system-backup.py

#!/usr/bin/env python3
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
"""Backs up system config. A quick hack for my own use. Useful before
(re)installing a Linux distro.

This script is copyright 2017-20 by Patrick Mooney. It is licensed under the GNU
GPL, either version 3 or (at your option) any later version. See the file
LICENSE.md for details.
"""


import os
import shutil
import subprocess


initial_tar_location = '/home/patrick/'
backup_name = "sys-backup.tar"
working_location = '/home/patrick/.system-config-backup'


try:
    os.mkdir(working_location)
except FileExistsError:
    pass    # Oh well.


backup_file_list = [    '/etc/anacrontab',
                        '/etc/fstab',
                        '/etc/hosts',
                        '/etc/hosts.allow',
                        '/etc/exports',
                        '/etc/apt/sources.list*',
                        '/etc/postfix/*',
                        '~/.ssh/',
                        '/root/.ssh/',
                        working_location
                    ]


backup_file_list = [f for f in backup_file_list if os.path.exists(f)]                   # Prune any non-existent entries in that list


commands_list = [   'crontab -l > %s/patrick.cronbak' % working_location,               # export user crontab
                    'sudo crontab -l > %s/root.cronbak' % working_location,             # export root crontab
                    'ls -la / | grep -- "->" > %s/root-symlinks' % working_location,    # export list of symlinks at root of drive
                    'sudo dpkg --get-selections > %s/installed-software.tsv' % working_location,    # export list of installed (Debian) pkgs.
                 ]


if __name__ == "__main__":
    for which_command in commands_list:
        subprocess.call(which_command, shell=True)

    # OK, create the archive
    subprocess.call('tar -cvf %s/%s %s' % (initial_tar_location, backup_name,' '.join(backup_file_list)), shell=True)