# backup linux files and dirs with tar

   tar -options tar-file 'files and dirs to tar'

# backup some files and dirs
   tar -czvf /usr/local/sbin/backup.tar.gz \
       /etc/hostname    \ # file
       /etc/hosts           \ # file
       /etc/networks     \ # file
      /etc/network/      \ # dir
      /etc/dhcp /           \ # dir
      /etc/bind/             \ # dir
      /opt/                       # dir

# use hostname, date and time in tar filename
   tar -czvf "/usr/local/sbin/bkp_$(hostname)_$(date '+%Y-%m-%d_%H-%M-%S').tar.gz" \
       /etc/hostname    \ # file
       /etc/hosts           \ # file
       /etc/networks     \ # file
       /etc/network/     \ # dir
       /etc/dhcp/           \ # dir
       /etc/bind/            \ # dir
       /opt/                      # dir

# OPTIONS:
   -c    create tar-file
   -z    compress with gzip
   -j     compress with bzip2
   -v    verbose, show more
   -f     tar filename with extension
   -t     list contents
   -x    extract tar-file
   -r     instead of -c append to tar-file

# list contents of tar-file:
   -tzvf    gzip file
   -tjvf     bzip2 file

# extract tar-file
   -xzvf    gzip file
   -xjvf     bzip2 file