Hello All,   
      
   I thought I posted this file in here, but I didn't.  Here it is:   
      
   === Cut ===   
   How To Make Nightly Backups Easy   
   By Sean Dennis   
   16 November 2015   
   ================================   
   MBSE BBS should be backed up nightly as part of a good disaster recovery   
   program.  This is part of my "hot" part of my personal disaster recovery   
   program.[1]   
      
   I am running, as of this writing, MBSE BBS 1.0.6 under Slackware Linux 14.1.   
      
   These particular examples involve using crond (Dillon's cron) and run-parts.   
   Your system may vary from this, so adjust accordingly.   
      
   The first thing I did was install rdiff-backup.  This is available for many   
   distros.  rdiff-backup is a Python script that uses rsync to perform backups   
   both locally and via SSH to other systems.  rdiff-backup's website[2]   
   explains how to do all of that and much more.   
      
   From rdiff-backup's website:   
   "rdiff-backup backs up one directory to another, possibly over a network.   
   The target directory ends up a copy of the source directory, but extra   
   reverse diffs are stored in a special subdirectory of that target directory,   
   so you can still recover files lost some time ago. The idea is to combine   
   the best features of a mirror and an incremental backup. rdiff-backup also   
   preserves subdirectories, hard links, dev files, permissions, uid/gid   
   ownership, modification times, extended attributes, acls, and resource   
   forks. Also, rdiff-backup can operate in a bandwidth efficient manner over a   
   pipe, like rsync. Thus you can use rdiff-backup and ssh to securely back a   
   hard drive up to a remote location, and only the differences will be   
   transmitted. Finally, rdiff-backup is easy to use and settings have sensical   
   defaults."   
      
   I started doing research about creating a script to do the nightly backups.   
   As I read, I learned a few quirks about run-parts: a) run-parts will not run   
   a script that has an extension and b) the script's permissions should be set   
   to 755.  This script runs as root, so as root, I created the following script   
   in /etc/cron.daily (which runs at 0440 local time):   
      
   #!/bin/bash   
   mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/backup   
   rdiff-backup /opt/mbse /mnt/backup/nightly   
   umount /mnt/backup   
   echo "Nightly Backup Successful: $(date)" >> /opt/mbse/log/backup.log   
      
   Let me explain what this does if you're not familiar:   
      
   * Line 1: Opens a command shell.   
   * Line 2: I have an external USB 500GB hard drive that I'm using for the   
     nightly backups.  I created the /mnt/backup mounting point just for this   
     drive.   
   * Line 3: This is the line that does the work.  It calls rdiff-backup to   
     backup all the files in /opt/mbse over to my USB drive into the nightly   
     directory.   
   * Line 4: Unmounts the drive (in case of problems, the drive is not   
     affected).   
   * Line 5: This just writes that line to the specified log file for my own   
     personal information.  MBSE has ntohing to do with this.   
      
   The best thing about rdiff-backup is that it copies the files as they are.   
   No compression (unless you want it), nothing fancy.  Lose a file?  Just copy   
   it directly over from the backup directory.   
      
   I'd highly recommend reading up on rdiff-backup as it contains many features   
   I have no need for but you might find indispensable.   
      
   If you have any questions about this, please contact me in Fidonet's MBSE   
   echo, via netmail at 1:18/200@Fidonet or 618:618/1@Micronet, or email at   
   sysop@outpostbbs.net (the first two methods preferred).  You can also find   
   me on my BBS, Outpost BBS, at telnet://bbs.outpostbbs.net.   
      
   -- Sean Dennis   
      Outpost BBS SysOp   
      
   Footnotes:   
   [1] = While you may not be running your BBS as a business, it makes sense to   
   treat it like one when it comes to backing up your data.  A good place to   
   start learning about a disaster recovery plan is here:   
      
   http://www.ready.gov/business/implementation/IT   
      
   A Google search using "basic disaster recovery plan" provides a lot of   
   information also if you're not familiar with this concept.   
      
      
   [2] = http://www.nongnu.org/rdiff-backup/   
      
      
   === Cut ===   
      
   Later,   
   Sean   
      
   --- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20150715   
    * Origin: Outpost BBS * Limestone, TN, USA (1:18/200)