# borg_daily

This is a script to do borg backups on the SPMT backup server. Old backups are thinned out (pruned) progressively.

Either manually run the script (more or less) daily or automatically through crontab or similar etc.

Borg backup needs the passphrase / key of your repository. In the script, there is two options to provide it:
1. set variable `BORG_PASSPHRASE` verbatim
2. provide a command in `BORG_PASSCOMMAND` to generate / load the passphrase programmatically

I prefer the second option. However, providing the passphrase programmatically safely is non-trivial, see [here](https://borgbackup.readthedocs.io/en/stable/faq.html#how-can-i-specify-the-encryption-passphrase-programmatically).

I have chosen to do this quite simple: select a password and store an obfuscated version of it in `$HOME/.borg_passphrase`. The provided command just undoes the obfuscation. So, before using the backup script do the following on your command line
```bash
echo "MY SUPER SECRET PASSWORD ... ACTUALLY NOT SO SECRET AS IT END UP IN YOUR HISTORY" | \
   base64 > $HOME/.borg_passphrase
```

Note, that it is also possible to store the password in your GNOME/macOS Keyring, or other password managers, or even on your USB crypto token. See the link above.