ln_bkp.py

#!/usr/bin/env python

# recursively back up a folder using hard links
# Alex Morega, Eau de Web

import os
from optparse import OptionParser

parser = OptionParser()
parser.add_option("-n", "--dry-run", action="store_true", dest="dry_run", default=False,
                  help="don't do any backup, just display what would be linked")
parser.add_option("-q", "--quiet", action="store_false", dest="verbose", default=True,
                  help="don't print status messages to stdout")

def backup(folder, filename, dst, verbose=True, dry_run=False):
    destfolder = os.path.join(dst, folder)
    srcpath = os.path.join(folder, filename)
    dstpath = os.path.join(destfolder, filename)
    if verbose:
        print '%s -> %s' % (srcpath, dstpath)
    if not dry_run:
        if not os.path.isdir(destfolder):
            os.makedirs(destfolder)
        os.link(srcpath, dstpath)

if __name__ == '__main__':
    (options, args) = parser.parse_args()

    if len(args) != 2:
        raise ValueError('2 arguments required')

    src, dst = args
    src = os.path.abspath(src)
    dst = os.path.abspath(dst)
    os.chdir(src)

    for root, dirs, files in os.walk('.'):
        for f in files:
            backup(root[2:], f, dst, verbose=options.verbose, dry_run=options.dry_run)