Examples of the file passed in --exclude-from option to tar: > ./temp-files # exclude top-level directory entirely > ./temp-files/ # BAD: does nothing > /temp-files # BAD: does nothing > ./temp-files/* # exclude directory contents; include directory > temp-files # exclude anything named "temp-files" > generated-* # exclude anything beginning with "generated-" > *.iso # exclude ISO files > proxy/local/cache # exclude "cache" in dir "local" in "proxy" [http://wiki.zmanda.com/man/amgtar.8.html#idp57458272]