Archiving only dot directories (+sub-diectories) and files in home directory

[casbahdk]

How do I backup dot directories, dot sub-directories and dot files residing in /home/user/ to an archive? Normally I would run something like the following, but that doesn't seem to work on hidden folders and files:

tar -czvf pictures.tar.gz ~/Pictures

I am using Xubuntu 11.04

[papibe]

Hi casbahdk.

Yes, if you use .* as an argument for tar, it will include . (that means all).

Try this:

find  -maxdepth 1 -type d -regex './\..*' -print0 | xargs -0 tar -czvf myhidden.tar.bz

Explanation:
- Use 'find' to get the list of the .* directories.
- the option -maxdepth 1 means just the directories directly located at home.
- option -type d looks for directory names only.
- regex is used to skip ./ and ../
- the option -print0 is just in case there are tricky characters in the directory names (like spaces).
- xargs take the list created by 'find' and it passes it to the command tar.

Hope it helps, and tell us how it goes.
Regards.

[TeoBigusGeekus]

If you only want to tar dot files, you could use something like this:

tar -cvzf archive.tar.gz ./.[^.]*

[casbahdk]

Thanks for the quick reply. Well this bit partially works:

$ find  -maxdepth 1 -type d -regex './\..*' > test.txt

I can create a test file with a list of the hidden directories, but it doesn't include the hidden files at the top level, like .bashrc and .pinerc The entire command, when used together gives me the following:

$ find  -maxdepth 1 -type d -regex './\..*' -print0 | xargs -0 tar -czvf hidden_bits.tar.gz
tar: Cowardly refusing to create an empty archive
Try `tar --help' or `tar --usage' for more information.

[casbahdk]

If you only want to tar dot files, you could use something like this:

tar -cvzf archive.tar.gz ./.[^.]*

I get the following errors:

$ tar -cvzf hidden_files.tar.gz ./.[^.]*
tar: ./.[^.]*: Cannot stat: No such file or directory
tar: Exiting with failure status due to previous errors

Could this be due to my working from the destination directory?

[TeoBigusGeekus]

Are you sure sure there are hidden files and/or folders where you run the command?

[casbahdk]

Are you sure sure there are hidden files and/or folders where you run the command?

Kalispera, I am running this from the destination folder. Should I try running it from home like this:

$ tar -cvzf archive.tar.gz ./.[^.]* /media/cbb/newest_backup_files/home_folders_files

?

[TeoBigusGeekus]

cd to the folder where the dot files are and run the command.
It works for me...

[papibe]

it doesn't include the hidden files at the top level

Yes, the option '-type d' do exactly that (my mistake from reading just the beginning from your post title).

Just remove it and 'find' will add the files to the list.

$ find  -maxdepth 1 -type d -regex './\..*' -print0 | xargs -0 tar -czvf hidden_bits.tar.gz
tar: Cowardly refusing to create an empty archive
Try `tar --help' or `tar --usage' for more information.

In this instance it looks like the second time you are running the command in a place with no hidden directories.

Hope it helps.
Regards.

[casbahdk]

cd to the folder where the dot files are and run the command.
It works for me...

Yes, it worked here as well. I had to restart when I discovered I hadn't emptied the trash. No point in backing up things I don't want Efharistó.