diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/backup.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/backup.sgml index 74f3add15c3d0b5749aabc08e7b92ce839152824..c954816936d9739650969264a3b7f861e86d65da 100644 --- a/doc/src/sgml/backup.sgml +++ b/doc/src/sgml/backup.sgml @@ -1,5 +1,5 @@ <!-- -$PostgreSQL: pgsql/doc/src/sgml/backup.sgml,v 2.73 2005/10/22 22:09:49 tgl Exp $ +$PostgreSQL: pgsql/doc/src/sgml/backup.sgml,v 2.74 2005/10/26 20:42:35 tgl Exp $ --> <chapter id="backup"> <title>Backup and Restore</title> @@ -677,12 +677,20 @@ SELECT pg_stop_backup(); </para> <para> - Some versions of GNU <application>tar</> consider it an error if a file - is changed while <application>tar</> is copying it. This case is normal, - and not an error, when taking a base backup of an active database. - Since ignoring all errors from <application>tar</> would be unwise, - you should either manually inspect <application>tar</>'s messages or - else use a different backup tool that does not complain about this case. + Some backup tools that you might wish to use emit warnings or errors + if the files they are trying to copy change while the copy proceeds. + This situation is normal, and not an error, when taking a base backup of + an active database; so you need to ensure that you can distinguish + complaints of this sort from real errors. For example, some versions + of <application>rsync</> return a separate exit code for <quote>vanished + source files</>, and you can write a driver script to accept this exit + code as a non-error case. Also, + some versions of GNU <application>tar</> consider it an error if a file + is changed while <application>tar</> is copying it. There does not seem + to be any very convenient way to distinguish this error from other types + of errors, other than manual inspection of <application>tar</>'s messages. + GNU <application>tar</> is therefore not the best tool for making base + backups. </para> <para>