Hi,
The short answer is:
# cd /path/to/old/directory
# find . -depth -print0 | afio -p -xv -0a /mount/point/of/new/directory
Now for the long answer. The candidates are:
cp:
Traditionally, cp was not really a candidate since it did not
derenference symbolic links, or preserve hard links
either. Another thing to consider was sparse files (with
holes).
GNU cp has overcome these limitations, however, on a non GNU
system, cp could still have problems. Also, you can't genrate
small, portable archives using cp.
% cp -a . newdir
tar:
Tar overcame some of the problems that cp had with symbolic
links. However, `cpio' handles special files; traditional
`tar' doesn't.
`tar's way of handling multiple hard links to a file places
only one copy of the link on the tape, but the name attached
to that copy is the _only_ one you can use to retrieve the
file; `cpio's way puts one copy for every link, but you can
retrieve it using any of the names.
% tar cf - . | (cd new-dir; tar xvvSpf -)
pax;
The new, POSIX (IEEE Std 1003.2-1992, pages 380-388 (section
4.48) and pages 936-940 (section E.4.48)), all singing, all
dancing, Portable archive interchange utility. pax will read,
write, and list the members of an archive file, and will copy
directory hierarchies. pax operation is independent of the
specific archive format, and supports a wide variety of
different archive formats.
pax implementations are still new and wet behind the ears.
% pax -rw -p e . newdir
or
% find . -depth | pax -rw -p e newdir
cpio:
copies files into or out of a cpio or tar archive, The archive
can be another file on the disk, a magnetic tape, or a pipe.
% find . -depth -print0 | cpio --null --sparse -pvd new-dir
afio:
Afio is a better way of dealing with cpio-format archives. It is
generally faster than cpio, provides more diverse magnetic tape
options and deals somewhat gracefully with input data corruption. It
deals somewhat gracefully with input data corruption. Supports
multi-volume archives during interactive operation. Afio can make
compressed archives that are much safer than compressed tar or cpio
archives. Afio is best used as an `archive engine' in a backup
script.
% find . -depth -print0 | afio -px -0a new-dir
All my backups onto tape use afio.
manoj
--
Noncombatant: A dead Quaker. Ambrose Bierce
Manoj Srivastava <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <http://www.debian.org/%7Esrivasta/>
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