* Torrin (torrin@torrin.dyndns.org) [020723 09:33]: > Hey everybody, > > What tools should I use to backup changed files? > > Let me give you an example. > > on my computer /etc/resolv.conf has changed since I installed it, but > /etc/services hasn't. Is there a tool I can use to find out which files > have changed since installation? Then I want to put all those files on > a CD. I think I can manage that with mkisofs but I'm not sure. Well, FWIW, I do an entire system backup (not pruning non-changed things) and it easily fits on a single CD. This even includes my home directory, with whatever goodies it contains. My point about that is that you should easily be able to fit the entire contents of your "system" data (/etc, /var/log /var/lib /var/cache/apt /var/backups /var/cvs /usr/local) on a single CD without futzing around with excluding the unchanged files. This will give you a backup that is more complete, will be a simpler script (and thus less room for error via accidentally excluding too much, etc.), and will be more likely to restore correctly when a rebuild is necessary. So I don't answer your question, only point out that you may not need to do what you asked how to do ;) If you have somewhere a "clean" installation to compare it to, you may be able to work out what you need using diff, tar, find, or even rsync. Actually, if you have a clean system, you could start by installing tripwire to take a snapshot of your system, do your usual customizations, and then ask tripwire what changed. I guess the root of your question is "how can I ask the debian package management tools which files are unchanged?" The packages do include MD5 sums of the files they include (in /var/lib/dpkg/info/<packagename>.md5sums) so you could get generate yourself a list of files which have changed. Anyway, I'm just rattling off half-complete ideas since I don't really have The Answer. If any of these ideas sounds interesting, I can expound a bit. good times, Vineet -- http://www.doorstop.net/ -- "Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocre minds. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence." -- Albert Einstein
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