A simple bash script to backup important directory in your Linux client/server

sys_backup.conf

################################################
#
# Configuration file for script sys_backup.sh
#
# ATTENTION!!! ATTENTION!!! ATTENTION!!!
# Do not edit anything before double dot!
# Double dot included!
#
################################################

# Insert directory to backup, separeted by a space, with absolute path and without slash at the end.
Directory to backup : /etc /var/www

# Insert destination backup folder with absolute path and without slash at the end.
Destination folder : /app/backup

# Insert file name for log with absolute path.
Log file : /var/log/sys_backup.log

# Define if you want archive old backup (.bak).
# Possible options are: yes | no
Archive .bak : yes

sys_backup.sh

#!/bin/bash

####################################################################
#
# Script to weekly backup important system folder.
#
# Author: Mauro Lomartire
# Script Name: sys_backup
# Script Version: 1.0 BETA
# License: GPLv2 http://www.gnu.org/licenses/licenses.en.html
#
####################################################################

# Define configuration file
CONFIG=/etc/sys_backup.conf

        if [ ! -f $CONFIG ]; then
                echo "Configuration file not found"
                exit 1
        fi

# Define variables needed for script
        SOURCE=`cat $CONFIG | grep "Directory to backup" | cut -d: -f2`
        DESTDIR=`cat $CONFIG | grep "Destination folder" | cut -d: -f2`
        DAYS=`cat $CONFIG | grep "Days" | cut -d: -f2`
        LOG=`cat $CONFIG | grep "Log file" | cut -d: -f2`
        # ARCHIVE=`cat $CONFIG | grep "Archive .bak" | cut -d: -f2`

        if [[ ! $SOURCE || ! $DESTDIR || ! $DAYS || ! $LOG ]]; then
                echo "Some element in configuration file are not present."
                exit 1
        fi

# Declare array with directory to backup
declare -a dirtobak=($SOURCE);

# Remove backup older than 3 days
clean() {
        find $DESTDIR/ -type f -mtime +$DAYS | xargs rm -f -- 2>> $LOG
}

# Move all backupped diretctory in a single archive to keep for 3 days
tarbak(){
        ls $DESTDIR/*.tar 2>> $LOG
        if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
        tar cf $DESTDIR/archive`date +%d%m%y`.tar.bz2 $DESTDIR/*.tar 2>> $LOG
# Need to fix here: a check for tar
        rm -f $DESTDIR/*.tar 2>> $LOG
        fi

############################################################
#       for k in `ls $DESTDIR/*.tar`; do
#               NEWNAME=$k.bak
#               mv $k $NEWNAME
#                       if [ $? -gt 0 ]; then
#                       echo "Error during renaming of $k" >> $LOG
#                       fi
#       done
#       fi
#
#       if [ $ARCHIVE == "yes" ]; then
#       ls $DESTDIR/*.bak 2>> $LOG
#               if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
#               tar cf $DESTDIR/archive`date +%d%m%y`.tar $DESTDIR/*.bak 2>> $LOG
#                       if [ $? -gt 0 ]; then
#                       echo "Error creating archive.tar" >> $LOG
#                       fi
#               fi
####################################################################

}

# Start backup of directory defined in configuration file
backup(){
        for i in ${dirtobak[@]}; do
        tar cf $DESTDIR/`basename $i`-`date +%H%M%S`.tar $i  2>> $LOG
                        if [ $? -gt 0 ]; then
                        echo "Error during tar of $i" >> $LOG
                        fi

        done
}

echo "----------------------------------------------------------" >> $LOG
echo `date` >> $LOG
echo "----------------------------------------------------------" >> $LOG

# Launch all function
clean

tarbak

backup

sys_backup_config.sh

#!/bin/bash

####################################################################
#
# GUI Script to configure sys_backup script.
#
# Author: Mauro Lomartire
# Script Name: sys_backup_config
# Script Version: 1.0 BETA
# License: GPLv2 http://www.gnu.org/licenses/licenses.en.html
#
####################################################################         
																			 
####################################################################         
#																			 
# DESCRIPTION
# This script help you to create the configuration file
# for the sys_backup script.
#
####################################################################


#############################################
# TODO
# - Check folder if exist
# - Check correct execution of function
# - Check id $DAYS is a number
# - Verify ctime and mtime
#############################################


##########################################
#
# Define variables and function
#
##########################################

	CONFIG="/etc/sys_backup.conf"
	FOLDER_LOG="/var/log"

# If config file already exist, we delete it.
	function del_files(){
		if [ -f $CONFIG ]; then
			rm -f $CONFIG
		fi


# If log file already exist, we delete it.
		if [ -f $FOLDER_LOG/$LOG ]; then
			rm -f $FOLDER_LOG/$LOG
		fi
	}

# Write down the configuration file
	function create_conf(){
		echo "Directory to backup : $SOURCE" >> $CONFIG
		echo "Destination folder : $DESTDIR" >> $CONFIG
		echo "Days : $DAYS" >> $CONFIG
		echo "Log file : $LOG" >> $CONFIG
	}


# Write in log file.
	function write_log(){
		# echo "Configuration file correctly created as $CONFIG"
		# echo "Now you can run sys_backup script located in /usr/local/bin"
		echo "----------------------------------------------------------" >> $FOLDER_LOG/$LOG
		echo `date` >> $FOLDER_LOG/$LOG
		echo "Configuration file created." >> $FOLDER_LOG/$LOG
		echo "----------------------------------------------------------" >> $FOLDER_LOG/$LOG
	}


##########################################
#
# Starting the script
#
##########################################

# Check if we are in a window system or not; if not execute the text version
	if [ ! $DISPLAY ]; then
# Verify if user is root, if not he can not configure script.
		user=`whoami`
		if [ $user != "root" ]; then
			echo "You need to be root in order to configure sys_backup script"
			exit 1
		fi

		echo "Enter source folders to backup separeted by space and press [enter]:"
		read SOURCE
			while [[ ! $SOURCE || ! -d $SOURCE ]]
			do
				echo "Error! Is this a real folder? Enter source folders to backup separeted by space and press [enter]:"
				read SOURCE
			done

		echo "Enter destination folder of backup and press [enter]:"
		read DESTDIR
			while [[ ! $DESTDIR || ! -d $DEST ]]
			do
				echo "Error! Is this a real folder? Enter destination folder of backup and press [enter]:"
				read DESTDIR
			done

		echo "Enter number of days to keep backup and press [enter]:"
		read DAYS
			while [ ! $DAYS ]
			do
				echo "Enter number of days to keep backup and press [enter]:"
				read DAYS
			done

		echo "Enter log file name (it will create in /var/log/) and press [enter]:"
		read LOG
			while [ ! $LOG ]
			do
				echo "Enter position and log file name and press [enter]:"
				read LOG
			done

		del_files

		create_conf

		write_log

		exit 0
	fi

# If we are here it means that we are in window X system, so zenity version of script will be used.
# Verify if user is root, if not he can not configure script.
		user=`whoami`
		if [ $user != "root" ]; then
			 zenity --error --title="You are not root" --text="You need to be root in order to configure sys_backup script"
			exit 1
		fi

# Display zenity window
	PARAMETERS=`zenity --title="System Backup Configurator" --forms --text="All files/folders need to be in absolute path format and without / at the end;\n source folder can be more than 1 but they need to be sperated by space.\n" --add-entry="Source folders" --add-entry="Destination folder" --add-entry="Days to keep old backup" --add-entry="Log File"  --separator=:`


# Extract variables needed in config file
	SOURCE=`echo $PARAMETERS | cut -d: -f1 `
	DESTDIR=`echo $PARAMETERS | cut  -d: -f2`
	DAYS=`echo $PARAMETERS | cut  -d: -f3`
	LOG=`echo $PARAMETERS | cut  -d: -f4`


# If all variables are not set, display error
	if [[ ! $SOURCE || ! $DESTDIR || ! $DAYS || ! $LOG || ! $CONFIG ]]; then
		    # echo "Please fill all fields!"
			zenity --error --title="Config dialog Error" --text="Please fill all fields! They are necessary to correctly run the script."
		    exit 1
	fi

	del_files

	create_conf

	write_log


	zenity --info --title="Well Done!" --text="Configuration file correctly created as $CONFIG\nNow you can run sys_backup script located in /usr/local/bin"

##########################################
#
# End of script
#
##########################################

With this script and his configuration file you can quickly backup important dir on your linux.

Usage
Just modify sys_backup.conf as you need and run the script.

Added a minimal zenity GUI (sys_backup_config.sh) to create the configuration file.

13/10/13
Added a check to see if we are in X window system or not.
In the first case the script will show a zenity GUI.
In the second case the script will show a shell based menu.

Usage
Run sys_backup_config.sh and fill all field. A configuration file named sys_backup.conf will be create inside /etc
After that you can run the script sys_backup.sh
IMPORTANT!
Every path has to be written without / at the end