Syntax would be similar to the following:

Exclude.dir "/dir/name" (using double quotes if the dir path has spaces
or other special characters in it)

You need a separate line for each dir, and you may need to use single
quotes in the case of the "." as a special character.
I would try the example above first, then use single quotes if that
doesn't work.

See Ya'
Howard

> -----Original Message-----
> From: ADSM: Dist Stor Manager [mailto:ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU] On Behalf
> Of Keith Arbogast
> Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2008 12:52 PM
> To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
> Subject: [ADSM-L] exclude.dir .directory
> 
> What is the correct syntax to exclude directories whose first
> character is '.', i.e. a dot?
> 
> A client admin is trying to exclude directories like /home/
> username/.maildir from a Linux backup. The usual syntax, exclude.dir /
> home/username/.maildir does not do this, and in my testing aborted
> the preview program. Double-quotes around the path did not prevent
> the abend, while double-quotes around the whole command string did
> provoke a syntax error message.
> 
> The preview abend may be an ungraceful reaction to a syntax error in
> the include/exclude file, but what is the correct syntax to exclude
> directories whose first character is '.', i.e. a dot?
> 
> Thank you,
> Keith Arbogast
> Indiana University