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Creating System Backups with rsync

Tutorial Overview

This tutorial provides a comprehensive guide to using rsync for creating backups of important files and directories. rsync is a powerful and flexible tool that enables efficient file synchronization and backup.

Prerequisites

  • Root or sudo access.
  • Ensure you have enough disk space on the destination storage (another directory, external drive, or remote server).

Steps

Step 1: Install rsync

1. Confirm if rsync is installed:

rsync --version

2. If not installed, use:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install rsync -y

Step 2: Basic rsync Command for Local Backups

1. Back up a specific directory (e.g., /home/user/documents) to a backup location (e.g., /backup/documents_backup):

sudo rsync -a /home/user/documents /backup/documents_backup
  • The -a option stands for “archive,” which preserves permissions, ownership, and timestamps, and copies directories recursively.

2. Verify the Backup:

  • Check if the files are copied correctly:
ls /backup/documents_backup

Step 3: Perform an Incremental Backup

1. To only back up files that have changed since the last backup, use:

sudo rsync -a --update /home/user/documents /backup/documents_backup
  • The –update option ensures only newer or modified files are copied, saving time and space.

Step 4: Back Up to a Remote Server

1. To back up files to a remote server with SSH (replace user, remote_host, and /remote/backup with your details):

sudo rsync -a -e ssh /home/user/documents user@remote_host:/remote/backup

2. Test the SSH Connection:

  • Ensure that you can connect without being prompted for a password by setting up SSH keys.

Step 5: Automate Backups with a Script

  1. Create a script file, backup_script.sh:
sudo nano /usr/local/bin/backup_script.sh

2. Add the following script contents:

#!/bin/bash
rsync -a --delete /home/user/documents /backup/documents_backup
echo "Backup completed on $(date)" >> /backup/backup.log
  • The –delete option removes files from the destination if they no longer exist in the source, keeping the backup location consistent.

3. Make the Script Executable:

sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/backup_script.sh

4. Schedule the Script with Cron:

  • Edit the crontab file:
crontab -e
  • Add an entry to run the script every night at 2:00 AM:
0 2 * * * /usr/local/bin/backup_script.sh