---
name: "storeBackupDel"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "storebackup"
version: "3.2.1-2"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/storeBackupDel"
---

# storeBackupDel(1)

this program deletes backups created by storeBackup

## NAME

storeBackupDel.pl - this program deletes backups created by storeBackup

## SYNOPSIS

```
        storeBackupDel.pl [-f configFile] [--print]
        [-b backupDirectory] [-S series] [--doNotDelete]
        [--deleteNotFinishedDirs] [-L lockFile]
        [--keepAll timePeriod] [--keepWeekday entry] [--keepFirstOfYear]
        [--keepLastOfYear] [--keepFirstOfMonth] [--keepLastOfMonth]
        [--keepFirstOfWeek] [--keepLastOfWeek]
        [--keepDuplicate] [--keepMinNumber] [--keepMaxNumber]
        [-l logFile
         [--plusLogStdout] [--suppressTime] [-m maxFilelen]
         [[-n noOfOldFiles] | [--saveLogs]
         [--compressWith compressprog]]
```

## WARNING

```
  !!! USAGE IN PARALLEL WITH storeBackup.pl CAN DESTROY YOUR BACKUPS !!!
```

## OPTIONS

- **--file**, **-f**

  ```
      configuration file (instead of parameters)
  ```

- **--print**

  ```
      print configuration read from configuration file and stop
  ```

- **--backupDir**, **-b**

  ```
      top level directory of all backups (must exist)
  ```

- **--series**, **-S**

  ```
      directory of backup series
      same parameter as in storeBackup / relative path
      from backupDir, default is 'default'
  ```

- **--lockFile**, **-L**

  ```
      lock file, if exists, new instances will finish if
      an old is already running, default is $lockFile
  ```

- **--doNotDelete**

  ```
      test only, do not delete any backup
  ```

- **--deleteNotFinishedDirs**

  ```
      delete old backups which where not finished
      this will not happen if doNotDelete is set
  ```

- **--keepAll**

  ```
      keep backups which are not older than the specified amount
      of time. This is like a default value for all days in
      --keepWeekday. Begins deleting at the end of the script
      the time range has to be specified in format 'dhms', e.g.
      10d4h means 10 days and 4 hours
      default = $keepAll;
  ```

- **--keepWeekday**

  ```
                      keep backups for the specified days for the specified
                      amount of time. Overwrites the default values chosen in
                      --keepAll. 'Mon,Wed:40d Sat:60d10m' means:
                          keep backups of Mon and Wed 40days + 5mins
                          keep backups of Sat 60days + 10mins
                          keep backups of the rest of the days like spcified in
                                  --keepAll (default $keepAll)
                      if you also use the 'archive flag' it means to not
                      delete the affected directories via --keepMaxNumber:
                         a10d4h means 10 days and 4 hours and 'archive flag'
                      e.g. 'Mon,Wed:a40d Sat:60d10m' means:
                          keep backups of Mon and Wed 40days + 5mins + 'archive'
                          keep backups of Sat 60days + 10mins
                          keep backups of the rest of the days like specified in
                                  --keepAll (default $keepAll)
  ```

- **--keepFirstOfYear**

  ```
      do not delete the first backup of a year
      format is timePeriod with possible 'archive flag'
  ```

- **--keepLastOfYear**

  ```
      do not delete the last backup of a year
      format is timePeriod with possible 'archive flag'
  ```

- **--keepFirstOfMonth**

  ```
      do not delete the first backup of a month
      format is timePeriod with possible 'archive flag'
  ```

- **--keepLastOfMonth**

  ```
      do not delete the last backup of a month
      format is timePeriod with possible 'archive flag'
  ```

- **--firstDayOfWeek**

  ```
      default: 'Sun'. This value is used for calculating
      --keepFirstOfWeek and --keepLastOfWeek
  ```

- **--keepFirstOfWeek**

  ```
      do not delete the first backup of a week
      format is timePeriod with possible 'archive flag'
  ```

- **--keepLastOfWeek**

  ```
      do not delete the last backup of a week
      format is timePeriod with possible 'archive flag'
  ```

- **--keepDuplicate**

  ```
      keep multiple backups of one day up to timePeriod
      format is timePeriod, 'archive flag' is not possible
      default = $keepDuplicate;
  ```

- **--keepMinNumber**

  ```
      Keep that miminum of backups. Multiple backups of one
      day are counted as one backup. Default is 10.
  ```

- **--keepMaxNumber**

  ```
      Try to keep only that maximum of backups. If you have
      more backups, the following sequence of deleting will
      happen:
              - delete all duplicates of a day, beginning with the
                old once, except the oldest of every day
              - if this is not enough, delete the rest of the backups
                beginning with the oldest, but *never* a backup with
                the 'archive flag' or the last backup
  ```

- **--keepRelative**, **-R**

  ```
      Alternative deletion scheme. If you use this option, all other
      keep options are ignored. Preserves backups depending
      on their *relative* age. Example:
      -R '1d 7d 2m 3m'
          will (try to) ensure that there is always
          - One backup between 1 day and 7 days old
          - One backup between 5 days and 2 months old
          - One backup between 2 months and 3 months old
          If there is no backup for a specified timespan
          (e.g. because the last backup was done more than 2 weeks
          ago) the next older backup will be used for this timespan.
  ```

- **--logFile**, **-l**

  ```
      log file (default is STDOUT)
  ```

- **--plusLogStdout**

  ```
      if you specify a log file with --logFile you can
      additionally print the output to STDOUT with this flag
  ```

- **--suppressTime**

  ```
      suppress output of time in logfile
  ```

- **--maxFilelen**, **-m**

  ```
      maximal length of file, default = 1e6
  ```

- **--noOfOldFiles**, **-n**

  ```
      number of old log files, default = 5
  ```

- **--saveLogs**

  ```
      save log files with date and time instead of deleting the
      old (with [-noOldFiles])
  ```

- **--compressWith**

  ```
      compress saved log files (e.g. with 'gzip -9')
      default is 'bzip2'
  ```

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright (c) 2003-2008 by Heinz-Josef Claes (see README). Published under the GNU General Public License v3 or any later version