[tlug] Baby Steps for Command Line Backups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (was Re: Command Line is Good to Learn)

[Jim <jep200404@example.com>]

Alain Hoang <hoanga@example.com> wrote:

>     I've found using RCS is a decent way to track configuration file 
> changes over time.    If anyone has smarter methods I'm always happy to 
> hear new ideas.

Instead of something "smarter", 
I have something that is much "stupider". 

Using version control software for config file backups is very 
sophisticated and certainly has its place. Let's keep the audience 
I was writing to in mind: a beginner hacking X configuration 
files who is afraid of the command line. 

For simple hacking, especially by a beginner, 
a really simple backup like below suffices: 

   [root@example.com root]# cd /etc/X11
   [root@example.com X11]# cp -p XF86Config-4 XF86Config-4-20070705-works-only-at-640x480
   [root@example.com X11]#

Not "smarter", just cruder, simpler and more appropriate baby 
steps for a beginner. Start with the simple, progress to the complex. 
After super simple backups with cp, one should learn tar next. 

Joe, how familiar are you with the command line?