Usage: sayepurge.sh [options] sources... OPTIONS: --inc merge incremental backups -g <nguarded> recent files to guard (8) -k <nkeeps> non-recent to keep (8) -d <maxdelet> maximum number of deletions -C <dir> backup directory -o <prefix> output directory name (default: 'bak') -q, --quiet suppress progress information --fake only simulate deletions or merges -L list all backup files with delta times DESCRIPTION: Delete candidates from a set of aging backups to spread backups most evenly over time, based on time stamps embedded in directory names. Backups older than <nguarded> are purged, so that only <nkeeps> backups remain. In other words, the number of backups is reduced to <nguarded> + <nkeeps>, where <nguarded> are the most recent backups. The puring logic will always pick the backup with the shortest time distance to other backups. Thus, the number of <nkeeps> remaining backups is most evenly distributed across the total time period within which backups have been created. Purging of incremental backups happens via merging of newly created files into the backups predecessor. Thus merged incrementals may contain newly created files from after the incremental backups creation time, but the function of reverse incremental backups is fully preserved. Merged incrementals use a different file name ending (-xinc).