ChaseLukeA / Bash-TerminalBackupAndRestore

'tbar' - a command-line interface (terminal) backup/restore script for doing quick command-line backups/restores/archives/unarchives of files from a created ".files" list!

#Terminal Backup And Restore

##Why I made this:

I use a Mac at work and a different Mac at home. I wanted certain preferences (from ~/Library/Preferences/ or ~/Library/Application Support/) to be in a list of files to backup so I could just type something simple every day to sync these files into my Dropbox directory, or to restore them from the Dropbox directory. From a backup folder, I can type tbar -b at work to backup the current prefs states, then Dropbox syncs itself, then when I get home I can type tbar -r from my backup folder and it restores my work Mac's prefs to my home Mac. I couldn't get a symbolic or hard link of any file in either of those directories to work, nor could any good answers be found elsewhere. This works for me.

##Installation:

In terminal, navigate to the folder containing install. Run ./install OR sh install to copy the executables to your usr/local/bin directory. You may now type any of the following commands from any directory.

#####Troubleshooting install:

If you cannot execute ./install in terminal, give yourself execute permissions by typing chmod 755 install and then trying again.

Make sure you have permissions to /usr/local/bin (you should) if you have any copy or permission change errors.

##Usage:

####You can use either tbar -'flag' or direct t_'command' commands from any directory you wish to use as a backup directory:

#####Make your backup files .files list:

• Type tbar -m file1 file2 etc OR tbar makelist file1 file 2 etc OR t_makelist file1 file2 etc at a terminal to create a list of files for regular backup or archiving; you can also type t_makelist OR tbar makelilst OR tbar -m and just drag/drop files to the terminal as well

#####Backing up files in your .files list:

• Type tbar -b OR tbar backup OR t_backup to copy the list of files in .files to the current directory

#####(Quick) Backing up files in your .files list:

• Type tbar -q OR tbar backupquick OR t_backupquick to copy the list of files in .files to the current directory
• This mode is nearly silent and does not clear screen, great for use in multiple-backup script so you can see easy line-by-line successes or failures

#####Restoring files in your .files list:

• Type tbar -r OR tbar restore OR t_restore to copy the list of files in the current directory back to their original copy directory

#####Archiving the backed up files in your backup folder:

• Type tbar -a OR tbar archive OR t_archive to make a zip file of the files in .files with the same name as the current folder

#####Unarchiving the archived files in your backup folder:

• Type tbar -u OR tbar unarchive OR t_unarchive to unzip the zipped file of the current folder's name to the current folder

##Examples:

I like having a copy of my WindowTidy preferences for when they change, etc. Here's how that worked:

On the first Mac, I navigate to my WindowTidy preferences backup folder:

cd ~/Dropbox/Preferences/WindowTidy

Then the first time I run tbar I create the .files backup list:

tbar -m ~/Libarary/Preferences/com.lightpillar.Window-Tidy.plist ~/Library/Application\ Support/WindowTidy/Layouts.data

This adds those two files to a new .files list. Next I type:

tbar -b

This copies those two files to the directory I'm in with the .files file. Finally I type:

tbar -a

This creates a zip file of both preference files named the same as my directory name (just in case I screw something up, I have a backup of the current files now).

On another Mac with Dropbox installed, I navigate to my WindowTidy preferences save folder:

cd ~/Dropbox/Preferences/WindowTidy

Here I can restore those settings to the preferences folder on the second Mac:

tbar -r

A few minutes later, I made a mistake in my WindowTidy layout. I'd like to go back to the recent archive of it:

tbar -u

And now restore those files:

tbar -r

That's it!

##TODO:

• Add logic to get real paths for files added using symbolic links
• Add logic to use home path ~/ instead of hardcoded /Users/username/