MacOS RsyncBackup — simplest possible rsync GUI for MacOS

RsyncBackup.js

#!/usr/bin/osascript -l JavaScript
// ^^^^ COMMENT/REMOVE THIS SHEBANG IF RUNNING FROM SCRIPT EDITOR!!!!! ^^^^^^^^^^^
// The SHEBANG is only needed if the file is executable and is run from a terminal with `./RsyncBackup.js`
 
// 1. In MacOS Spotlight type 'Script Editor' and paste the code below
// 2. Click the top-left dropdown which says 'AppleScript' and select 'JavaScript'
// 3. Under menu File pick Export 
// 4. In the Export dialog select File Format = Application
// 5. Save the app in /Applications

var app = Application.currentApplication()
app.includeStandardAdditions = true


app.displayAlert("Rsync Backup Wizard v 0.21", {
    message: "Press Continue to select the rsync location and SOURCE/TARGET folders...",
    buttons: ["Cancel", "Continue"],
    defaultButton: "Continue",
    cancelButton: "Cancel",
    withIcon: "caution"
})

var cmd_find_rsync;

if (app.doShellScript('echo $SHELL') == '/bin/zsh') {
    cmd_find_rsync = 'source ~/.zshrc || true && which -a rsync | uniq';
} else {
    cmd_find_rsync = 'source ~/.bashrc || true && which -a rsync | uniq';
}

output = app.doShellScript(cmd_find_rsync);

rsync_paths = output.match(/[^\r]+/g);

var rsyncPath = app.chooseFromList(rsync_paths, {
    withPrompt: "Select the rsync binary path:",
    defaultItems: [rsync_paths[0]]
});

var sourceFolder = app.chooseFolder({
    withPrompt: "Please select the SOURCE folder:"
});

var targetFolder = app.chooseFolder({
    withPrompt: "Please select the TARGET:"
});

// TODO: include output of:
//      sudo mdfind "com_apple_backup_excludeItem = 'com.apple.backupd'"

var cmd = String(rsyncPath) 
    + " --checksum"
    + " -av"
    + " --progress"
    + " --ignore-errors"
    + " --no-compress"
    + " --whole-file"
    + " --ignore-existing"
    + " --exclude '.cache'" 
    + " --exclude '.com.apple.backupd.mvlist.plist'"
    + " --exclude '.docker'" 
    + " --exclude '.DocumentRevisions-V100'" 
    + " --exclude '.DS_Store*'" 
    + " --exclude '.electron'" 
    + " --exclude '.fseventsd'"
    + " --exclude '.hotfiles.btree'" 
    + " --exclude '.journal*'"
    + " --exclude '.journal_info_block*'"
    + " --exclude '.MobileBackups'" 
    + " --exclude '.MobileBackups.trash'" 
    + " --exclude '.Spotlight-V100'"
    + " --exclude '.TemporaryItems*'"
    + " --exclude '.Trash'"
    + " --exclude '.Trashes'"
    + " --exclude '.vol'" 
    + " --exclude '/automount'" 
    + " --exclude '/cores'" 
    + " --exclude '/dev'" 
    + " --exclude '/home'" 
    + " --exclude '/net'" 
    + " --exclude '/Network'" 
    + " --exclude '/private/etc/kcpassword'"
    + " --exclude '/private/Network'"
    + " --exclude '/private/tftpboot'"
    + " --exclude '/private/tmp'"
    + " --exclude '/private/var'" 
    + " --exclude '/private/var/automount'"
    + " --exclude '/private/var/db/com.apple.backupd.backupVerification'"
    + " --exclude '/private/var/db/dhcpclient'"
    + " --exclude '/private/var/db/dyld'"
    + " --exclude '/private/var/db/dyld/shared_region_roots'"
    + " --exclude '/private/var/db/efw_cache'"
    + " --exclude '/private/var/db/fseventsd'"
    + " --exclude '/private/var/db/Spotlight'"
    + " --exclude '/private/var/db/Spotlight-V100'"
    + " --exclude '/private/var/db/systemstats'"
    + " --exclude '/private/var/folders'"
    + " --exclude '/private/var/lib/postfix/greylist.db'"
    + " --exclude '/private/var/log'"
    + " --exclude '/private/var/run'"
    + " --exclude '/private/var/spool/cups'"
    + " --exclude '/private/var/spool/fax'"
    + " --exclude '/private/var/spool/uucp'"
    + " --exclude '/private/var/tmp'"
    + " --exclude '/private/var/vm'"    
    + " --exclude '/System/Library/Caches'" 
    + " --exclude '/System/Library/Extensions/Caches'" 
    + " --exclude '/Users/Guest'" 
    + " --exclude 'Autosave Information'"
    + " --exclude 'Backups.backupdb'" 
    + " --exclude 'Cache'"
    + " --exclude 'Desktop DB'" 
    + " --exclude 'Desktop DF'" 
    + " --exclude 'DiagnosticReports*'"
    + " --exclude 'Library/Caches'"
    + " --exclude 'Library/Containers'"
    + " --exclude 'Library/Group Containers'"
    + " --exclude 'Library/LanguageModeling'"
    + " --exclude 'Library/Logs'"
    + " --exclude 'Library/Mail/AvailableFeeds'" 
    + " --exclude 'Library/Mail/Metadata/BackingStoreUpdateJournal'" 
    + " --exclude 'Library/Mail/V2/MailData/AvailableFeeds'" 
    + " --exclude 'Library/Mail/V2/MailData/BackingStoreUpdateJournal'" 
    + " --exclude 'Library/Mail/V2/MailData/Envelope*'" 
    + " --exclude 'Library/Metadata/CoreSpotlight'" 
    + " --exclude 'Library/Mirrors'" 
    + " --exclude 'Library/PubSub'" 
    + " --exclude 'Library/Safari/HistoryIndex.sk'" 
    + " --exclude 'Library/Safari/Icons.db'" 
    + " --exclude 'Library/Safari/WebpageIcons.db'" 
    + " --exclude 'Library/Updates'" 
    + " --exclude 'Logs'"
    + " --exclude 'lost+found'"
    + " --exclude 'MobileBackups.trash'" 
    + " --exclude 'node_modules'" 
    + " --exclude 'Saved Application State'"
    + " '" 
    + String(sourceFolder) 
    + "\/' "
    + "'" 
    + String(targetFolder) + "'";

var confirmationResponse = app.displayDialog("Press Continue to execute the following command in the terminal:", {
    defaultAnswer: cmd,
    withIcon: "note",
    buttons: ["Cancel", "Continue"],
    defaultButton: "Continue"
})

cmd = String(confirmationResponse.textReturned)

app.displayAlert(cmd, {
    message: "The rsync command will be started in the terminal",
    buttons: ["Cancel", "🚀 Start Backup!"],
    defaultButton: "🚀 Start Backup!",
    cancelButton: "Cancel",
    withIcon: "caution"
})

var terminal = Application('Terminal');
terminal.activate();
delay(4)

terminal.doScript(cmd);

Nice, hadn't realized you could run JavaScript in there.