Mini Project 02 — Automated Backup System

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Overview

Build a configurable, automated backup system that: - Backs up one or more directories to a destination - Creates timestamped archives - Retains only the last N backups (rotation) - Logs every run - Sends a summary on completion

Skills: File System, Shell Scripting, Cron, Compression

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What You'll Build

backups/
├── backup_20240620_020000.tar.gz   ← daily backup
├── backup_20240619_020000.tar.gz
├── backup_20240618_020000.tar.gz
└── backup.log

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Files

File	Purpose
backup.sh	Main backup script
config.sh	Directories to back up, retention policy
restore.sh	Restore from a backup archive

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Setup

cd ~/linux-administration/03-mini-projects/02-automated-backup/
chmod +x backup.sh restore.sh

# Run a backup
./backup.sh

# List available backups
./backup.sh --list

# Restore latest backup
./restore.sh --latest /tmp/restore-test/

# Schedule daily at 2 AM
crontab -e
# Add: 0 2 * * * /path/to/backup.sh >> /var/log/backup.log 2>&1

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Learning Goals

• Archive directories using tar
• Implement log rotation logic in bash
• Handle errors and report success/failure
• Use cron for scheduled automation

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