Re: backup and hidden files in tar

["Robert P. J. Day" <rpjday mindspring com>]

> > > J.L. Coenders wrote:
> > > > Hi,
> > > > How do I include backup and hidden files in my tar archives? I want a
> > > > complete backup of my home directory, including all settings.

do the backup relative to the current directory.  go to the directory 
in question and:

  $ tar cvf mybackup.tar .    (not "*", but ".")

that will pick up everything, including hidden thingies that start 
with "." in the current directory.

one warning, though.  if you do this, the contents of the archive will 
appear, not as:

  file
  file
  file

but as:

  ./file
  ./file
  ./file

and you have to extract them that way as well.  GNU tar is stupidly 
literal, and if you ask for "file" instead of "./file", it will go 
"huh?".

rday