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(efaq)Disabling backups

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How do I disable backup files?
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   You probably don't want to do this, since backups are useful,
especially when something goes wrong.

   To avoid seeing backup files (and other "uninteresting" files) in
Dired, load `dired-x' by adding the following to your `.emacs' file:

     (add-hook 'dired-load-hook
               (lambda ()
                (load "dired-x")))

   With `dired-x' loaded, `M-o' toggles omitting in each dired buffer.
You can make omitting the default for new dired buffers by putting the
following in your `.emacs':

     (add-hook 'dired-mode-hook 'dired-omit-toggle)

   If you're tired of seeing backup files whenever you do an `ls' at
the Unix shell, try GNU `ls' with the `-B' option.  GNU `ls' is part of
the GNU Fileutils package, available from `ftp.gnu.org' and its mirrors
(Note: Current GNU distributions).

   To disable or change the way backups are made, Note: (emacs)Backup
Names.

   Beginning with Emacs 21.1, you can control where Emacs puts backup
files by customizing the variable `backup-directory-alist'.  This
variable's value specifies that files whose names match specific patters
should have their backups put in certain directories.  A typical use is
to add the element `("." . DIR)' to force Emacs to put *all* backup
files in the directory `dir'.