Shell Script to Backup Files / Directories Using rsync

This article we bring shell scripts to backup your files / directories from you local linux machine to a remote linux server using rsync command. This would be an interactive way to perform backup , where you need to provide remote backup server hostname / ip address and folder location. We keep a separate file where you need to provide files / directories that need backup. We have added two scripts where first script ask password after each file had been copied (if you have enabled ssh authentication keys , then password will be not be asked) and in second script password will be prompted only once.

We are going to backup bckup.txt, dataconfig.txt, docs and oracledb.

[root@Fedora21 tmp]# ls -l
total 12
-rw-r--r--. 1 root root 0 May 15 10:43 bckrsync.sh
-rw-r--r--. 1 root root 0 May 15 10:44 bckup.txt
-rw-r--r--. 1 root root 0 May 15 10:46 dataconfig.txt
drwxr-xr-x. 2 root root 4096 May 15 10:45 docs
drwxr-xr-x. 2 root root 4096 May 15 10:44 oracledb

This file contains backup files / dir details

[root@Fedora21 tmp]# cat /tmp/bckup.txt
/tmp/oracledb
/tmp/dataconfig.txt
/tmp/docs
[root@Fedora21 tmp]#

Script 1 :

#!/bin/bash

#We will save path to backup file in variable
backupf='/tmp/bckup.txt'

#Next line just prints message
echo "Shell Script Backup Your Files / Directories Using rsync"

#next line check if entered value is not null, and if null it will reask user to enter Destination Server
while [ x$desthost = "x" ]; do

#next line prints what userd should enter, and stores entered value to variable with name desthost
read -p "Destination backup Server : " desthost

#next line finishes while loop
done

#next line check if entered value is not null, and if null it will reask user to enter Destination Path
while [ x$destpath = "x" ]; do

#next line prints what userd should enter, and stores entered value to variable with name destpath
read -p "Destination Folder : " destpath

#next line finishes while loop
done

#Next line will start reading backup file line by line
for line in `cat $backupf`

#and on each line will execute next
do

#print message that file/dir will be copied
echo "Copying $line ... "
#copy via rsync file/dir to destination

rsync -ar "$line" "$desthost":"$destpath"

#this line just print done
echo "DONE"

#end of reading backup file
done

Running the script with output

[root@Fedora21 tmp]# ./bckrsync.sh
Shell Script Backup Your Files / Directories Using rsync
Destination backup Server : 104.*.*.41
Destination Folder : /tmp
Copying /tmp/oracledb ...
The authenticity of host '104.*.*.41 (104.*.*.41)' can't be established.
ECDSA key fingerprint is 96:11:61:17:7f:fa:......
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)? yes
Warning: Permanently added '104.*.*.41' (ECDSA) to the list of known hosts.
root@104.*.*.41's password:
DONE
Copying /tmp/dataconfig.txt ...
root@104.*.*.41's password:
DONE
Copying /tmp/docs ...
root@104.*.*.41's password:
DONE
[root@Fedora21 tmp]#

Script 2 :

#!/bin/bash

#We will save path to backup file in variable
backupf='/tmp/bckup.txt'

#Next line just prints message
echo "Shell Script Backup Your Files / Directories Using rsync"

#next line check if entered value is not null, and if null it will reask user to enter Destination Server
while [ x$desthost = "x" ]; do

#next line prints what userd should enter, and stores entered value to variable with name desthost
read -p "Destination backup Server : " desthost

#next line finishes while loop
done

#next line check if entered value is not null, and if null it will reask user to enter Destination Path
while [ x$destpath = "x" ]; do

#next line prints what userd should enter, and stores entered value to variable with name destpath
read -p "Destination Folder : " destpath

#next line finishes while loop
done

#next line check if entered value is not null, and if null it will reask user to enter password
while [ x$password = "x" ]; do
#next line prints what userd should enter, and stores entered value to variable with name password. #To hide password we are using -s key
read -sp "Password : " password
#next line finishes while loop
done

#Next line will start reading backup file line by line
for line in `cat $backupf`

#and on each line will execute next
do

#print message that file/dir will be copied
echo "Copying $line ... "
#we will use expect tool to enter password inside script
/usr/bin/expect << EOD
#next line set timeout to -1, recommended to use
set timeout -1
#copy via rsync file/dir to destination, using part of expect — spawn command

spawn rsync -ar ${line} ${desthost}:${destpath}
#as result of previous command we expect “password” promtp
expect "*?assword:*"
#next command enters password from script
send "${password}\r"
#next command tells that we expect end of file (everything finished on remote server)
expect eof
#end of expect pard
EOD
#this line just print done
echo "DONE"

#end of reading backup file
done

Screenshot running the second script with output

Hope these scripts help you to take backup !!