:58
phunehehephunehehe
12.3k1882141
--backup[=CONTROL]
make a backup of each existing destination file
The man page does say that it works on file. It doesn't seem to have any effect on directories. Is there anyway to make this work with directories as well? I want the destination directory, if it exists, to be backed up in the same way that a file would be backed up.
shell-script backup rename cp
shell-script backup rename cp
asked Feb 22 '12 at 13:58
phunehehephunehehe
12.3k1882141
asked Feb 22 '12 at 13:58
phunehehephunehehe
12.3k1882141
edited Oct 15 '13 at 3:54
phunehehe
asked Feb 22 '12 at 13:58
phunehehephunehehe
12.3k1882141
asked Feb 22 '12 at 13:58
phunehehephunehehe
12.3k1882141
asked Feb 22 '12 at 13:58
phunehehephunehehe
12.3k1882141
12.3k1882141
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 20 mins ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 20 mins ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
What does "work" mean for a directory? Are you trying to back up the information about the directory itself, or are you trying to organize the backed-up files into a separate back-up directory (instead of having each file backed up in the directory in which it is found)? Either way, "cp" will not do this for you; you need to write a script.
– Ian D. Allen
Oct 14 '13 at 15:32
@IDAllen Yeah I have come to that same conclusion. Let me make the script an answer instead.
– phunehehe
Oct 15 '13 at 3:52
add a comment |
What does "work" mean for a directory? Are you trying to back up the information about the directory itself, or are you trying to organize the backed-up files into a separate back-up directory (instead of having each file backed up in the directory in which it is found)? Either way, "cp" will not do this for you; you need to write a script.
– Ian D. Allen
Oct 14 '13 at 15:32
@IDAllen Yeah I have come to that same conclusion. Let me make the script an answer instead.
– phunehehe
Oct 15 '13 at 3:52
What does "work" mean for a directory? Are you trying to back up the information about the directory itself, or are you trying to organize the backed-up files into a separate back-up directory (instead of having each file backed up in the directory in which it is found)? Either way, "cp" will not do this for you; you need to write a script.
– Ian D. Allen
Oct 14 '13 at 15:32
What does "work" mean for a directory? Are you trying to back up the information about the directory itself, or are you trying to organize the backed-up files into a separate back-up directory (instead of having each file backed up in the directory in which it is found)? Either way, "cp" will not do this for you; you need to write a script.
– Ian D. Allen
Oct 14 '13 at 15:32
@IDAllen Yeah I have come to that same conclusion. Let me make the script an answer instead.
– phunehehe
Oct 15 '13 at 3:52
@IDAllen Yeah I have come to that same conclusion. Let me make the script an answer instead.
– phunehehe
Oct 15 '13 at 3:52
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
0
I have a feeling that there isn't, so I wrote this script which emulates the functionality:
#!/bin/bash
if [ -e "$target" ]
then
backup="$target.bak"
if [[ -e "$backup" ]]
then
count=0
while [[ -e "$backup.$count" ]]; do let "count += 1"; done
backup="$backup.$count"
fi
mv "$target" "$backup"
echo "backup file $backup created."
fi
# Normal cp or mv follows
answered Oct 15 '13 at 3:55
phunehehephunehehe
12.3k1882141
I think you've written an archive and delete script, not a back-up script, since your script deletes the original directory (by renaming it). Your script comment about "file created" will mislead if it isn't a file. Depending on how you call your script (i.e. if you use it withfind), you may find that it archives all the files under a directory before it archives the directory itself, orfindwill complain that you've just moved away a directory that it was about to walk - this may not be what you want.
– Ian D. Allen
Oct 17 '13 at 1:29
@IDAllen You misunderstood, this script is to be used in place ofcpormv, to make the--backupbehavior applicable to directories.
– phunehehe
Oct 17 '13 at 5:03
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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active
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1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
0
I have a feeling that there isn't, so I wrote this script which emulates the functionality:
#!/bin/bash
if [ -e "$target" ]
then
backup="$target.bak"
if [[ -e "$backup" ]]
then
count=0
while [[ -e "$backup.$count" ]]; do let "count += 1"; done
backup="$backup.$count"
fi
mv "$target" "$backup"
echo "backup file $backup created."
fi
# Normal cp or mv follows
answered Oct 15 '13 at 3:55
phunehehephunehehe
12.3k1882141
I think you've written an archive and delete script, not a back-up script, since your script deletes the original directory (by renaming it). Your script comment about "file created" will mislead if it isn't a file. Depending on how you call your script (i.e. if you use it withfind), you may find that it archives all the files under a directory before it archives the directory itself, orfindwill complain that you've just moved away a directory that it was about to walk - this may not be what you want.
– Ian D. Allen
Oct 17 '13 at 1:29
@IDAllen You misunderstood, this script is to be used in place ofcpormv, to make the--backupbehavior applicable to directories.
– phunehehe
Oct 17 '13 at 5:03
add a comment |
0
I have a feeling that there isn't, so I wrote this script which emulates the functionality:
#!/bin/bash
if [ -e "$target" ]
then
backup="$target.bak"
if [[ -e "$backup" ]]
then
count=0
while [[ -e "$backup.$count" ]]; do let "count += 1"; done
backup="$backup.$count"
fi
mv "$target" "$backup"
echo "backup file $backup created."
fi
# Normal cp or mv follows
answered Oct 15 '13 at 3:55
phunehehephunehehe
12.3k1882141
I think you've written an archive and delete script, not a back-up script, since your script deletes the original directory (by renaming it). Your script comment about "file created" will mislead if it isn't a file. Depending on how you call your script (i.e. if you use it withfind), you may find that it archives all the files under a directory before it archives the directory itself, orfindwill complain that you've just moved away a directory that it was about to walk - this may not be what you want.
– Ian D. Allen
Oct 17 '13 at 1:29
@IDAllen You misunderstood, this script is to be used in place ofcpormv, to make the--backupbehavior applicable to directories.
– phunehehe
Oct 17 '13 at 5:03
add a comment |
0
0
0
I have a feeling that there isn't, so I wrote this script which emulates the functionality:
#!/bin/bash
if [ -e "$target" ]
then
backup="$target.bak"
if [[ -e "$backup" ]]
then
count=0
while [[ -e "$backup.$count" ]]; do let "count += 1"; done
backup="$backup.$count"
fi
mv "$target" "$backup"
echo "backup file $backup created."
fi
# Normal cp or mv follows
answered Oct 15 '13 at 3:55
phunehehephunehehe
12.3k1882141
I have a feeling that there isn't, so I wrote this script which emulates the functionality:
#!/bin/bash
if [ -e "$target" ]
then
backup="$target.bak"
if [[ -e "$backup" ]]
then
count=0
while [[ -e "$backup.$count" ]]; do let "count += 1"; done
backup="$backup.$count"
fi
mv "$target" "$backup"
echo "backup file $backup created."
fi
# Normal cp or mv follows
answered Oct 15 '13 at 3:55
phunehehephunehehe
12.3k1882141
answered Oct 15 '13 at 3:55
phunehehephunehehe
12.3k1882141
answered Oct 15 '13 at 3:55
phunehehephunehehe
12.3k1882141
answered Oct 15 '13 at 3:55
phunehehephunehehe
12.3k1882141
12.3k1882141
I think you've written an archive and delete script, not a back-up script, since your script deletes the original directory (by renaming it). Your script comment about "file created" will mislead if it isn't a file. Depending on how you call your script (i.e. if you use it withfind), you may find that it archives all the files under a directory before it archives the directory itself, orfindwill complain that you've just moved away a directory that it was about to walk - this may not be what you want.
– Ian D. Allen
Oct 17 '13 at 1:29
@IDAllen You misunderstood, this script is to be used in place ofcpormv, to make the--backupbehavior applicable to directories.
– phunehehe
Oct 17 '13 at 5:03
add a comment |
I think you've written an archive and delete script, not a back-up script, since your script deletes the original directory (by renaming it). Your script comment about "file created" will mislead if it isn't a file. Depending on how you call your script (i.e. if you use it withfind), you may find that it archives all the files under a directory before it archives the directory itself, orfindwill complain that you've just moved away a directory that it was about to walk - this may not be what you want.
– Ian D. Allen
Oct 17 '13 at 1:29
@IDAllen You misunderstood, this script is to be used in place ofcpormv, to make the--backupbehavior applicable to directories.
– phunehehe
Oct 17 '13 at 5:03
I think you've written an archive and delete script, not a back-up script, since your script deletes the original directory (by renaming it). Your script comment about "file created" will mislead if it isn't a file. Depending on how you call your script (i.e. if you use it with
find), you may find that it archives all the files under a directory before it archives the directory itself, or find will complain that you've just moved away a directory that it was about to walk - this may not be what you want.– Ian D. Allen
Oct 17 '13 at 1:29
I think you've written an archive and delete script, not a back-up script, since your script deletes the original directory (by renaming it). Your script comment about "file created" will mislead if it isn't a file. Depending on how you call your script (i.e. if you use it with
find), you may find that it archives all the files under a directory before it archives the directory itself, or find will complain that you've just moved away a directory that it was about to walk - this may not be what you want.– Ian D. Allen
Oct 17 '13 at 1:29
@IDAllen You misunderstood, this script is to be used in place of
cp or mv, to make the --backup behavior applicable to directories.– phunehehe
Oct 17 '13 at 5:03
@IDAllen You misunderstood, this script is to be used in place of
cp or mv, to make the --backup behavior applicable to directories.– phunehehe
Oct 17 '13 at 5:03
add a comment |
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What does "work" mean for a directory? Are you trying to back up the information about the directory itself, or are you trying to organize the backed-up files into a separate back-up directory (instead of having each file backed up in the directory in which it is found)? Either way, "cp" will not do this for you; you need to write a script.
– Ian D. Allen
Oct 14 '13 at 15:32
@IDAllen Yeah I have come to that same conclusion. Let me make the script an answer instead.
– phunehehe
Oct 15 '13 at 3:52