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Linux-Backup-Automation

Bash + cron solution for detecting and backing up updated important files

🔎 Project Overview

This project simulates a real-world Linux systems engineering task at a top-tech company (ABC International Inc.). As the Lead Linux Developer, the task is to design a script called backup.sh that: Runs daily (via cron job). Automatically detects encrypted password files modified within the last 24 hours. Creates secure backups of these updated files to a designated backup directory. This project demonstrates Linux system administration, shell scripting, automation, and security-conscious development practices.

🎯 Objectives

  1. Automate daily backups using Bash scripting and cron jobs.
  2. Work with Linux utilities (find, tar, cp, date, etc.).
  3. Ensure only files updated in the past 24 hours are included in backups.
  4. Demonstrate secure handling of sensitive files.

🛠️ Tech Stack / Tools

  • Linux (Ubuntu/CentOS/Debian)
  • Bash Shell
  • cron (for scheduling)
  • find, cp, tar, gzip (for file management & compression)

📂 Repository Structure

.
├── backup.sh          # Main backup script
├── destinationfolder  # Backup output directory (auto-created if missing)
├── targetfolder       # Example encrypted password files (for demo/testing)
└── README.md          # Documentation

🚀 How to Run

1️⃣ Clone Repository

git clone https://github.com/<your-username>/linux-backup-script.git
cd linux-backup-script

2️⃣ Make Script Executable

chmod +x backup.sh

3️⃣ Run Script Manually

./backup.sh

4️⃣ Automate with Cron (Daily @ Midnight)

crontab -e
0 0 * * * /path/to/backup.sh

📝 Example Script Workflow

Script checks /etc/security/ (or any given directory) for encrypted password files.
Identifies those modified in the last 24 hours.
Copies them into /backups/YYYY-MM-DD/ folder.
Logs backup details into backup.log.

📊 Sample Output

Target Directory: targetfolder
Destination Directory: destinationfolder
*files*
Backup file created: backup-[timestamp].tar.gz
Backup moved to: destinationfolderpath
Backup complete. Log updated at backup.log

🔑 Skills Demonstrated

  • Linux System Administration
  • Bash Scripting
  • File System Management
  • Task Automation with Cron
  • Secure Backup Strategies

🧑‍💻 Author

  • Onyinyechukwu Kenneth Nebe
  • 💼 Data Engineer