Trouble with simple copying on the command line

[Guest johnKFT]

I am trying to set up a simple backup script to backup various bits like mail and bookmarks using the form - cp -uR --reply=yes ~/Mail/* ~/Mail-bak .

 

This works fine until I remove a file from a Mail folder. When I copy as above the removed file is still left in the backup folder. I cannot for the life of me figure out how to get this removed so that my backup folder is a simple carbon copy of my working folder. I am sure there is a simple explanation, but I cannot find it. Can anyone help please?

 

PS. When I get more experienced and have my setup properly organised I will compress all these backups. In the meantime I want to keep regular backups of such important and irreplaceable items as bookmarks and mails.

 

John

[aru]

Take a look to the rsync(1) command. Will do what you want.

 

Also there was an script made by TheYinYeti that will syncronize both directories the way you want. I don't know if there is a copy in this board, but sure that there is one on www.club-nihil.net/mub

[Guest johnKFT]

Thanks Aru. I could not find The YinYeti's script but with a bit of fiddling and a few false starts (did not properly RTFM!) I now have rsync doing what I want.

 

John