backup-flash-drive.sh

#!/usr/bin/env sh
# 
# This script backs up your flash drive to a local folder. If you're also 
# using a backup system such as Time Machine (and you are, right?), this 
# ensures you will have a snapshot of your flash drive the last time you 
# plugged it in. Time Machine will then capture the folder, thus 
# automatically creating time-based backups for even your portable storage!
# 
# If you use launchd to run this script whenever you plug your flash drive 
# into your Mac, you don't even need to think about it. Full instructions on 
# how to do it here:
# http://www.macresearch.org/tutorial_backups_with_launchd
# 
# Questions or comments? [email protected]
# 
# This script is public domain. No rights are asserted and no warranty of 
# its effects is provided. You're on your own!

# Name of the flash drive that you're backing up. (Case sensitive)
VOLNAME="THUMB DRIVE"

# Location of volume to back up.
BACKUPFROM=/Volumes/$VOLNAME

# The directory where the backup copy will live.
BACKUPTO=$HOME/Backups/$VOLNAME

# Excludes file. Contains wildcard patterns (1 per line) of files to exclude.
EXCLUDES=$HOME/.gitignore

# Options.
OPTS="--archive --compress --delete --delete-excluded --update"
# Explanation of options:
# 
# --archive: Runs the backup in archive mode (recurse through directories, 
#            copy symlinks, retain permissions modification times, groups 
#            and owners)
# 
# --compress: Compress file data during the transfer.
# 
# --delete-excluded: Deletes excluded files from backup destination.
# 
# --force: Force deletion of deleted directories in destination directory.
# 
# --update: Update only (don't overwrite newer files).

# It sometimes takes a few moments for the drive to fully mount, so wait a bit.
sleep 10

# Run backup.
rsync $OPTS --exclude-from="$EXCLUDES" "$BACKUPFROM" "$BACKUPTO"