rsync - Jun 2005 - Usage question for source at /

I wish to rsync an entire Linux tree to another partition for backup
while excluding certain directories.

/home /var and /usr/local are mounted on separate partitions.

How do I specify starting at the root directory?  Is // correct?

The USAGE section of man rsync and some googling suggest I need a 
trailing / for the source path.  Is the line below correct?

rsync -uacHv --exclude="lost+found mnt proc public sys tmp"  // 
/mnt/backup
(Above single line split into two by the Thunderbird)

Larry

-- 
Larry Alkoff N2LA - Austin TX
Using Thunderbird on Slackware Linux

On Sat, Jun 04, 2005 at 02:52:05PM -0500, Larry Alkoff
wrote:
> How do I specify starting at the root directory?  Is // correct?
Just use / on its own (since it is a trailing slash).
> rsync -uacHv --exclude="lost+found mnt proc public sys tmp"  // 
/mnt/backup
You should read the section on the --exclude option more carefully.
You'll want something more like this:

    --exclude=/lost+found --exclude=/mnt --exclude=/proc
    --exclude=/public --exclude=/sys --exclude=/tmp
    
(Your command only excludes one very strange filename.)  Alternately,
switch over to using --exclude-from=FILE with all the anchored names on
separate lines in the file.

..wayne..