$ Linux Command

Files

restore

Restore files from a backup created with dump.

backuprestoredumpfilesystemtape

Additional Notes

restore extracts files from backup archives created by the dump command. It reads dump-formatted backups (typically from tape or disk files) and restores files to their original locations or an alternate directory.

The dump/restore pair is an old but reliable backup system designed for ext filesystems. dump backs up filesystem data based on inodes, while restore extracts from these backups. restore supports both full and incremental restores, interactive file selection, and dry-run modes to preview what would be restored.

Syntax

restore [options] [file...]
restore -i [options]
restore -r [options]
restore -t [options]
restore -x [options]

Parameters

  • file: Files or directories to restore (with -x).
  • -i: Interactive mode. Browse the backup and select files to restore.
  • -r: Restore the entire backup recursively (used for full restore of a filesystem).
  • -t: List the contents of the backup.
  • -x: Extract specific files from the backup.

Common Options

  • -f file, --file=file: Read backup from a file or device (e.g., /dev/nst0 for tape).
  • -v, --verbose: Verbose output showing files as they are restored.
  • -y: Do not ask for confirmation; assume yes to all prompts.
  • -m: Restore by inode number instead of filename.
  • -d: Enable debug output.
  • -T directory: Restore files to a different directory (not the original location).
  • -h: Restore the actual directory entry, not its contents.
  • -N: Dry run. Show what would be restored without doing it.
  • -s N: Skip to the Nth backup file on a multi-file tape.
  • -b blocksize: Specify the block size in bytes (default 1024).
  • -D filesystem: Specify the filesystem name for restoring.
  • -C: Compare files on the backup with files on disk, reporting differences.
  • -R: Request the next tape volume when restoring multi-volume backups.

Examples

restore -tf /dev/nst0

List the contents of a backup on tape.

restore -xf /backup/root.dump

Extract all files from a dump file in the current directory.

restore -xvf /backup/home.dump home/alice/file.txt

Extract a specific file with verbose output.

restore -i -f /backup/data.dump

Interactive restore: browse the backup and select files to restore.

restore -rf /dev/nst0

Restore an entire filesystem from a tape backup.

restore -T /tmp/restore -xf /backup/etc.dump

Restore files to an alternate directory /tmp/restore instead of the original location.

restore -C -f /backup/var.dump /var

Compare files in the backup with current files on /var.

restore -N -xf /backup.dump

Dry run: show what files would be restored without extracting them.

Practical Notes

  • restore handles incremental backups created by dump. Apply the full backup first, then each incremental in order.
  • Before restoring, ensure the target filesystem has enough free space. Use -T to restore to an alternate location for safety.
  • For modern backups, consider tar, rsync, duplicity, or borg instead of dump/restore.
  • restore must typically be run as root to preserve file ownership and permissions.
  • The interactive mode (-i) provides an ls-like interface for navigating the backup contents.
  • restore operates on raw dump format files. It does not support compressed dumps directly; decompress first with zcat.
  • The -C option is useful for auditing which files have changed since the backup was made.
  • On modern Linux, dump/restore may need to be installed separately: sudo apt install dump.