Re: Backup Directory

On Mo, 09 Mär 2026, CrestChristopher wrote:

> When I create a file in Vim, save it; a backup should be created after the
> save or after I've saved and added more to the document. In either case none
> of these two are working ?

So I tried this out:

#v+
~/tmp/$ mkdir ~/vim-backup
~/tmp/$ cat backup.vim
set nocp
set backupdir=~/vim-backup//
set backup
~/tmp/$ vim --clean -u backup.vim
:e ~/.vim/vimrc
:w
:q
~/tmp/$ ls -l ~/vim-backup/
-rw-r--r-- 1 chrisbra chrisbra 12481 Jan 20 2025 %home%chrisbra%.vim%vimrc~
#v-

Works as expected.


Thanks,
Christian
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Re: Backup Directory

On 3/9/2026 8:22 AM, Christian Brabandt wrote:

> On Mo, 09 Mär 2026, CrestChristopher wrote:
>
>> Although I typed out the full home path where the .backup directory is
>> located query the path returned; backupdir=~/.backup//
>>
>> In this case, after typing something in vim, and quitting without
>> saving; there was no backup saved in the backupdir path ?
> I believe backup is only ever done when saving a file, not from
> arbitrary points in time. There are however plugins available that do
> this. Perhaps you should start explain, what exactly you are trying to
> achieve?
>
> Thanks,
> Christian

When I create a file in Vim, save it; a backup should be created after
the save or after I've saved and added more to the document. In either
case none of these two are working ?

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Re: Backup Directory

hi,

On Mon, 9 Mar 2026 at 11:59, CrestChristopher
<crestchristopher@gmail.com> wrote:
> ...
> Although I typed out the full home path where the .backup directory is located query the path returned; backupdir=~/.backup//
> In this case, after typing something in vim, and quitting without saving; there was no backup saved in the backupdir path ?

fwiw, the line in my '~/.vimrc' reads:
set backupdir=/tmp,~/tmp

no trailing slashes, works for me.

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Re: Backup Directory

On Mo, 09 Mär 2026, CrestChristopher wrote:

> Although I typed out the full home path where the .backup directory is
> located query the path returned; backupdir=~/.backup//
>
> In this case, after typing something in vim, and quitting without
> saving; there was no backup saved in the backupdir path ?

I believe backup is only ever done when saving a file, not from
arbitrary points in time. There are however plugins available that do
this. Perhaps you should start explain, what exactly you are trying to
achieve?

Thanks,
Christian
--
Just don't create a file called -rf. :-)
-- Larry Wall in <11393@jpl-devvax.JPL.NASA.GOV>

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Re: Backup Directory

On 3/9/2026 7:48 AM, Christian Brabandt wrote:

Please keep the reply on the vim-use list, forwarding to vim-use for   reference.    On Mo, 09 Mär 2026, CrestChristopher wrote:    

Vim returns no error;        set backupdir="$HOME/.backup" I've also tried        set backupdir="/etc/.backup  

  This basically is the same as    :set backupdir=     e.g. because of the double quote acting as a comment character, you are   effectively emptying the option value.    You probably want:    :set backupdir=~/.backup//    note the trailing double slashes to ensure that backup files are written   with full path names, where slashes are replaced by % signs, as   documented at :h 'backupdir'. Please also note: I am not hundert percent   sure if Vim expands the "~" automatically, but I believe it does. If   not, you may want to explicitly spell out your home directory like this:    :set backupdir=/home/user/.backup//    Finally please note, you can always check the value by querying the   option setting directly:    :set backupdir?    

    set writebackup  

  This will create a backup, but will delete the backup file after a   successful write. Is that what you want? Or do you want to keep the   backups in which case you want    :set backup    Thanks,  Christian

Although I typed out the full home path where the .backup directory is located query the path returned; backupdir=~/.backup//

In this case, after typing something in vim, and quitting without saving; there was no backup saved in the backupdir path ?

Re: Backup Directory

Please keep the reply on the vim-use list, forwarding to vim-use for
reference.

On Mo, 09 Mär 2026, CrestChristopher wrote:

> Vim returns no error;
>
> set backupdir="$HOME/.backup" I've also tried
>
> set backupdir="/etc/.backup

This basically is the same as

:set backupdir=

e.g. because of the double quote acting as a comment character, you are
effectively emptying the option value.

You probably want:

:set backupdir=~/.backup//

note the trailing double slashes to ensure that backup files are written
with full path names, where slashes are replaced by % signs, as
documented at :h 'backupdir'. Please also note: I am not hundert percent
sure if Vim expands the "~" automatically, but I believe it does. If
not, you may want to explicitly spell out your home directory like this:

:set backupdir=/home/user/.backup//

Finally please note, you can always check the value by querying the
option setting directly:

:set backupdir?

> set writebackup

This will create a backup, but will delete the backup file after a
successful write. Is that what you want? Or do you want to keep the
backups in which case you want

:set backup

Thanks,
Christian
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Re: Backup Directory

On So, 08 Mär 2026, Christopher wrote:

> Putting it in quotes, causes vim to fire an error; although nothing is being written ?

... and the error is what? You may want to share what exactly you put
into your .vimrc.

Also please let me remind you of the list etiquette:

> Do not top-post! Type your reply below the text you are replying to.

Thanks,
Chris
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