Backup Script with Version Control

sbackup.sh is a simple and efficient bash script for backing up directories using rsync. It ensures that older versions of files are preserved by appending a timestamp and a unique identifier to each file. The script supports both local and remote backups.

Features

• Backup with versioning: Moves older versions of files to a designated folder (older_versions), appending a date and a unique 8-character UUID to ensure each version is unique.
• Efficient synchronization: Uses rsync to efficiently sync files between directories, only copying changes and preserving file attributes.
• Support for remote backups: Works seamlessly with local and remote directories.
• Verbose mode: Option to output detailed logs for troubleshooting.

Requirements

• rsync: The script relies on rsync for file synchronization.
• uuidgen: Used to generate unique identifiers for versioning.
• Optional: ssh for remote backups.

Installation

1. Clone the repository or download the script:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/sbackup.sh.git

2. Make the script executable:

   chmod +x sbackup.sh

Usage

Basic Syntax

./sbackup.sh [-v] <source_dir> <dest_dir>

• source_dir: The directory you want to back up.
• dest_dir: The destination directory where the files will be copied. This can be a local or remote path.
• -v: (Optional) Verbose mode for more detailed output.

Example 1: Local Backup

To back up /home/user/documents to /mnt/backup:

./sbackup.sh /home/user/documents /mnt/backup

Example 2: Remote Backup

To back up /home/user/documents to a remote machine:

./sbackup.sh /home/user/documents user@remote:/path/to/backup

Example 3: Verbose Mode

Enable verbose mode for more detailed output:

./sbackup.sh -v /home/user/documents /mnt/backup

How It Works

1. Rsync synchronization: The script uses rsync to synchronize the source directory to the destination directory. Only modified files are copied, optimizing bandwidth and storage.

2. Versioning: If a file already exists in the destination, rsync moves the older version to an older_versions folder inside the destination. The older version is renamed by appending:

   • A ~YYYY-MM-DD timestamp representing the date of the sync.
   • A unique 8-character ID generated by uuidgen.

   This ensures that each older version is unique, even if the same file is backed up multiple times a day.

Example of Versioned Filename:

If the original file is example.txt, and it is moved to the older_versions folder, the new file might look like:

example.txt~2024-10-01-abcdef12

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

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Feel free to modify the script to suit your needs. Contributions and improvements are welcome!