This script offers automated snapshot-style backup using rsync. It creates incremental backups of files and directories to a local backup drive or directory.
- Each snapshot backup is saved under its own directory with a time stamp attached. Backed-up files and directories can be accessed and therefore restored directly.
- Unchanged files and directories are hardlinked to save space.
- (Optionally) certain files and directories can be excluded from the backup process.
- (Optionally) a standalone backup drive can be mounted before and umounted after each backup circle to protect data intergrity.
- Automatically rotate and purge old backups.
- A symlink
lastalways pointing to the latest backup snapshot.
- Easy automated snapshot-style backups with Linux and rsync by Mikes Handy: http://www.mikerubel.org/computers/rsync_snapshots/
- Mount drive automatically to backup using rsync: https://frustratedtech.com/post/52316736743/bash-script-mount-drive-automatically-to-backup
git clone https://github.com/zhen-huan-hu/rsync-snapshot.git
Optionally, copy and move the script to /usr/local/sbin.
Usage: rsync-snapshot.sh [OPTION]... SRC DST
Options
-e Specify backup exclusion file
-d Specify UUID registration file
-n Specify number of snapshots to keep (default: 5)
-h Display help
The parameter SRC specifies the backup source while DST indicates the backup destination.
After each backup circle, the script will create a symlink last always pointing to the latest backup snapshot.
Optionally, a plain text file (e.g.: /etc/backups/backup.exclusions) can be specified using the -e option to indicate files and directories to be excluded from the backup process.
/dev/*
/proc/*
/sys/*
/tmp/*
/run/*
/var/tmp/*
/var/cache/*
/var/run/*
/media/*
/mnt/*
/lost+found
Optionally, a backup drive registration file (e.g.: /etc/backups/backup.drives) can be specified using the -d option. Multiple UUIDs for potential backup partitions can be included in the file with one UUID per line (for physically rotating the backup drives).
If a registered backup partition is initially umounted, the script will mount it to the specified backup destination DST. After the backup process, the partition will be automatically umounted to protect data integrity. If a registered backup partition is already mounted, the script will ignore the specified backup destination DST and keep the backup drive at its current mount point after the backup process.
Backup the home directory to /backups:
sudo ./rsync-snapshot.sh ~/ /backups
Whole system backup with backup exclusion file /etc/backups/backup.exclusions to backup drive specified in /etc/backups/backup.drives mounted at /mnt:
sudo ./rsync-snapshot.sh -e /etc/backups/backup.exclusions -d /etc/backups/backup.drives / /mnt
Use sudo crontab -e to add a cron job, such as:
5 0 * * * /usr/local/sbin/rsync-snapshot.sh -e /etc/backups/backup.exclusions -d /etc/backups/backup.drives / /mnt
This does daily backup at 0:05 am.
GNU General Public License, version 2
Copyright (C) 2023 Zhen-Huan Hu
This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.
You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.