Simple cross-patform rsync backup

Single-file backup script which lives in the target directory alongside with data and points to actual backup storage.

Backup always simple as invoking ./backup.sh

NOTE: this is mirror-style backup, everything you have deleted in your working copy would be removed on a backup storage during sync (rsync --delete option). It's assumed your are using hard links snapshots on a backup storage if you'd like keep previous files versions.

Few concepts

CONTAINER is a bunch of data which you'd like to keep together, like your documents or photos.

STORAGE is a place on the backup disk/server keeping multiple containers.

By default container name is the current directory name, but you can override it by CONTAINER= option.

Examples

./backup.sh   # perform backup

./backup.sh --verbose   # append custom attributes to rsync

Prerequisites for Server and Client

install rsync-3.1.2+

Install rsync and ssh on Windows

• Download from http://msys2.org/
• Follow instructions for update packman
• Install rsync and ssh

$ pacman -S rsync openssh

Setup ssh config

• Create ssh key

$ ssh-keygen

• Create shortcut to backup server in .ssh/config

Host backup-server
  HostName backup.srv
  Port 22

• Use ssh-copy-id to copy public key to backup server

$ ssh-copy-id user@backup-server

Setup backup config

• Copy backup-sample.sh into target folder as backup.sh.
• Open backup.sh and specify correct values for BACKUP_SERVER and STORAGE

Examples:

BACKUP_SERVER="user@backup-server"
STORAGE="family_photos"

• test in --dry-run (-n) mode
• remove --dry-run (-n) option by commenting DEBUG= variable

Windows launcher as .sh association

• copy appropriate 32/64 version of sh_launcher{32/64}.cmd as C:\msys{32/64}\sh_launcher.cmd
• apply appropriate 32/64 version of msys2_32_sh.reg

Perform backup

• Run backup.sh
• Follow instructions

Exclude paths from backup

Create file named backup-ignore. See backup-ignore-sample as reference.