http://hol.net.nz/home/ http://hol.net.nz/blog/backup-your-lamp/#PageComment_11 @Keith: -aHk should do what you need - the -a (archive) preserves file permissions, dates etc, but leaves links alone. the -H means hard-linked files are included, and the -k makes rsync copy symlinked files into the backup as if they were really there. @Benjamin: Cool, I'll have to take a look at that. Rsync on its own can also do this, utilizing Linux's hard links. I do it on our work servers. At some stage I'll post a howto for setting that up. @Others: Thanks for your comments - I'm glad you find this stuff helpful Thu, 12 Feb 2009 22:31:51 +1300 al http://hol.net.nz/blog/backup-your-lamp/#PageComment_11 http://hol.net.nz/blog/backup-your-lamp/#PageComment_9 Clean and neat. Tue, 29 Jul 2008 04:14:04 +1200 Kenny http://hol.net.nz/blog/backup-your-lamp/#PageComment_9 http://hol.net.nz/blog/backup-your-lamp/#PageComment_10 I'm curious as to your choices for rsync options, -aHk. I have a directory I need backed up that's soft linked in multiple places. I only want to back it up once and preserve the soft links... Does this convert all those to hard links? Tue, 29 Jul 2008 04:14:04 +1200 Keith Valeba http://hol.net.nz/blog/backup-your-lamp/#PageComment_10 http://hol.net.nz/blog/backup-your-lamp/#PageComment_8 rsync is a cool tool. As a complementary hint I can recommend a script calles "snapback2" (http://www.perusion.com/misc/Snapback2/). It's quite easy to install and uses an easy-to-understand notion. If you want to do just file backups it might be worth a look. The best thing is, that it allows multipe backup versions (last days, months, etc.) using only the space needed for the updated/new files! Works also over ssh so idealy for distributed backup; but also capable of doing it locally. Again: also rsync based. Tue, 29 Jul 2008 02:01:58 +1200 Benjamin http://hol.net.nz/blog/backup-your-lamp/#PageComment_8 http://hol.net.nz/blog/backup-your-lamp/#PageComment_7 Nice, simple, well constructed article. Tue, 29 Jul 2008 01:14:20 +1200 Donald Organ http://hol.net.nz/blog/backup-your-lamp/#PageComment_7