UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Hi Folks,
I'm using rsync on Solaris 10 to backup a web server and need to exclude the cache and tmp directories. The man pages and google on rsync --exclude are ambiguous but I have tried

Code:

--exclude=".*" and --exclude/remote_server/absolute_path

with success only on the tmp files.
Rather than make the rsync script get messy and difficult to audit with multiple exclusion statements, can I put all the exclusions in a single text file on the source volume file and point the script at that file? If so, how would that be entered?
Thank you for any help with this.
Phil

Following excerpt from the rsync manpage might help:

Code:

       --exclude-from=FILE
              This option is related to the --exclude option, but it specifies
              a FILE that contains exclude patterns  (one  per  line).   Blank
              lines  in  the  file  and  lines  starting  with  ’;’ or ’#’ are
              ignored.  If FILE is -, the list  will  be  read  from  standard
              input.

---------- Post updated at 07:30 PM ---------- Previous update was at 07:14 PM ----------

--exclude=".*" covers hidden files only. You'll need --exclude ".*/" for hidden directories.

@junior_helper: thank you, but I read that. Perhaps I should have noted that the rsync scripts are a "pull" from the backup server. The txt file referenced above works if your script is a "push". Where my confusion is not what the exclusion file contains, but its actual location and position within the script.
Thank you.
Phil