Linux Format forums

[Red Bow Tie]

Could someone tell me what I am doing wrong by entering the following code take from the restore script in LXF#126?

#!/bin/sh

if [ -f $1/../backup.tar.gz ]
then
tar -xz --file=$1/../backup.tar.gz
rsync --recursive --times --perms $1 $2
rm -rf $1
echo "Restore successful"
elif [ -d $1 ]
rsync --recursive --
times --perms $1 $2
tar -cz --file=$2/../backup.tar.gz $1 $2
rm -rf $1
echo "Restore successful"
then
else
echo "Restore failed"
fi

Every time I run it I get the following error
restore.sh: line 15: syntax error near unexpected token `else'
restore.sh: line 15: `else'

[Dutch_Master]

That code is either missing something or you managed to mess things up. Why invoke the backup twice? Check syntax, punctuation and correct order of commands given. (it's an exercise, try finding the fault yourself)

Oh and btw: when posting code, use the code tags, like this:

[nelz]

Your second then is in the wrong place, it should be after the elif line, not before the else.
_________________
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." (Albert Einstein)

[Red Bow Tie]

Thanks to both Dutch_Master and nelz for their help. Actually, you're right Dutch_Master for suggesting it as an exercise. I looked at the code over and over, compared it to other if elif else conditionals and came to the same conclusion that you and nelz stated. The then is in the wrong place.
The strange part is that this code was taken directly from the ShellScripting article on page 51 of LXF#126. Seems no one has actually tried the code out or no correction was ever published unless it was caught in a later issue of LXF. If it wasn't maybe someone should inform the publishers of a correction for this script.
Could you please answer one more question I have about this script? I'm not sure what you mean by code tags Dutch_Master, so if I do it wrong below please show me how to correct it.
What does this mean?

[nelz]

.. is the parent directory.

It sounds like you don't want the BackupFolder in the archive in the first place, go into it before creating the archive. You can do this with

[ollie]

Got a bit of a stutter there nelz

[towy71]

What are you talking about ollie
_________________
still looking for that door into summer

[ollie]

[Red Bow Tie]

Try as I might I cannot get the restore script to recognize an existing tarball. Again this is taken from LXF#126. Here is the compress.sh script

[Dutch_Master]

LXF126 is quite a while ago, so I can't remember exactly, but IMO it is the intention of the script to specify the required backup to restore. You may have made more then one backup over a period of time, so which one should the script use to restore?

[nelz]

If the tarball is given as the argument, you can get it's directory with dirname, e.g.