what's your recommendation re backup scripts (shell or ruby) for linux backups???
 

Hi,

I want to put in place a periodic backup routine for my linux box to cover potential disk failure. What command line shell script / ruby scripts exists/would you recommend for this? The features I'm looking for:

* free/open source
* command line based (noting my redhat server has no monitor/keyboard)
* ruby script (ideally as I understand this), or else shell script if there are more mature scripts
* full backup (i.e. so can use for RESTORE if HDD failure occurs)
* keeps some level of multiple backups (e.g. last nights, 1 week ago, 1 month ago)
* backup to another of my computers (Mac/Windows not sure yet) - hopefully this will just imply a pre-requisite re file sharing via samba
* automated (e.g. via cron or otherwise)

So this may be just some simple linux copy commands kicked off by cron, however the value add would be the backup routine management (e.g. last nights, 1 week ago, 1 month ago etc0.

thanks

Well the basic would be to use 'rsync' from 'cron'.
For a more sophisticated approach try amanda.

thanks - I guess I was hoping for something in between do-it-yourself with rsynch, and a full blown backup system such as Amanda?

You don't happen to know whether I could just install Amanda on my linux box in order to back itself up?

You could investigate Dar for backups. I've used it for several years without any problems. The tutorial in the package guides you step-by-step in writing the shell script to make the backup, how to make incremental backups, how to list a backup to make sure it's good, and how to restore individual files, directories, or entire backups.

Of course.

There is a quick start guide on their wiki in the User Documentation http://wiki.zmanda.com/index.php/User_documentation.

While it is most often used in a network situation with multiple servers and a tape drive or library, it can also be use a disk drive as a "virtual tape drive" and it can send encrypted backups out into the "cloud" using Amazon S3: http://wiki.zmanda.com/index.php/How...p_to_Amazon_S3 and http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node...A36L942TSJ2AJA

I hope the backups will still reside on another server or media right? Really no point in backing up a system only to leave the backed up files on the same system.

I basically have:
* linux box (need to back this up)
* MacBook with external HDD

I wanted to backup my linux box to my Mac's external HDD. I was guessing running the backup software on the linux box & pointing it to the Mac might be the way to go?

I was reading up on rsynch. Perhaps rsynch scripts running on the linux box using ssh to get the backup across to the mac would be a good way?

thanks

how does rsynch compare to Dar? Is rsynch better/more recent?

Hi,

I'm down to two scripts below. If you know of any more well known & tested backup scripts than these can you let me know?

* http://rsnapshot.org/

* HOWTO: Backup nightly via rsync

Thanks