rsync is bad

[Ed Greshko]

Chris Rees wrote:
> 2008/6/9 Ed Greshko <Ed.Greshko at greshko.com>:
>> Chris Rees wrote:
>>> 2008/6/8 Ed Greshko <Ed.Greshko at greshko.com>:
>>>> Chris Rees wrote:
>>>>>> I would NEVER copy / move a running OS itself to another location !!!
>>>>>> This needs to be done with separate bootable (Rescue) Tool !!
>>>>>> I used either the GParted LiveCD or the System Resue CD's GParted
>>>>>> again !
>>>>>>
>>>>> I know I've been chided for mentioning these before... but
>>>>> dump/restore will back up a live filesystem fine!
>>>> Probably because you are wrong a
>>>>
>>>
>>> Damn, that's me assuming that *incredibly* useful features that have
>>> been in FreeBSD for years have been taken up by the GNU people.
>>>
>>> Sorry.
>> That's OK.  Yet, unless dump/restore does things totally different in
>> FreeBSD I doubt it is any more safe to use it there for backing up *live*
>> file systems.
>>
>>
> 
> In case you're interested, it is safe for backing up live systems;
> using a feature of UFS called snapshots. It also means fsck can be
> used on a live system too.

With a caveat of, you need to create a snapshot of your file system before 
backup, then yes it is safe.  Yet a snapshot isn't integral to dump so you 
should have specified/mentioned the need. Kind of like leaving an ingredient 
out of a cake recipe.  :-)

FWIW, Linux also has the ability to take snapshots of file systems.

> http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en/books/handbook/snapshots.html
> 


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