Linux restore Command: Restore Files, Directories Or Partitions Backed Up By The dump Operation

Linux restore Command: Restore Files, Directories Or Partitions

The restore command in Linux is used to restore files and directories from backups created with the dump command. This tutorial will introduce you to the restore command and provide examples of its usage.

  • Understanding the dump and restore Commands

The dump and restore commands are an older pair of Unix and Linux utilities for creating and restoring filesystem backups. dump creates backups of filesystems and writes them to an output file or device, while restore reads the backup and restores files and directories.

Note: Nowadays, more advanced and user-friendly backup solutions, like tar, rsync, and borg, are preferred over dump and restore. However, understanding these older tools can still be useful, especially when dealing with legacy systems.

  • Install dump and restore

Before you can use restore, you need to ensure that the dump package is installed on your system. To install it, use the appropriate command for your Linux distribution:

sudo apt install dump # Debian/Ubuntu-based distributions sudo yum install dump # CentOS/RHEL-based distributions sudo dnf install dump # Fedora-based distributions sudo pacman -S dump # Arch-based distributions
  • Basic Syntax

The basic syntax for the restore command is as follows:

restore [options] [arguments]
  • Restore Modes

The restore command operates in several different modes:

  • Interactive mode (-i): Allows you to interactively browse and restore files/directories from a backup.
  • Non-interactive mode (-r): Restores an entire filesystem from a backup.
  • Compare mode (-C): Compares the contents of the backup with the current filesystem.
  • List mode (-t): Lists the contents of a backup file.
  • Examples

Assuming you have a backup file created with the dump command called backup.dump, here are some practical examples of using the restore command:

5.1. Interactive Mode

To interactively restore files/directories from a backup:

restore -i -f backup.dump

This command opens an interactive shell, where you can navigate the backup, mark files for extraction, and restore them using the extract command.

5.2. Non-interactive Mode

To restore an entire filesystem from a backup:

sudo restore -r -f backup.dump

This command restores the complete filesystem from the backup file. Make sure to run this command in the directory where you want the files to be restored.

5.3. Compare Mode

To compare the contents of a backup with the current filesystem:

restore -C -f backup.dump

This command compares the files and directories in the backup with the current filesystem and reports any differences.

5.4. List Mode

To list the contents of a backup file:

restore -t -f backup.dump

This command displays the list of files and directories in the backup file.

In conclusion, the restore command is used to restore files and directories from backups created with the dump command. Although it is an older tool and not as user-friendly as modern alternatives, understanding its usage can be beneficial when dealing with legacy systems or when you need a lightweight and simple backup and restore solution.

Examples

  1. How to use restore to recover files in Linux: The restore command is used to recover files from a dump backup. To restore files from a backup tape or file:

    restore -rf /path/to/backup

  2. Restoring directories with restore in Unix-like systems: restore can restore entire directories. For example, to restore the contents of the /home directory:

    restore -rf /path/to/backup /home

  3. Recovering files and partitions using restore: Use restore to recover specific files or entire partitions. For instance, to recover a single file:

    restore -if /path/to/backup /path/to/file

  4. Advanced options for the restore command in Linux: Advanced options include specifying a backup file, choosing specific files or directories to restore, and using flags like -x for interactive mode. Example:

    restore -rf /path/to/backup /home/user -x

  5. File and directory recovery with restore on Linux: restore is versatile, allowing recovery of individual files or entire directory structures. For example:

    restore -if /path/to/backup /path/to/file restore -rf /path/to/backup /home/user

  6. Using restore to recover from backup in the terminal: In a terminal, run restore with the appropriate options to recover files from a backup. Example:

    restore -rf /path/to/backup /home/user

  7. restore vs tar: differences in Linux file recovery tools:

    • restore: Specifically designed for recovering files from dump backups.

      restore -rf /path/to/backup /home/user

    • tar: Used for creating and extracting tar archives, not specifically designed for recovery from dump backups.

      tar -xf /path/to/backup.tar.gz -C /destination

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