rsync-time-backup/README.md

# Rsync time backup

Time Machine style backup with rsync. Should work on Linux, OS X and Windows with Cygwin. The main advantage over Time Machine is the flexibility as it can backup from/to any filesystem and works on any platform. You can also backup, for example, to a Truecrypt drive without any problem.

On OS X, it has a few disadvantages compared to Time Machine - in particular it doesn't auto-start when the backup drive is plugged (though it can be achieved using a launch agent), and no specific GUI is provided to restore files. Instead files can be restored by using any file explorer, including Finder, or the command line.

# Installation

	git clone https://github.com/laurent22/rsync-time-backup

# Usage

	rsync_tmbackup.sh <source> <destination> [excluded-pattern-path]

## Examples
	
* Backup the home folder to backup_drive
	
		rsync_tmbackup.sh /home /mnt/backup_drive  

* Backup with exclusion list:
	
		rsync_tmbackup.sh /home /mnt/backup_drive excluded_patterns.txt
	
## Exclude file

An optional exclude file can be provided as a third parameter. It should be compatible with the `--exclude-from` parameter of rsync. See [this tutorial] (https://sites.google.com/site/rsync2u/home/rsync-tutorial/the-exclude-from-option) for more information.

# Features

* Each backup is on its own folder named after the current timestamp. Files can be copied and restored directly, without any intermediate tool.

* Files that haven't changed from one backup to the next are hard-linked to the previous backup so take very little extra space.

* Safety check - the backup will only happen if the destination has explicitly been marked as a backup destination.

* Resume feature - if a backup has failed or was interrupted, the tool will resume from there on the next backup.

* Exclude file - support for pattern-based exclusion via the `--exclude-from` rsync parameter.

* Automatically purge old backups - within 24 hours, all backups are kept. Within one month, the most recent backup for each day is kept. For all previous backups, the most recent of each month is kept.

* "latest" symlink that points to the latest successful backup.

* The application is just one bash script that can be easily edited.

# TODO

* Check source and destination file-system. If one of them is FAT, use the --modify-window rsync parameter (see `man rsync`) with a value of 1 or 2.

* Minor changes (see TODO comments in the source).

* Backup to remote drive?

# LICENSE

[MIT](http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT)

[![Bitdeli Badge](https://d2weczhvl823v0.cloudfront.net/laurent22/rsync-time-backup/trend.png)](https://bitdeli.com/free "Bitdeli Badge")
Wrote readme file 2013-10-27 04:31:06 +00:00			`# Rsync time backup`
Initial commit 2013-10-27 03:57:45 +00:00
Update README.md Clarify advantages/disadvantages 2014-02-02 18:19:25 +00:00			`Time Machine style backup with rsync. Should work on Linux, OS X and Windows with Cygwin. The main advantage over Time Machine is the flexibility as it can backup from/to any filesystem and works on any platform. You can also backup, for example, to a Truecrypt drive without any problem.`

			`On OS X, it has a few disadvantages compared to Time Machine - in particular it doesn't auto-start when the backup drive is plugged (though it can be achieved using a launch agent), and no specific GUI is provided to restore files. Instead files can be restored by using any file explorer, including Finder, or the command line.`
Wrote readme file 2013-10-27 04:31:06 +00:00
			`# Installation`

Readme tweaks 2013-10-27 04:34:05 +00:00			`git clone https://github.com/laurent22/rsync-time-backup`
Wrote readme file 2013-10-27 04:31:06 +00:00
			`# Usage`

Readme tweaks 2013-10-27 04:34:05 +00:00			`rsync_tmbackup.sh <source> <destination> [excluded-pattern-path]`
Wrote readme file 2013-10-27 04:31:06 +00:00
			`## Examples`
Readme tweaks 2013-10-27 04:34:05 +00:00
Readme formatting 2013-10-27 06:19:37 +00:00			`* Backup the home folder to backup_drive`
Readme tweaks 2013-10-27 04:34:05 +00:00
Update README.md Formatting 2013-10-27 06:22:37 +00:00			`rsync_tmbackup.sh /home /mnt/backup_drive`
Readme tweaks 2013-10-27 04:34:05 +00:00
Readme formatting 2013-10-27 06:19:37 +00:00			`* Backup with exclusion list:`
Readme tweaks 2013-10-27 04:34:05 +00:00
Update README.md Formatting 2013-10-27 06:22:37 +00:00			`rsync_tmbackup.sh /home /mnt/backup_drive excluded_patterns.txt`
Readme tweaks 2013-10-27 04:34:05 +00:00
Wrote readme file 2013-10-27 04:31:06 +00:00			`## Exclude file`

Fix minor typos in the README.md 2014-01-26 20:20:49 +00:00			An optional exclude file can be provided as a third parameter. It should be compatible with the `--exclude-from` parameter of rsync. See [this tutorial] (https://sites.google.com/site/rsync2u/home/rsync-tutorial/the-exclude-from-option) for more information.
Wrote readme file 2013-10-27 04:31:06 +00:00
			`# Features`

			`* Each backup is on its own folder named after the current timestamp. Files can be copied and restored directly, without any intermediate tool.`

			`* Files that haven't changed from one backup to the next are hard-linked to the previous backup so take very little extra space.`

Fix minor typos in the README.md 2014-01-26 20:20:49 +00:00			`* Safety check - the backup will only happen if the destination has explicitly been marked as a backup destination.`
Wrote readme file 2013-10-27 04:31:06 +00:00
			`* Resume feature - if a backup has failed or was interrupted, the tool will resume from there on the next backup.`

Readme tweaks 2013-10-27 04:34:05 +00:00			* Exclude file - support for pattern-based exclusion via the `--exclude-from` rsync parameter.
Wrote readme file 2013-10-27 04:31:06 +00:00
Removed old backup deletion prompt, and formatting tweaks. - Removed old backup deletion prompt as it's not really needed. - Made all variables uppercase for consistency. - Used double square brackets in `if` statements. 2013-11-16 14:50:10 +00:00			`* Automatically purge old backups - within 24 hours, all backups are kept. Within one month, the most recent backup for each day is kept. For all previous backups, the most recent of each month is kept.`

Updated list of features in README 2013-11-15 10:06:49 +00:00			`* "latest" symlink that points to the latest successful backup.`

			`* The application is just one bash script that can be easily edited.`
Wrote readme file 2013-10-27 04:31:06 +00:00
			`# TODO`

Added TODO to README.md 2014-01-11 19:09:12 +00:00			* Check source and destination file-system. If one of them is FAT, use the --modify-window rsync parameter (see `man rsync`) with a value of 1 or 2.

Rebase on master. 2013-11-13 17:16:31 +00:00			`* Minor changes (see TODO comments in the source).`
Update README.md Now done: "Check if there's enough space in the destination before doing the backup. Also automatically delete old backups." 2013-11-13 09:57:51 +00:00
Removed old backup deletion prompt, and formatting tweaks. - Removed old backup deletion prompt as it's not really needed. - Made all variables uppercase for consistency. - Used double square brackets in `if` statements. 2013-11-16 14:50:10 +00:00			`* Backup to remote drive?`

Update README.md Added license 2013-10-28 07:47:57 +00:00			`# LICENSE`

			`[MIT](http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT)`
Add a Bitdeli badge to README 2013-10-28 17:04:53 +00:00
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