>AFIR Sybase make use of holes - create database files with holes in, an utter >pain to backup/restore with anything other than dump (which I dislike). Both GNU tar and GNU cpio accept a --sparse flag, which I believe will do what you want. Tet -- Gllug mailing list - Gllug at linux.co.uk http://list.ftech.net/mailman/listinfo/gllug