vs-backup

Synopsis

vsbackup is a tool used to create and restore backups on GNU/Linux systems. Backup directives are written in backuplist.json file.

Prerequisites

Need python3

Usage examples

To make a backup, use : ./vsbackup -b

By default, ./backuplist.json file will be used.

If you want to use another location for your json configuration, use ./vsbackup -b -l BACKUPLIST

By default, the backup will be created to ./backups/backup-timestamp-.tar.gz, to save it to another location use ./vsbackup -b -o OUTPUT

To restore a backup, locate the backup.tar.gz file you want to restore, and use : ./vsbackup -r BACKUPFILE

Note that ./settings.json will be used as vsbackup configuration file.

For more options, use ./vsbackup -h

settings.json

This file is used to configure vsbackup.

Example:

{
  "package_installer":"apt install -y",
  "tmp_dir":"/tmp",
  "backupfile":"./backups/backup",
  "backuplist":"./backuplist.json",
  "timestamp":true,
  "backup":false
}

Help

• package_installer The command line to install packages on your system
• tmp_dir A temporary location that vsbackup can use
• backupfile Output backup file that will be created
• backuplist Backup description list that will be used (if none is specified)
• timestamp Append a timestamp to output backup file
• backup Make a backup when the program is launched, even if it's note specified in command line

backuplist.json

Example:

{
  "section_name":
  {
    "dependencies": ["package0"],
    "packages": ["package1", "package2"],
    "backup_files":
      [
        "/etc/somesoftware/software.conf",
        "/usr/somesoftware/database.db"
      ],
    "backup_inc":
      [
        "/etc/somesoftware/conf.d",
        "/etc/somesoftware/directorycontenttobackup"
      ],
    "backup_dirs":
      [
        "/etc/somesoftware/directorytocreate",
        "/etc/somesoftware/contentwontbebackedup"
      ],
    "backup_dirs_tree":
      [
        "/var/backupfoldertree/butnofiles"
      ],
    "groups":["group1", "group2", "group3"],
    "users":
      [
        {"name":"user1","group":"group1","groups":["group2", "groups3"]},
        {"name":"user2","group":"group2","groups":["wheel", "groups3"]}
      ],
    "cmd_start":
      [
        "command to be excuted before restoration",
        "cmd2"
      ],
    "cmd_after_dependencies":["command to run after dependencies installation"],
    "cmd_after_packages":["this command will be ran after packages installation"],
    "cmd_end":["this command will run at the end of restoration"]
  },


  "nginx-example":
  {
    "dependencies": ["curl"],
    "packages": ["nginx"],
    "cmd_after_packages":["systemctl stop nginx"],
    "backup_files":["/etc/nginx/nginx.conf"],
    "backup_inc":
      [
        "/etc/nginx/sites-available",
        "/etc/nginx/sites-enabled"
      ],
    "groups":["www-data"],
    "users":
      [
        {"name":"www-data","group":"www-data","groups":[]}
      ],
    "cmd_end":["systemctl start nginx"],
  }
}

For each program you want to backup you can create a section_name as in this example. Though the section_name can whatever you want it to be.

• dependencies These packages will be installed before packages, using the package installer set in settings.json
• packages These packages will be installed using the package installer set in settings.json
• backup_files These files will be backed up
• backup_inc These directories with their content will be backed up
• backup_dirs These directories will be backed up, but not their content. They will just be created with same permissions at restore time.
• backup_dirs_tree This directory will be backed up recursively, but files will not be included. Only folder tree.
• groups These groups will be created in the system if they does not exist
• users These users will be created with their primary and secondary groups
• cmd_start Theses commands will be called before section restoration
• cmd_after_dependencies These commands will be called after dependencies installation
• cmd_after_packages These commands will be called after packages installation
• cmd_end These commands will be called at the end of restoration