Backup & Recovery (Rsync/Tar/Dd)
Stop tar from dying when you hit a locked system file
🧩 The Challenge
You finally get around to archiving that directory, but tar barfs halfway through because some log file got rotated or a lock file appeared mid-stream. I’ve wasted an entire afternoon babysitting a backup only for it to exit with a non-zero status because of one stupid temporary file.
đź’ˇ The Fix
Tell tar to stop being so dramatic about file changes and just keep moving. It’ll finish the job instead of bailing out the second it runs into a moving target.
tar --ignore-failed-read --warning=no-file-changed -cvzf backup.tar.gz /path/to/data⚙️ Why It Works
By ignoring the failed reads, you keep the process alive when files disappear or become inaccessible while you’re scanning them. It transforms the exit status from a hard stop into a nuisance you can handle later.
🚀 Pro-Tip: Add the –exclude flag to skip your logs entirely so you stop backing up trash you don’t even need.
Linux Tips & Tricks | © ngelinux.com | 8/9/2026