[Solved] backup Linux system to Windows system

[ZanyScum]

• My Linux servers do have small hard disks, I can not create an archive there.
• Is there a way to zip while doing a scp from a Windows system?
• Please keep in mind, I want to use scp (or other tools) on the Windows system and GET the data into an archive with kept rights and everything.
• I do NOT want to scp from the Linux system to the Windows system.

Currently I am even thinking about creating a local virtual Linux machine large enough to just get everything there, create an archive and then get the archive out of the VM. But that sounds so sub-optimal, I thought I 'd ask here if there is a more direct way to solve this.

[ruwolf]

I do not see any reason why it would not work.
There should be dozens of options:

• One of the easiest ways is to install Cygwin.
• You probably can use Windows Subsystem for Linux.
• Another option is to use WinSCP and, for example, this extension:
  WinSCP.net: Extensions: Archive remote files to ZIP archive, download it, and optionally extract it
• There is also plugin for FAR file manager for SFTP/SCP (and for WinSCP, too).
• ⋮

[ZanyScum]

These are some good ideas. Thank you. I'll try the one with WinSCP first because I have NO idea how to even start with the Windows Subsystem for Linux.

I am such a liar, while I wrote the above, I googled for Cygwin, liked the idea and just downloaded it.
If I get somewhere, I'll probably tell here.

[ZanyScum]

It worked, I think.
Here is what I did:

• install Cygwin
• find your home directory using the "Cygwin Terminal"

  Code: Select all

  cygpath -w ~

• copy/link to the .ssh directory your config and your id_rsa files
• test the backup with something small

  Code: Select all

  ssh YOUR-SERVER tar czf - -C / etc/ssl > `date +%FT%T`-YOUR-SERVER-TEST.tar.gz

• do the real backup

  Code: Select all

  ssh YOUR-SERVER tar czf - -C / var/backup/daily.0 > `date +%FT%T`-YOUR-SERVER.tar.gz

Thank you man. Cygwin solved the problem so fast and simple... I like this solution

(The tests were successful, the real backup is still running...wish me luck)

[ZanyScum]

It worked.