Shell script to backup directories & files from your home directory and email them as .tar.gz file

by Vivek Gite on April 9, 2008

#!/bin/bash
# mybackup - Backup selected files & directories and email them as .tar.gz file to
# your email account.
# List of BACKUP files/dirs stored in file ~/.mybackup
#
# Usage   : ./mybackup
#
# Notes   : Very handy tool to take backup (nowdays we have 1 gig+ email a/c)
#
# Copyright (C) 2004 nixCraft project
# Email/Contact   : http://cyberciti.biz/fb/
# Date            : Aug-2004
# Last updated    : Aug-2005
# -------------------------------------------------------------------------
# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
# modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
# as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2
# of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
# -------------------------------------------------------------------------
# This script is part of nixCraft shell script collection (NSSC)
# Visit http://bash.cyberciti.biz/ for more information.
# -------------------------------------------------------------------------
FILE=~/.mybackup
NOW=`date +"%d-%m-%Y"`
OUT="`echo $USER.$HOSTNAME`.$NOW.tar.gz"
TAR=`which tar`
# mail setup
MTO="nixbackup@somedom.com"
MSUB="Backup (`echo $USER @ $HOSTNAME`) as on `date`"
MES=~/tmp/mybackup.txt
MATT=~/tmp/$OUT
# make sure we put backup in our own tmp and not in /tmp
[ ! -d ~/tmp ] && mkdir ~/tmp || :
if [ -f $FILE ]; then
	IN="`cat $FILE | grep -E -v "^#"`"
else
	echo "File $FILE does not exists"
	exit 3
fi
if [ "$IN" == "" ]; then
	echo "$FILE is empty, please add list of files/directories to backup"
	echo "Use mybackupadd script"
	 exit 2
fi
$TAR -zcf ~/tmp/$OUT $IN >/dev/null
# create message for mail
echo "Backup successfully done. Please see attached file." > $MES
echo "" >> $MES
echo "Backup file: $OUT" >> $MES
echo "" >> $MES
# bug fix, we can't send email with attachment if mutt is not installed
which mutt > /dev/null
if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
	# now mail backup file with this attachment
	mutt -s "$MSUB" -a "$MATT" $MTO < $MES
else
	echo "Command mutt not found, cannot send an email with attachment"
fi
# clean up
/bin/rm -f $MATT
/bin/rm -f $MES

#!/bin/bash

# mybackup - Backup selected files & directories and email them as .tar.gz file to

# your email account.

# List of BACKUP files/dirs stored in file ~/.mybackup

# Usage : ./mybackup

# Notes : Very handy tool to take backup (nowdays we have 1 gig+ email a/c)

# Email/Contact : http://cyberciti.biz/fb/

# Date : Aug-2004

# Last updated : Aug-2005

# -------------------------------------------------------------------------

# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or

# modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License

# as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2

# of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

# -------------------------------------------------------------------------

# This script is part of nixCraft shell script collection (NSSC)

# Visit http://bash.cyberciti.biz/ for more information.

# -------------------------------------------------------------------------

FILE=~/.mybackup

NOW=`date +"%d-%m-%Y"`

OUT="`echo $USER.$HOSTNAME`.$NOW.tar.gz"

TAR=`which tar`

# mail setup

MTO="nixbackup@somedom.com"

MSUB="Backup (`echo $USER @ $HOSTNAME`) as on `date`"

MES=~/tmp/mybackup.txt

MATT=~/tmp/$OUT

# make sure we put backup in our own tmp and not in /tmp

[ ! -d ~/tmp ] && mkdir ~/tmp || :

if [ -f $FILE ]; then

IN="`cat $FILE | grep -E -v "^#"`"

else

echo "File $FILE does not exists"

exit 3

if [ "$IN" == "" ]; then

echo "$FILE is empty, please add list of files/directories to backup"

echo "Use mybackupadd script"

exit 2

$TAR -zcf ~/tmp/$OUT $IN >/dev/null

# create message for mail

echo "Backup successfully done. Please see attached file." > $MES

echo "" >> $MES

echo "Backup file: $OUT" >> $MES

echo "" >> $MES

# bug fix, we can't send email with attachment if mutt is not installed

which mutt > /dev/null

if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then

# now mail backup file with this attachment

mutt -s "$MSUB" -a "$MATT" $MTO < $MES

else

echo "Command mutt not found, cannot send an email with attachment"

# clean up

/bin/rm -f $MATT

/bin/rm -f $MES

Tagged as: backup file, backup files, email account, email backup, eq, fi, free software foundation, gig, gnu general public license, handy tool, mail setup, mkdir tmp, msub, mto, mutt command, mybackup, send backup to email account, shell script, zcf

{ 4 comments… add one }

abhishek December 28, 2012, 11:01 am
what does this line will do. I too new for scripting :
IN=”`cat $FILE | grep -E -v “^#”`”
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vamsi January 2, 2010, 3:15 pm
thanks :D
its very useful ;)
Reply Link
Marcelo Saied April 6, 2009, 5:04 pm
nice script
Reply Link
Boris C. July 12, 2008, 9:33 pm
Hi, i am not experienced in this, but i would like to know where to find help files on this script.
Reply Link

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