that is strange.  I cannot remember doing something else besides putting
the mentioned code into my init file.  I can only think of these
"trivial" reason why this does not work for you:

- Did you evaluate the code or restarted your emacs?

- Are the files you are editing somewhere under /home/js/?
- Did you really edit and save a file since adding the code to your init
  file?
- In case you are editing files under version control: Did you turn on
  vc-make-backup-files?

HTH,
--
 Alexander Baier

On 13-12-03 09:33 Johann Spies wrote:
> Thanks for sharing this. However, after adding this to my ~/.emacs I do not
> see anything appearing in my .emacs.d/backup directory.
>
> #+begin_src emacs-lisp
>   (setq make-backup-files t)
>   (setq backup-directory-alist '(("/home/js/*" . "/home/js/.emacs.d/backup")))
>   (setq backup-by-copying t      ; don't use symlinks
>         delete-old-versions t    ; don't ask me about deleting backups
>         kept-new-versions 20
>         kept-old-versions 5
>         version-control t)       ; use versioned backups
> #+end_src
>
>
>
> Regards
> Johann
>
>
> On 2 December 2013 17:37, Alexander Baier <lexi.baier@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> On 13-12-02 12:21 Rainer Stengele wrote:
>> > All,
>> >
>> > last week I played around with org-indent-mode in my biggest (37.000
>> lines) org file.
>> > 3 days later I detected that most of the file was corrupted.
>> > WHy so late? Using the agenda I only saw the todos and did not recognise
>> the corrupted structures.
>> > Most "*" items had been placed at the beginning of the line and
>> therefore now became headlines.
>> > I do not know how this happened. I am not sure if I myself was the
>> reason somehow.
>> > Anyway I had to spend a fair amount of work to get the old file format
>> from
>> > subversion and insert the changes since the corruption.
>> >
>> > This is just a warning to have backups at hand before changing to
>> org-indent mode.
>> > Then immediately and check often the contents of the file until you are
>> sure all is running well.
>> >
>> > Maybe someone has an idea.
>> >
>> > I will try to convert again later but then be much more careful.
>> >
>> > Rainer
>> >
>> >
>>
>> FWIW, I have the following snippet in my init file, that uses emacs'
>> build-in backup machanism to save me from such things.  As emacs stuffs
>> them all in one central location, I do not have to worry about polluting
>> my filesystem.
>>
>> #+begin_src emacs-lisp
>>   (setq make-backup-files t)
>>   (setq backup-directory-alist '(("/home/delexi/*" .
>> "/home/delexi/.emacs.d/backup")))
>>   (setq backup-by-copying t      ; don't use symlinks
>>         delete-old-versions t    ; don't ask me about deleting backups
>>         kept-new-versions 20
>>         kept-old-versions 5
>>         version-control t)       ; use versioned backups
>> #+end_src
>>
>> If you want to make backups from files under version control, you also
>> have to set the following:
>>
>> #+begin_src emacs-lisp
>>   (setq vc-make-backup-files t)
>> #+end_src
>>
>> This already saved me a couple of times.
>>
>> Regards,
>> --
>>  Alexander Baier
>>
>>