UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Hi

I am looking for some option in vi config options to set so that any time any user update/change any file then one backup file (before change) is created automatically which can be used for diff or to revert back during any issue of accidental or wrong update

I had heard some option to setup backupdir etc but not able to find the detail and not able to make it working on my unix box.

Could someone pls help me with command or steps to do it

Thanks
rel

Hello reldb,

Following are the 2 ways which you may try.
1st: You can create your .vimrcfile in your home directory.
example:

Code:

cat  >.vimrc
set backup " backup on
OR
cat  >.vimrc
set nobackup " backup off

Note: vim takes your .vimrc vim from your home directory. If you want backup file from VIM. use the above options in your .vimrc file. Double quote" is comment line in .vimrc file. So you can put any one of the above commands to set OR not to set backup. If you want to specify the backup files directory. Use the following way.

Code:

set backupdir=./.backup
set directory=./.backup

2nd: You can do a :w Input_file_bkp before start editing the original Input_file.
But obviously 1st option is much better than this.

Hope this helps you.

Thanks,
R. Singh

In a real vi there is no such option. There are many vi-clones out there (one being vim, which RavinderSingh13 already mentioned) which implement such a functionality, but the real vi doesn't.

The most obvious reason is that it is not needed: UNIX has a revision control system ("sccs", "Source Code Control System") built in which you could use to go back to an (in fact: any) earlier version. Many of todays UNIXes do not have sccs but one of its descendants: rcs, cvs, git, ... . If such a system is not already installed on your system it could be easily done so in a second, probably only install one or two packages and you are all set.

If you still want to do it without a version system: use a small script, which you can put into your path before vi, use an alias or whatever suits you:

myvi.sh:

Code:

#!/bin/sh

# comment the following out if you want your backups in a central backup directory:
# fBackupDir="/path/to/backupdir"

arg=""

for arg in $* ; do
     if [ -f "$arg" ] ; then
          cp "$arg" "$arg".sav
          # reverse comments for central backup dir:
          # cp "$arg" "$fBackupDir/${arg##*/}"
     fi
done

exec /usr/bin/vi $*

I hope this helps.

bakunin