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

#!/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

4 comment

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

Have a question? Post it on our forum!

Share this on:

4 comment