Example for running scheduled Restic backups on MacOS

0-restic-backup.md

Replace bobswinkels with your username and place files at correct locations:

• /Users/bobswinkels/bin/backup.sh
• /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.restic-backup.plist

Launch deamon using:
sudo launchctl load /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.restic-backup.plist

Alternatively the script can also be run using a cron job:
0 */6 * * * /Users/bobswinkels/bin/backup.sh >> /var/log/restic-backup.log 2>&1

backup.sh

#!/bin/bash

# Prune backups and make a new backup

if [ "$EUID" -ne 0 ] # Check if running as root
  then echo "Please run as root"
  exit
fi

# Exit on failure, pipe failure
set -e -o pipefail

# Clean up lock if we are killed.
# If killed by systemd, like $(systemctl stop restic), then it kills the whole cgroup and all it's subprocesses.
# However if we kill this script ourselves, we need this trap that kills all subprocesses manually.
exit_hook() {
        echo "In exit_hook(), being killed" >&2
        jobs -p | xargs kill
        restic unlock
}
trap exit_hook INT TERM SIGTERM

# Initialize all the option variables.
# This ensures we are not contaminated by variables from the environment.
verbose=0
SET_CLEAN=false

while :; do
    case $1 in
        --clean)
            SET_CLEAN=true # Clean backups
            ;;
        -v|--verbose)
            verbose=$((verbose + 1))  # Each -v adds 1 to verbosity.
            ;;
        -?*)
            printf 'WARN: Unknown option (ignored): %s\n' "$1" >&2
            ;;
        *)               # Default case: No more options, so break out of the loop.
            break
    esac

    shift
done

# The syntax to backup using rlone is: rclone:<remote>:<path>
# export RESTIC_REPOSITORY="" 
# export RESTIC_PASSWORD=""

# Set correct user home folder (when running as root)
# HOME="/Users/username"

# How many backups to keep.
RETENTION_HOURS=12
RETENTION_DAYS=14
RETENTION_WEEKS=6
RETENTION_MONTHS=12
RETENTION_YEARS=3

# Paths of the files and folders that need to get backupped 
backup_paths=(
    $HOME/.zsh_history
    $HOME/Desktop
    $HOME/Documents
    $HOME/Movies
    $HOME/Music
    $HOME/Pictures
    /etc/cups
)

# Files and folders that need to get ignored (wildcards only applicable to files)
ignore=(
    # General Apple
    *.DS_Store
    *.DS_Store?
    .AppleDouble
    .LSOverride

    # Thumbnails
    ._*

    # Apple photo's library (backupped through icloud)
    "Photos Library.photoslibrary"

    # Windows thumbnail cache files
    Thumbs.db
    Thumbs.db:encryptable
    ehthumbs.db
    ehthumbs_vista.db

    # Dump file
    *.stackdump

    # Folder config file
    Desktop.ini
    desktop.ini

    # Recycle Bin used on file shares
    \$RECYCLE.BIN

    # Windows Installer files
    *.cab
    *.msi
    *.msix
    *.msm
    *.msp

    # Windows shortcuts
    *.lnk
)

if [ "$SET_CLEAN" = true ]; then

    # Do cleaning
    echo "##################################################################################"
    echo "Starting cleaning: $(/bin/date)"

    /usr/local/bin/restic forget --verbose=$verbose --prune --keep-hourly $RETENTION_HOURS --keep-daily $RETENTION_DAYS --keep-weekly $RETENTION_WEEKS --keep-monthly $RETENTION_MONTHS --keep-yearly $RETENTION_YEARS &
    wait $!

    echo "Backup & cleaning is done: $(/bin/date)"
    echo "##################################################################################"

else

    # Do Backup
    echo "##################################################################################"
    echo "Starting backup: $(/bin/date)"

    /usr/local/bin/restic backup --verbose=$verbose --one-file-system --exclude-file=<(for f in "${ignore[@]}" ; do echo "$f" ; done) ${backup_paths[@]} &
    wait $!

    echo "Backup is done: $(/bin/date)"
    echo "##################################################################################"

fi

com.restic-backup.plist

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>EnvironmentVariables</key>
    <dict>
        <key>HOME</key>
        <string>/Users/bobswinkels</string>
        <key>PATH</key>
        <string>/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/bin</string>
        <key>RCLONE_CONFIG</key>
        <string>/Users/bobswinkels/.config/rclone/rclone.conf</string>
    </dict>
    <key>Label</key>
    <string>com.restic-backup.app</string>
    <key>Program</key>
    <string>/Users/bobswinkels/bin/backup.sh</string>
    <key>RunAtLoad</key>
    <true/>
    <key>StandardErrorPath</key>
    <string>/var/log/restic-backup.log</string>
    <key>StandardOutPath</key>
    <string>/var/log/restic-backup.log</string>
    <key>StartCalendarInterval</key>
    <dict>
        <key>Minute</key>
        <integer>0</integer>
    </dict>
</dict>
</plist>