Automated GitHub Repository Backup

[mkubdev]

The Backstory about your Linux Metaphor

I'm used to host my code on GitHub. I like GitHub a lot. I have a also a self-hosted gitlab for private work. But ensuring safety and integrity of our codebases can be scarry (imagine GitHub being offline...). One effective way to safeguard your GitHub repositories is through regular backups, and what better way to automate this process than with a scheduled cronjob on your Linux machine?

💡 3-2-1 Backup Strategy:

The 3-2-1 backup strategy, a golden rule in data backup, emphasizes redundancy and versatility. It advocates for maintaining:

1. Three Copies of Your Data:

The original data on your local machine. A secondary copy on another storage device. A tertiary copy stored remotely, off-site, offering protection against catastrophic events like hardware failures or disasters.

2. Two Different Media:

Utilize diverse storage mediums, such as local drives and cloud repositories, to mitigate risks associated with a specific type of storage failure.

3. One Copy Off-Site:

Ensure at least one backup is stored off-site to guard against location-specific risks like theft, fire, or natural disasters.

The Linux Story!

A simple guide /w GitHub CLI and Cron Jobs.

Prerequisite

You'll need this before starting to build the backup script.

1. Install GitHub CLI

Start by installing GitHub CLI on your machine. You can find installation instructions on the official GitHub CLI repository.

2. Authenticate locally with GitHub CLI

Type gh auth login. You'll be redirected to your browser to validate the authentication.

Make the script!

Go somewhere on your machine, and create a file backup_repos.sh :

#!/bin/bash

# Set the path where you want to clone the repositories
BACKUP_PATH="/path/to/your/backup/location"

# Set your GitHub organization name
GH_ORG="your-organization"

# List all repositories for the authenticated user
repos=$(gh repo list $GH_ORG --json=name --limit=1000 | jq -r '.[].name')

# Go to the clone path
cd $BACKUP_PATH

# Clone each repository
for repo in $repos
do
  gh repo clone $GH_ORG/$repo
done

[!IMPORTANT] Make sure to replace your-organization with your GitHub organization's name. Also, adjust the BACKUP_PATH to the desired directory where you want to clone all the repositories.

Save the script, and make it executable:

$> chmod +x backup_repos.sh

Setup the Cronjob:

Open the crontab file for editing it:

$> crontab -e

Add a line to schedule the backup script to run weekly. For example, to run the backup every Sunday at 8 AM:

0 8 * * 0 /path/to/backup_repos.sh

Save and exit.

Tada!

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