UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

       #!/usr/bin/perl   
            @file_list = `find /home/x/tmp/ -name *xxMsg* -ctime +7`;   
            $file_name = '/home/x/tmp/new_archive.tar';   
            for ($count=0;$count<@file_list;$count++)    {     
               if( -e $file_name)    {      `tar -rvf $file_name @file_list[$count] --remove -files 2> /dev/null`;      }
                 else {   
               `tar -cvf $file_name @file_list[$count] --remove -files 2> /dev/null`;     
               }  
           }

tar -cvf /path/to/my/file.tar /home/foo

cd /
tar -cvf /path/to/my/file.tar ./home/foo

cd /someplace/harmless
tar xvf /path/to/file.tar
find . -type f -mtime +1000 -exec rm {} \;
tar cvf /path/to/file.tar ./
cd ..
rm -R ./harmless    # lose the files you restored
mkdir ./harmless