[HOWTO] - make automatic backups

[Racer D]

in this howto I'd like to explain how to do backups of your files onto a samba share.
I will show you how to do this free, without the use of some programs you have to pay for. Instead I created a shell script to do this for you.

1. first of all, you need to have access to a samba share in your network. I hope you can figure how to do that on your own
   
2. now open your Terminal.app (/Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app)
   type in this commands (enter your admin password when prompted for it)
   

   sudo touch /usr/bin/mount
   sudo chmod +x /usr/bin/mount
   sudo pico /usr/bin/mount

   this will create a file, make it executable and open a text editor for you to edit it
   next, paste this into terminal while your pico editor is opened (command+c / command+v)
   
   

   #! /bin/sh
   # a script to make backups onto a samba share
   # created and tested on MAC OS X 10.3
   #
   # Author: Racer D <racer.d@email.si>
   # Date: 2004-05-24
   #
   
   
   # ----- variables
   
   # where you would like to mount the shared drive
   mount_point=/Volumes/share
   # //username:password@server/share_name
   filesystem=//user:pass@192.168.1.1/share
   # where your files are at
   # must be full path (don't use ~ for home)
   local_dir=/Users/user/test
   # the same as local_dir but with \ infront of every /
   # also there has to be \/ at the end
   local_dir2="\/Users\/racer\/test\/"
   # in what direcotry under remote_dir would you like to keep backups
   backup_dir=backup
   
   # ---------------
   
   remote_dir=$mount_point/$backup_dir
   
   # uncomment if you want to do a full backup (not just files changed from last backup)
   # rm ~/Library/last_backup
   
   # making sure share is mounted, else mounting it
   if test -d $mount_point
   then
   	mounted=no
   	echo share already mounted.
   else
   	mounted=yes
   	echo mounting share...
   	mkdir -v $mount_point
   	mount_smbfs $filesystem $mount_point
   fi
   
   # create all necessary folders
   echo creating necessary folders...
   if ( ! test -d "$remote_dir" )
   then
   	mkdir "$remote_dir"
   fi
   
   if ( test -f ~/Library/last_backup )
   then
   	find -x $local_dir -type d -mindepth 1 -newer ~/Library/last_backup -print | sed s/$local_dir2// > ~/Library/backup_folders
   else
   	find -x $local_dir -type d -mindepth 1 -print | sed s/$local_dir2// > ~/Library/backup_folders
   fi
   
   file=~/Library/backup_folders
   while read line
   do
   	if ( ! test -d "$remote_dir/$line" )
   	then
   		mkdir -v "$remote_dir/$line"
   	fi
   done < $file
   rm ~/Library/backup_folders
   
   
   # listing all files to backup
   # if backup done before, list only files changed from last backup
   # else list all files
   echo listing files to backup...
   if ( test -f ~/Library/last_backup )
   then
   	find -x $local_dir -type f -newer ~/Library/last_backup -print | sed s/$local_dir2// > ~/Library/backup_files
   else
   	find -x $local_dir -type f -print | sed s/$local_dir2// > ~/Library/backup_files
   fi
           
   # update the date when script was last run
   # this creates a file named "last_backup" in your Library.
   # Don't delete this file
   echo updating last run date...
   date > ~/Library/last_backup
           
   # copy the files
   echo copying the files...
   file=~/Library/backup_files
   while read line
   do
   	cp -vf "$local_dir/$line" "$remote_dir/$line"
   done < $file
   rm ~/Library/backup_files
   
   # unmount the share if mounted before
   if [ "$mounted" = yes ]
   then
   	echo unmounting share...
   	umount $mount_point
   	rm -rf $mount_point
   fi
   
   echo backup done.

   now edit the "variables" part to suit your needs.
   press "ctrl + x" and then enter to save the file.
   your basic backup script is now ready. type backup in terminal to backup your files.
   what it does it is:
   - first it checks if your samba share is mounted, else it mounts it
   - then it finds all files that have been changed since the script was last run
   - it copies all the changed files to your samba share.
   - finally it removes all the temporary files and unmounts the share if it had to mount it before
   + it puts a file "last_backup" in your Library, which tells when the backup was last made. Do not delete this file unless you wish to do a full backup
   * it does NOT though remove files on your share that do not exist in the original direcory anymore [anyone who knows how to do this, please post your suggestions]
   
3. now, if you want the backups to be made automatically, you have to do this:
   again, in your terminal, enter this command
   

   crontab -e

   to make the backups happen every day at 5 AM, do this:
   press "i". now type (or just paste) this line in
   

   0 5 * * * /usr/bin/backup

   now press escape, type ":wq" end hit enter
   (see here for more info on how to automate your backups)

This should be all, now just wait till 5 AM and have your backups made

post any questions & suggestions to the script or the tutorial you might have

use at your own risk...
It worked for me, but I cannot guarantee it will work for you too.

--- script updated 24. 5. 04 (minor bugs) ---

 

[nemac]

Why did you copy the files instead of using "tar" to backup the files? By using tar you would use less disk space on your samba share.

 

[jbarley]

seeing how 4 years have passed since the original post, I'm surprised anyone is still interested.

jb.

 

[nemac]

Sorry, after I posted the question I saw the date it was put out there. The reason I was looking at all those postings is that I am new to Mac's and I am trying to get up to speed on it. But I have been playing around with Linux for several years now.

Sorry