FTP script to automate file transfers to remote server

Below you will find a FTP script that will allow you to automate your files transfers without requiring any user input. The only problem with this method is you will be putting a username and password into the script file, but having a simple automated FTP file upload or FTP file download probably outweighs the drawback.

So to describe what this script does:
First the script will tar and zip all files and folders in the /var/log/ folder to the home directory of the user who runs the script. This will create a dated zip file in the user’s home folder who ran the script. Then it will FTP the files to the remote host. You can then add the script to a cron job to execute it everyday, week, hour, etc.

This is the scipt, it is fairly well commented so you know what is going on:

#!/bin/sh
# Tar and zip log files with todays date
tar cvf ~/logs.$(date +%F).tar /var/log/*
gzip logs.$(date +%F).tar

# Add username and PW
REM_USER=USERNAMEHERE
REM_PASS=PASSWORDHERE

{
# Open FTP connection to server
echo "open FTPHOSTNAMEHERE"

# pass user login from above
echo "user $REM_USER $REM_PASS"

# If FTP server is requiring user input toggle the echo "prompt" below
# echo "prompt"

# make sure you are in the folder where you made the zip on the local server
echo "lcd ~/"

# Change to remote folder [optional]
echo "cd remotefolder"

# if you want to put multiple files use mput, put will be fine for 1 file
echo "mput *.gz  "

# Connect to the FTP with the above info
} | ftp -vin

# Remove the created zip file
rm logs.$(date +%F).tar.gz

If you run this in the root crontab, it will ensure you have access to all the file you want to zip.