backup and hidden files in tar

[Cameron Simpson]

On 18:17 22 Jul 2004, J.L. Coenders <fedora at universalgrid.nl> wrote:
| How do I include backup and hidden files in my tar archives? I want a complete 
| backup of my home directory, including all settings.

Tar doesn't treat any files specially. Nor do most UNIX tools.
Notions like "backup" or "hidden" are purely in your own mind.

The nearest you get to "hidden" files on UNIX is the "ls" command, that
doesn't bother showing files whose names commence with "."  unless you
give the -a option, and shell globs, which don't match a leading ".".

So tar will archive your whoile directory for you without any special
options.

Cheers,
-- 
Cameron Simpson <cs at zip.com.au> DoD#743
http://www.cskk.ezoshosting.com/cs/

The hardest years in life are those between ten and seventy.
        - Helen Hayes (at age 84)