Choosing tar, cpio, or Other Backup Programs
Warning: Restoring a Complete Backup Is Not TrivialYou may think that your system is safe because you have a complete backup. However, on many types of UNIX, before you can restore your backup you must completely reinstall and reconfigure the operating system (which can be as difficult as it sounds, if not more so). When evaluating backup programs, give high marks to utilities that can automatically restore your whole system in an emergency. |
The tar and cpio utilities are found on all types of UNIX systems and enable you to save and restore files. Many other backup utilities on UNIX systems do a better job and are easier to use than tar or cpio. They have names like dump, ufsdump, LoneTar, BackupEdge ...
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