Backup & Recovery

# Local directory sync
rsync -av /source/directory/ /backup/directory/
 
# Note: the trailing slash on the source path matters
# /source/dir/  -> syncs the contents of the directory
# /source/dir   -> syncs the directory itself (including the directory name)

# -a archive mode (preserves permissions, timestamps, symlinks, etc.)
# -v verbose output
# -z compress during transfer
# -h human-readable output
# --progress show progress
# --delete delete files in the target that don't exist in the source
 
# Complete local backup command
rsync -avh --progress /home/user/ /backup/home-user/
 
# Backup with exclusion rules
rsync -avh --progress \
  --exclude='.cache' \
  --exclude='node_modules' \
  --exclude='.local/share/Trash' \
  /home/user/ /backup/home-user/
 
# Using an exclude file
rsync -avh --exclude-from='/home/user/rsync-excludes.txt' \
  /home/user/ /backup/home-user/

# Backup to a remote server via SSH
rsync -avz -e ssh /home/user/ user@remote:/backup/home-user/
 
# Specify SSH port
rsync -avz -e "ssh -p 2222" /home/user/ user@remote:/backup/home-user/
 
# Restore from a remote server
rsync -avz user@remote:/backup/home-user/ /home/user/
 
# Use --delete to keep both sides in sync
rsync -avz --delete /home/user/ user@remote:/backup/home-user/

sudo nano /usr/local/bin/daily-backup.sh

#!/bin/bash
 
# Configuration
SOURCE="/home/"
DEST="/backup/daily"
LOG="/var/log/backup.log"
DATE=$(date +%Y-%m-%d_%H%M%S)
 
# Create log entry
echo "===== Backup started: $DATE =====" >> "$LOG"
 
# Execute backup
rsync -avh --delete \
  --exclude='.cache' \
  --exclude='node_modules' \
  --exclude='.local/share/Trash' \
  "$SOURCE" "$DEST" >> "$LOG" 2>&1
 
# Record result
if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
    echo "Backup completed successfully: $(date)" >> "$LOG"
else
    echo "Backup failed: $(date)" >> "$LOG"
fi

sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/daily-backup.sh

# Run backup every day at 2 AM
sudo crontab -e
# Add: 0 2 * * * /usr/local/bin/daily-backup.sh

# Install Timeshift
sudo apt install timeshift
 
# Launch the graphical interface
sudo timeshift-gtk
 
# Create a snapshot via command line
sudo timeshift --create --comments "Before installing NVIDIA driver"
 
# List all snapshots
sudo timeshift --list
 
# Restore to a specific snapshot
sudo timeshift --restore --snapshot '2026-03-24_10-00-00'
 
# Delete a snapshot
sudo timeshift --delete --snapshot '2026-03-24_10-00-00'

# View current configuration
sudo timeshift --config
 
# Set snapshot type (RSYNC or BTRFS)
sudo timeshift --snapshot-device /dev/sda2

{
  "backup_device_uuid": "xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx",
  "parent_device_uuid": "",
  "do_first_run": false,
  "btrfs_mode": false,
  "include_btrfs_home": false,
  "schedule_monthly": false,
  "schedule_weekly": true,
  "schedule_daily": true,
  "schedule_hourly": false,
  "schedule_boot": false,
  "count_monthly": 2,
  "count_weekly": 3,
  "count_daily": 5,
  "count_hourly": 0,
  "count_boot": 0,
  "exclude": [
    "/home/**",
    "/root/**"
  ]
}

# Verify filesystem type
df -T /
 
# If it's Btrfs, select BTRFS mode in Timeshift
sudo timeshift --btrfs

# Install (usually pre-installed on Ubuntu Desktop)
sudo apt install deja-dup

# Manually run a backup
deja-dup --backup
 
# Restore files
deja-dup --restore

# Create a full disk image
sudo dd if=/dev/sda of=/backup/sda.img bs=4M status=progress
 
# Compressed image
sudo dd if=/dev/sda bs=4M status=progress | gzip > /backup/sda.img.gz
 
# Restore from an image
sudo dd if=/backup/sda.img of=/dev/sda bs=4M status=progress
 
# Restore from a compressed image
gunzip -c /backup/sda.img.gz | sudo dd of=/dev/sda bs=4M status=progress

# Install Clonezilla
sudo apt install clonezilla
 
# It is generally recommended to boot from a Clonezilla Live USB
# Download: https://clonezilla.org/downloads.php

# Back up the entire system (excluding unnecessary directories)
sudo tar czpf /backup/system-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz \
  --exclude=/backup \
  --exclude=/proc \
  --exclude=/sys \
  --exclude=/dev \
  --exclude=/run \
  --exclude=/tmp \
  --exclude=/mnt \
  --exclude=/media \
  --exclude=/lost+found \
  /
 
# Restore the system
sudo tar xzpf /backup/system-20260324.tar.gz -C /

# Back up a single database
mysqldump -u root -p database_name > /backup/db-$(date +%Y%m%d).sql
 
# Back up all databases
mysqldump -u root -p --all-databases > /backup/all-db-$(date +%Y%m%d).sql
 
# Restore a database
mysql -u root -p database_name < /backup/db-20260324.sql

# Back up a single database
sudo -u postgres pg_dump dbname > /backup/pg-$(date +%Y%m%d).sql
 
# Back up all databases
sudo -u postgres pg_dumpall > /backup/pg-all-$(date +%Y%m%d).sql
 
# Restore
sudo -u postgres psql dbname < /backup/pg-20260324.sql

# Verify a tar backup
tar tzf /backup/system-20260324.tar.gz > /dev/null
 
# Verify an rsync backup
rsync -avhn --delete /source/ /backup/  # dry-run to compare differences
 
# Perform periodic restore drills