CentOS - Dec 2008 - Beginner - need suggestion to improve BACKUP script

hallo list,

                  I have recently started to learn shell scripting.  Now 
i am trying to write a script to backup /etc and /var to my home dir in 
a separate folder and then backup the home dir to usb drive using rsync. 
My goal is when i will run the script it will output status to standard 
output in form  of bold messages with time and simultaneously logs to 
another file in /root dir. I have labled the usb drive as 
"usb-mass-storage". the script runs fine according to my requirement. 
Now i need suggestion to improve the script further. Thank you.

the script is as follows:
> #!/bin/sh
> if blkid |grep USB-Mass-Storage
> then
> if [ -d /media/backup ]
> then
> /bin/mount LABEL=USB-Mass-Storage /media/backup
> echo
"-------------------------------------------------------------------------
" >> /root/backup.log
> echo $(date) >> /root/backup.log
> /etc/rc.d/init.d/named stop &> /dev/null
> echo "CONFIGURATION backup starting "|tee -a /root/backup.log
> /usr/bin/rsync -a --progress --delete /etc/ ~freedom/backup/etc/ >>
/root/backup.log;echo "CONFIGURATION backup finished" |tee -a
/root/backup.log;echo "VARIABLE backup starting"|tee -a
/root/backup.log;/usr/bin/rsync -a --progress --delete --exclude=ftp/pub/media/
/var/ ~freedom/backup/var/ >> /root/backup.log; echo "VARIABLE backup
finished" |tee -a /root/backup.log;/etc/rc.d/init.d/named start&>
/dev/null
> echo " Now we are going to backup $(date)" |tee -a
/root/backup.log
> /usr/bin/rsync -a --progress --delete /home/freedom/ /media/backup/ |tee -a
/root/backup.log; echo "BACKUP FINISHED $(date)" |tee -a
/root/backup.log
> else
> echo "$(date)   DISTDIR does not exist" |tee -a /root/backup.log
> fi
> else
> echo "$(date)   USB drive not entered"|tee -a /root/backup.log
> fi
1>the /root/backup.log is the log file
2>i stop the named service before starting backup as i run the named 
process in a chroooted environment and if  i trey to manually backup 
/var with rsync i get :/var/named/chroot/proc/kcore: <file> has vanished !
3>my home dir is /home/freedom
4>i exclude the /var/ftp/pub/media/ folder as it is just the copy of 
centos 5 dvd which i use as my local base repo.

On Sat, Dec 27, 2008 at 12:44:21PM +0530, partha chowdhury
wrote:
> 2>i stop the named service before starting backup as i run the named 
> process in a chroooted environment and if  i trey to manually backup 
> /var with rsync i get :/var/named/chroot/proc/kcore: <file> has
vanished !

Always exclude /var/named/chroot/proc/ from your backups. backing
it up isn't needed. See:
https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-general-1/prockcore-what-is-it-14251/

Jeff Kinz

--

Partha chowdhury wrote on Sat, 27 Dec 2008 12:44:21 +0530:
> the script is as follows:
Next time put this in original format on a website, spares download 
bandwidth for those that don't want to see it and aching eyes for those 
that want to see it.

Kai

-- 
Kai Sch?tzl, Berlin, Germany
Get your web at Conactive Internet Services: http://www.conactive.com