Rsync Backup Script

For more information on the script, see the article on the Rsync Backup Script.

Script File

Find the script here: rsync-backup-script.sh.

Step-by-Step Explanation of the Script

Preliminaries

1. Set strict error handling:
   The set -euo pipefail ensures:

   • -e: The script exits if any command returns a non-zero exit code.
   • -u: Exiting with an error if an undefined variable is used.
   • -o pipefail: The script fails if any command in a pipeline fails.

2. Define script metadata:
   __ScriptVersion="1.2" defines the version of the script.

3. Define a usage function:
   The usage function describes how to run the script and explains the options:

   • -h|help: Ensures the backup destination is mounted.
   • -v|version: Displays the script version.

Set Key Variables

• backuppath: The directory to back up ($HOME).
• mountpoint: The backup destination (/media/user/backup).
• date: Current date in YYYY-MM-DD format.
• time: Current time in HH:MM:SS format.

Main Logic

1. Check if the backup destination is mounted:
   The script uses mountpoint -q $mountpoint to verify if the backup destination is mounted.

   • If mounted:
     Proceed with the backup process.
   • If not mounted:
     Display an error message:
     "$mountpoint is not mounted", styled in bold, and exit with code 6.

2. Clean up old logs:
   Check if any backup log files exist at the destination (backup*.txt).

   • If none are found: Print "No backup file(s) found!".
   • If found: Prompt for confirmation (y to delete, n to cancel) and delete selected logs.

3. Perform the backup using rsync:
   The script uses rsync with the following options:

   • -a: Archive mode (preserves symbolic links, permissions, etc.).
   • -v: Verbose output.
   • -r: Recursively sync directories.
   • --delete: Remove files from the destination that no longer exist in the source.
   • --progress: Show progress for each file.
   • --stats: Display transfer statistics.
   • --itemize-changes: List changes made during the sync.
   • --exclude '.cache/': Exclude the .cache/ directory.
   • Output from rsync is piped to tee, saving a log file named backup-log_<date>-<time>.txt at the backup destination.

4. Display a success message:
   Use styled and formatted text (\033 sequences) to indicate success. Specify the synced source ($backuppath) and destination ($mountpoint).

5. Print the latest file written to the backup destination:
   Use find to locate the most recently written file and display its timestamp.

6. Wait, clear screen, and exit:

   • Pause for 15 seconds (sleep 15).
   • Clear the terminal (clear).
   • Exit with code 0 to signal success.

Error Handling

If the backup destination ($mountpoint) is not mounted:

• Print an error message in bold: "$mountpoint is not mounted".
• Exit with error code 6 (No such device or address).