> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.highmark.it/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Automatic Backup Script

> A simple but effective bash script to automatically backup your files on Linux.

Losing data is a nightmare. With this simple bash script, you can create compressed archives of your important files and keep them organized.

### **The Script**

Create a file called `backup.sh`:
`nano backup.sh`

Paste the following code:

```bash theme={null}
#!/bin/bash

# --- CONFIGURATION ---
# Folder to save (e.g., the Minecraft server folder)
SOURCE_DIR="/home/minecraft/server"

# Folder where to save backups
BACKUP_DIR="/home/minecraft/backups"

# Backup name (with date and time)
DATE=$(date +%Y-%m-%d_%H-%M)
BACKUP_NAME="backup_$DATE.tar.gz"

# Days after which to delete old backups
RETENTION_DAYS=7
# ----------------------

# Create backup folder if it doesn't exist
mkdir -p $BACKUP_DIR

echo "Starting backup of $SOURCE_DIR..."

# Create compressed archive
tar -czf "$BACKUP_DIR/$BACKUP_NAME" "$SOURCE_DIR"

echo "Backup completed: $BACKUP_DIR/$BACKUP_NAME"

# Remove backups older than X days
echo "Removing backups older than $RETENTION_DAYS days..."
find "$BACKUP_DIR" -type f -name "*.tar.gz" -mtime +$RETENTION_DAYS -delete

echo "Operation completed!"
```

### **How to Use It**

1. **Save and Close:** Press `CTRL+O`, `Enter`, then `CTRL+X`.
2. **Make the script executable:**
   `chmod +x backup.sh`
3. **Run it manually:**
   `./backup.sh`

### **Automating with Cron (Scheduling)**

You can have this script run automatically every day (e.g., at 4:00 AM).

1. Open crontab:
   `crontab -e`

2. Add this line to the end of the file:
   `0 4 * * * /path/to/your/backup.sh`
   *(Make sure to use the full path, e.g., `/home/user/backup.sh`)*

3. Save and close.

Now your server will automatically backup every night at 04:00 and automatically delete backups older than 7 days to avoid filling up the disk!

<Note>
  Guide created by HighMark - All information and contacts on my [official website: Highmark.it](https://highmark.it/)
</Note>