git_repo_backup.md

Daily Git Backup Script

This bash script automatically backs up your last five Git commits to a specified directory. It's designed to be run on macOS using launchd, ensuring your backups are created daily without manual intervention.

Prerequisites

• macOS operating system.
• Basic understanding of terminal commands.
• Git repositories that you want to back up.

Installation

1. Place the Script: Ensure the script is located in a directory of your choice, for example, $HOME/scripts/git_backup.sh.

2. Make it Executable:

   chmod +x $HOME/scripts/git_backup.sh

Setting Up with launchd

launchd allows you to schedule scripts on macOS. To set up this script to run daily:

1. Create a Launch Agent:

   • Create a .plist file in ~/Library/LaunchAgents, for example, com.user.gitbackup.plist.

   • Open the file with a text editor and add the following content, customizing paths as necessary:

     <?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>Label</key>
         <string>com.user.gitbackup</string>
         <key>ProgramArguments</key>
         <array>
             <string>/path/to/your/script/git_backup.sh</string>
         </array>
         <key>StartCalendarInterval</key>
         <dict>
             <key>Hour</key>
             <integer>2</integer> <!-- Set the hour (0-23) for the script to run -->
             <key>Minute</key>
             <integer>0</integer> <!-- Set the minute (0-59) -->
         </dict>
         <key>StandardErrorPath</key>
         <string>/tmp/com.user.gitbackup.err</string>
         <key>StandardOutPath</key>
         <string>/tmp/com.user.gitbackup.out</string>
     </dict>
     </plist>

2. Load the Launch Agent:

   • To start the scheduled task immediately and automatically load it on login:

     launchctl load ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.user.gitbackup.plist

   • To unload it (if you need to edit the configuration or remove the task):

     launchctl unload ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.user.gitbackup.plist

Usage

• The script will automatically run at the specified time daily.
• Ensure your Mac is turned on and not in sleep mode at the scheduled time.
• Check /var/log/git_backup.log for logs and /tmp/com.user.gitbackup.out or /tmp/com.user.gitbackup.err for standard output and errors, respectively.

Troubleshooting

• Verify that the script has execute permissions.
• Check the log file for any script-related errors.
• Ensure the paths in the .plist file are correct and absolute.