Symbolic links with regards to tar backups

[Alpha90]

I am attempting to make several baseline backups for my system using tar just in case something catastrophic happens to my system. I pretty much know what i should strip away not to include in my backups however i do plan on backing up my /usr directory and if i ever add software do an incremental update.

So i started to read the tar man page but i did not see anything about symbolic links. This got me to think is /usr a self contained secondary level directory library wise or does it include symbolic links to /lib /lib32 /lib64.

My method of thinking so far is to create a back up to /usr /opt /home /etc and some of /var with the thought of my system being modular and if the worst comes i can reinstall my system bare-bones and just overwrite my configuration directory and /usr level binaries and libs and add my personal files. Essentially letting static binaries and system critical binaries and the installed kernel be expendable and easily replaceable in the event of a full system failure.

But this train of thought depends on two assumptions that i think are true but i am not positive hence i am asking. First are /lib /lib32 /lib64 library files only used for the kernel and the binaries in /bin and /sbin or symbolic links can still exist after being compressed into a tarball and unzipped onto a blank system.

[Rubberman]

To do system-level backups, I create bit image (compressed) copies of the drives themselves. Then I use rsync to create backups of changes to an external drive. To restore the system, I get an equal size set of discs for the system, restore the bit image(s) as necessary, and use rsync to restore any changed files from the time I created the bit image. In any case, rsync gives you a lot of options for dealing with links, and such. Check the man pages.

[Alpha90]

I had thought about creating a total system backup however my choice of backup media is limited to dvds or floppy's and while i can make usr or var on a single dvd i know i cannot make a full backup image on one even if i exclude personal data files in home to a different set.

[Rubberman]

Understood. Myself, I just use an external 2TB HD in an eSata dock. The drive is about $150 (used to be about $100 before the floods in Thailand last year) and the dock about $25 (US $$). I find that it is worth the price. My system drive is a 320GB disc, so backing up to a 2TB external disc is not a problem. I create a new copy each couple of weeks - which reminds me that I am overdue for a backup now!

[dono725]

I am having trouble restoring a system backup I created on a nfs server, also I can't work out how to post a new thread

I have plenty of room on a 1.5 TB NAS-SERVER. any command line options for copying root and home partitions to the server.

[oz]

also I can't work out how to post a new thread

Hello and welcome aboard!

We have a New Member FAQ that answers that and other questions about how the forums work:

http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/lin...ember-faq.html

[dono725]

Thank you.

[Superuserlaptop]

I am looking for the same thing. I have a clean install of Debian 7 configured exactly the way I want with many specific modifications. I have found in reading that there is a way to do sympolic links in TAR. When I figure this out, I'll stop back or someone else may have the answer, but the contribution I wished to make here is that is can be done. There is Hope. Good luck.
I just found this: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tar_%28file_format%29

Please put http in front of the link. I haven't been here long enough to post legitimate links. Bother.