shell/docs/env-backup-integration-guide.md

.env Backup Integration Guide

Quick Setup Summary

Your .env backup system is now fully operational! Here's what was set up:

✅ What's Working

• 31 .env files discovered across your Docker containers
• 30 files backed up successfully to /home/acedanger/.env-backup
• Private Gitea repository configured and pushed successfully
• Version control with automatic commit messages and timestamps
• Reference files included (docker-compose.yml for context)

🔧 Integration Options

1. Manual Backup (Current)

cd /home/acedanger/shell
./backup-env-files.sh              # Regular backup
./backup-env-files.sh --dry-run     # Preview changes
./backup-env-files.sh --list        # Show all .env files

2. Automated Daily Backup (Recommended)

Add to your crontab for daily backups at 2 AM:

# Daily .env backup at 2 AM
0 2 * * * /home/acedanger/shell/backup-env-files.sh >/dev/null 2>&1

3. Integration with Existing Backup Scripts

The backup integrates with your existing backup system through:

• Logs: Written to /home/acedanger/shell/logs/env-backup.log
• Completion: Tab completion available via env-backup-completion.bash
• Validation: Use validate-env-backups.sh for integrity checks

🔐 Security Features

1. Private Repository: Only you have access
2. Gitignore: Excludes temporary files and logs
3. SSH Authentication: Uses your existing SSH key
4. Local + Remote: Dual backup (local git + remote Gitea)

📊 Backup Structure

~/.env-backup/
├── docker-containers/
│   ├── authentik/
│   │   └── .env.example
│   ├── caddy/
│   │   ├── .env
│   │   ├── .env.example
│   │   └── docker-compose.yml.ref
│   ├── database/
│   │   ├── .env
│   │   ├── .env.example
│   │   └── docker-compose.yml.ref
│   └── ... (all your containers)
├── README.md
└── .env-backup-config

🔄 Common Operations

Restore Files (if needed)

./backup-env-files.sh --restore

Force Backup (ignore unchanged files)

./backup-env-files.sh --force

Check What Would Change

./backup-env-files.sh --dry-run

🚨 Emergency Recovery

If you lose your filesystem:

1. Clone the backup: git clone https://git.ptrwd.com/peterwood/docker-env-backup.git
2. Restore files: ./backup-env-files.sh --restore
3. Recreate containers: Your docker-compose.yml reference files are included

📈 Monitoring

• Logs: Check /home/acedanger/shell/logs/env-backup.log
• Git History: View changes with git log in backup directory
• Validation: Run validate-env-backups.sh for integrity checks

🔧 Maintenance

Weekly Validation (Recommended)

# Add to crontab for weekly validation
0 3 * * 0 /home/acedanger/shell/validate-env-backups.sh >/dev/null 2>&1

Cleanup Old Logs (Monthly)

The system automatically manages logs, but you can clean them manually if needed.

🆘 Troubleshooting

Push Fails

• Check SSH key: ssh -T git@git.ptrwd.com
• Verify repository exists and is private
• Check network connectivity

Files Not Found

• Verify Docker directory structure: ls -la ~/docker/*/
• Check file permissions
• Run with --list to see what's detected

Restore Issues

• Ensure target directories exist
• Check file permissions
• Use --dry-run first to preview

Integration Complete! 🎉

Your .env files are now safely backed up and version controlled. The system will:

1. Track all changes to your .env files
2. Maintain a secure backup in your private Gitea
3. Provide easy restore capabilities
4. Integrate with your existing shell toolkit

Run ./backup-env-files.sh regularly or set up the cron job for automatic backups!