Bash Script to Backup and Compress Directories with Timestamp

Category Shell
Type Command
Platform Linux
Language Bash
Price Free
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Bash Script to Backup and Compress Directories with Timestamp

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What it does and when to use

A ready-to-run terminal command you can paste into your shell and execute. Handy for file search, disk usage, permissions, networking, process management, and everyday admin work.

How to copy from Clayi Code

Scroll to the code box, click Copy, and paste into your terminal or SSH session.

Run it on the right shell

Do not paste Bash into CMD, or PowerShell into Bash. Use the shell that matches your system.

Command safety

Read the full command before running. Some one-liners can change or delete data — test on non-production systems when unsure. Watch quoting, paths, and sudo usage; use bash -n or ShellCheck on longer scripts.

Shell reference

Category: Shell. Language: Bash. Platform: Linux. Format: Command.

Popularity

Votes: 98
Comments: 0

Bash Script to Backup and Compress Directories with Timestamp

#!/usr/bin/env bash
# Create a timestamped tar.gz backup of a specific directory
# Usage: ./backup.sh [directory_to_backup] [backup_destination]

SOURCE_DIR="$1"
BACKUP_DIR="${2:-./backups}"
TIMESTAMP=$(date +"%Y%m%d_%H%M%S")

if [ -z "$SOURCE_DIR" ]; then
    echo "Error: Specify a source directory."
    exit 1
fi

mkdir -p "$BACKUP_DIR"
BACKUP_FILE="$BACKUP_DIR/backup_$(basename "$SOURCE_DIR")_$TIMESTAMP.tar.gz"

tar -czf "$BACKUP_FILE" "$SOURCE_DIR"
echo "Backup created successfully: $BACKUP_FILE"

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Bash Script to Backup and Compress Directories with Timestamp

Bash Script to Backup and Compress Directories with Timestamp

What it does and when to use

How to copy from Clayi Code

Run it on the right shell

Command safety

Shell reference

Bash Script to Backup and Compress Directories with Timestamp

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