Github backup script
This is a basic github backup script. It backs up github repositories to the directory in which a text file resides with a list of respositories. The script should be run as cron job on a set schedule (daily, weekly or monthly). The last three backed up versions are kept for roll-back. This script stands in for costly Software-as-a-Service subscriptions on the github store.
Repositories to be backed up should be listed in a text file as such:
bluegreen-labs/phenor
bluegreen-labs/MODISTools
...
This file should be called with the full path by the script/crontab entry.
# crontab settings for weekly backups on Monday at noon
0 12 * * 1 /home/user/bin/gitbak.sh /drive/backups/repositories.txtThis call will store zipped archived repositories in /drive/backups on weekly schedule. The last three backups are retained.
Authorization
For private repositories authorization will be required. If no personal access token is provided (to be stored in ~/.ssh/github.bak with read/write access, but no delete access) the existing ssh key on the system will work. Note that no additional passwords can be provided for the ssh key to function. All the usual caveats apply when managing access tokens and keys. Minimizing exposure and leaking of high value credentials can be accomplished by creating a dedicated backup github account with granular permissions, or the us of granular personal access tokens with granular settings. Sadly, the latter are limited in time to less than a year and therefore are not a hands-off solution for backups.