Questions bru-ing in my mind

[Peter S. Shenkin]

I can't figure out how to make bru do the following things;  can someone
enlighten me?

1.  Backup all files in a directory EXCEPT the ones I list;  for example,
    all of /usr except /usr/src and /usr/people.  I know I can make a list
    of the files I want in a file, then use 'bru -c - < filename', but then
    I have to create this file again everytime I do a backup, since I do
    not expect the contents of /usr to be static.  The FM does not cover
    this, so it's possible that it's not doable, yet this is hard to believe.

2.  Recognize either a specified or the default tape drive using the -e
    option.  The FM says that with -e, "If the media size is unknown or
    unspecified it is assumed to be infinite."  In fact, it always seems
    to assume it is infinite, even if specified.  The FM also says that 
    /dev/tape is used as the default, so my reading says that -e should 
    assume this default; however, even if I say 'bru -e -f /dev/tape', bru 
    still assumes the media size is infinite.  Without any -f option, 'bru -x' 
    does in fact seem to know how long a tape is, so why doesn't 'bru -e',
    and why can't it figure this out even with -f?

It is also a real pain that -e does not work with -Z;  the FM does not
mention this limitation; however, an attempt to do this elicits an error 
message.  I submit that just about the only time you need -e is when you use 
-Z;  yet that's when you can't get it.

Does anyone out there have or know of a set of scripts for setting up 
backups, apportioning directories to tapes, keeping records of what was
backed up on which tape, etc.?  Is there anything is any of the archives
(eg, comp.unix.sources) that anyone has found useful in practice?

I also find the system manager backup utility worse than useless, since it
not only doesn't extend bru's capabilities;  rather, it limits them to 
an unusably small subset.

I am using the QIC-150 drive on a PI (4d25tg) running 3.2.1.

	-P.
************************f*u*cn*rd*ths*u*cn*gt*a*gd*jb**************************
Peter S. Shenkin, Department of Chemistry, Barnard College, New York, NY  10027
(212)854-1418  shenkin at cunixf.cc.columbia.edu(Internet)  shenkin at cunixf(Bitnet)
***"In scenic New York... where the third world is only a subway ride away."***