Argument list too long in find comand with pecified targets

[Kevin Aingworth]

How do i solve this error i keep getting when running my script for a backup dump:

/sbin/find: arg list too long

the line of script is:

find $TARGETS -print | cpio -ovC 65536 > /dev/nrmt0h

where $TARGETS are Different Folders in the directory

[Steve Burt_1]

How about using xargs

find $HOME -maxdepth 2 -name '*jpg' -print0 | xargs -0 xv

--Steve

[Kevin Aingworth]

Would it work this way then

find -maxdepth 5 -name '$TARGETS' -print0 | xargs -0 | cpio -ovC > /dev/nrmt0h

let me know cause our apps are on this drive and backups haven't run for the last two months

[Steve Burt_1]

Try

find $TARGETS -print | xargs | cpio -ovC 65536 > /dev/nrmt0h

This link is very good

http://www.grymoire.com/Unix/Find.html#uh-4

[Kevin Aingworth]

Nope still Doesn't work. maybe i must split the script and do a find for each directory if i don't come right

[Kevin Aingworth]

Is it not maybe the block size that i specify that is causing me grief

"-C 65536"

[Steve Burt_1]

Hi Kevin,

You may have a point!

why not remove the blocksize

I use prefer using tar :-)

--Steve

[Kevin Aingworth]

well i'll try that the thing is our Unix administrator left and this script was written in 1999 so its not mine thats why i don't want to change too much when i get time i will write a new one

[Steve Burt_1]

This is also a very helpful link with using tar...and backups

http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/linux-tape-backup-with-mt-and-tar-command-howto/

--Steve

[Kevin Aingworth]

think i'm just going to take out that line and try this:

tar -czf /dev/nrmt0h $TARGETS

or

tar - czf /dev/nrmt0h ./directory ./directory2 .....and so on

What u think