Automate MySQL Backups with a Simple Shell Script and Cron

Shell scripts let you bundle a series of commands into a single executable file, making repetitive tasks like database backups easy to run on any Linux or UNIX system.

Prerequisites: basic knowledge of shell scripting, mysqldump , and crontab .

1. Create backup directories

# mkdir /backup

# mkdir /oldbackup

2. Write the backup script (backup.sh)

Use your favorite editor (e.g., vi) to create /backup/backup.sh and add the following commands:

#!/bin/bash
cd /backup
echo "You are In Backup Directory"
mv backup* /oldbackup
echo "Old Databases are Moved to oldbackup folder"
Now=$(date +"%d-%m-%Y--%H:%M:%S")
File=backup-$Now.sql
mysqldump -u user-name -p 'password' database-name > $File
echo "Your Database Backup Successfully Completed"

3. Make the script executable

# chmod +x /backup/backup.sh

4. Run the script manually

# ./backup.sh

On first run you may see a “no such file” warning because the old‑backup folder is empty; running the script again will work without issues.

5. Schedule automatic backups with cron

Edit the crontab: # crontab -e Add a line to run the script every day at 13:00 (1 PM): 0 13 * * * /backup/backup.sh Refer to the crontab manual for more scheduling options.

This basic script provides a foundation you can extend for more complex backup strategies.