[jp] Backup question

TR <tmst at nethere.com> writes:

> Am I tracking with you?

Not quite.

I assume that JPilot creates a new backup directory, and then starts
processing the files on the Palm. If a file has been modified (since
the previous backup) it is copied to the backup directory. If it has
not been modified, the file from the previous backup is copied to the
backup directory. This eliminates the relatively slow copying of
unneccessary files from the Palm.

A better approach would be to link (hard link) the file from the
previous backup into the new directory, instead of copying. The end
result is the same, but the amount of disk space occupied is much
less. 

> Does it create backward links in the current backup to files in
> previous backups? If so, wouldn't that mean you'd have to keep an
> indefinite number of backups (though they'd be smaller, incremental
> ones) around?

This would be the case if it were symlinks. With hard links this is
not neccessary.

> If, for some reason, you lost all your backups except the current
> one, you'd still be okay, ...

As said, with hard links it does not matter.

-- Johan