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#### 5.4.1 General-Purpose Variables

Backup variable: ADMINISTRATOR

  The user name of the backup administrator. `Backup` scripts sends a backup report to this address.

Backup variable: BACKUP_HOUR

  The hour at which the backups are done. This can be a number from 0 to 23, or the time specification in form hours:minutes, or the string ‘`now`’.

  This variable is used by `backup`. Its value may be overridden using `--time` option (see Scripted Backups).

Backup variable: TAPE_FILE

  The device `tar` writes the archive to. If TAPE_FILE is a remote archive (see remote-dev), backup script will suppose that your `mt` is able to access remote devices. If RSH (see RSH) is set, `--rsh-command` option will be added to invocations of `mt`.

Backup variable: BLOCKING

  The blocking factor `tar` will use when writing the dump archive. See Blocking Factor.

Backup variable: BACKUP_DIRS

  A list of file systems to be dumped (for `backup`), or restored (for `restore`). You can include any directory name in the list — subdirectories on that file system will be included, regardless of how they may look to other networked machines. Subdirectories on other file systems will be ignored.

  The host name specifies which host to run `tar` on, and should normally be the host that actually contains the file system. However, the host machine must have GNU `tar` installed, and must be able to access the directory containing the backup scripts and their support files using the same file name that is used on the machine where the scripts are run (i.e., what `pwd` will print when in that directory on that machine). If the host that contains the file system does not have this capability, you can specify another host as long as it can access the file system through NFS.

  If the list of file systems is very long you may wish to put it in a separate file. This file is usually named `/etc/backup/dirs`, but this name may be overridden in `backup-specs` using `DIRLIST` variable.

Backup variable: DIRLIST

  The name of the file that contains a list of file systems to backup or restore. By default it is `/etc/backup/dirs`.

Backup variable: BACKUP_FILES

  A list of individual files to be dumped (for `backup`), or restored (for `restore`). These should be accessible from the machine on which the backup script is run.

  If the list of individual files is very long you may wish to store it in a separate file. This file is usually named `/etc/backup/files`, but this name may be overridden in `backup-specs` using `FILELIST` variable.

Backup variable: FILELIST

  The name of the file that contains a list of individual files to backup or restore. By default it is `/etc/backup/files`.

Backup variable: MT

  Full file name of `mt` binary.

Backup variable: RSH

  Full file name of `rsh` binary or its equivalent. You may wish to set it to `ssh`, to improve security. In this case you will have to use public key authentication.

Backup variable: RSH_COMMAND

  Full file name of `rsh` binary on remote machines. This will be passed via `--rsh-command` option to the remote invocation of GNU `tar`.

Backup variable: VOLNO_FILE

  Name of temporary file to hold volume numbers. This needs to be accessible by all the machines which have file systems to be dumped.

Backup variable: XLIST

  Name of exclude file list. An exclude file list is a file located on the remote machine and containing the list of files to be excluded from the backup. Exclude file lists are searched in /etc/tar-backup directory. A common use for exclude file lists is to exclude files containing security-sensitive information (e.g., `/etc/shadow` from backups).

  This variable affects only `backup`.

Backup variable: SLEEP_TIME

  Time to sleep between dumps of any two successive file systems

  This variable affects only `backup`.

Backup variable: DUMP_REMIND_SCRIPT

  Script to be run when it’s time to insert a new tape in for the next volume. Administrators may want to tailor this script for their site. If this variable isn’t set, GNU `tar` will display its built-in prompt, and will expect confirmation from the console. For the description of the default prompt, see change volume prompt.

Backup variable: SLEEP_MESSAGE

  Message to display on the terminal while waiting for dump time. Usually this will just be some literal text.

Backup variable: TAR

  Full file name of the GNU `tar` executable. If this is not set, backup scripts will search `tar` in the current shell path.

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