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Compare file dates before copy

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# 15  
Old 08-09-2018
rsync is a good way to make backups.

There are 100s of ways to do things on Linux, so always do what you like.

However, when I rsync backups, for example database dump backups, I keep the file names in each file:

Code:
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 409715952 Jun  1 22:30 main_masterdump_2018-06-01-22.sql.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 409688854 Jun  2 22:30 main_masterdump_2018-06-02-22.sql.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 409982101 Jun  3 22:30 main_masterdump_2018-06-03-22.sql.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 409919476 Jun  4 22:30 main_masterdump_2018-06-04-22.sql.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 409866365 Jun  5 22:30 main_masterdump_2018-06-05-22.sql.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 409877826 Jun  6 22:30 main_masterdump_2018-06-06-22.sql.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 409882688 Jun  7 22:30 main_masterdump_2018-06-07-22.sql.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 410654112 Jun  8 22:30 main_masterdump_2018-06-08-22.sql.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 411599782 Jun  9 22:30 main_masterdump_2018-06-09-22.sql.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 412574869 Jun 10 22:30 main_masterdump_2018-06-10-22.sql.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 414508311 Jun 11 22:30 main_masterdump_2018-06-11-22.sql.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 410308454 Jun 12 22:30 main_masterdump_2018-06-12-22.sql.gz

You will be a wiser sys admin to include dates in your filenames.
# 16  
Old 08-09-2018
I am a normal user, not a sys admin.

But if my filenames have the date in them, won't I accumulate a lot of files?

I tried this, but it made a ton of files which quickly filled up a directory.

Code:
cp --backup=numbered afile /path/to/dest

# 17  
Old 08-09-2018
Yes, because it will not overwrite the old backup.

That is a "good thing" because you don't want to automatically overwrite your backups.

The purpose of having backups is to have a lot of them incase there was a problem.

For example.

Let's say that in two weeks time, you discover a criminal hacked into your system a week ago and did some bad things.

If you only have the latest backup, two weeks from now, you will certainly not have the backup from three weeks ago (from two weeks in the future).

So, if you want to be safe and take care of your users and user data, you must have backups going back ... a long way... depending on how critical your data is.

Then, as a good sys admin, you delete your very old backups (manually is best) when you are confident you don't need them.

That's how it is done.

Otherwise, you will f*ed very much when you discover in a month someone hacked you two weeks ago from today Smilie
# 18  
Old 08-09-2018
Ok. But I will need more help in putting file dates into my file names.

Bash is very featured filled.

Much more so than batch files I used in WIndows.
# 19  
Old 08-09-2018
You need a command substitution, either ` ` (backticks) or $( )
Store it in a variable like this
Code:
date=$(date +%Y-%m-%d)

Then insert $date where you need it.
Last edited by MadeInGermany; 08-09-2018 at 03:39 PM.. Reason: + was missing
# 20  
Old 08-09-2018
Code:
cp Ubuntu_Documents.zip /media/andy/MAXTOR_SDB1/Ubuntu_Mate_18.04/Ubuntu_Documents.zip_`date +%d%b%Y_%H_%M`

Code:
Ubuntu_Documents.zip_09Aug2018_12_00

# 21  
Old 08-09-2018
You need to put the date before the file extension:

Like this:

Code:
Ubuntu_Documents_DATE_TIME.zip

.. not on the end of the file extension.
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