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Bitcoin Lightning Channel Backup Automation

This repository contains a script that automates the backup of the Bitcoin Lightning channel.backup file to a remote Nextcloud server using rclone. The script monitors changes to the backup file and uploads it to Nextcloud whenever it's updated.

Features

• Monitors the channel.backup file for any changes, including timestamp updates.
• Automatically copies the file to a remote Nextcloud directory using rclone.
• Runs in the background and ensures the backup process continues after system restarts.

Prerequisites

• rclone configured with your Nextcloud remote.
• inotify-tools for monitoring file changes.
• A working installation of Bitcoin Lightning on your device (e.g., Umbrel).

Dependencies

Install the required tools:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install inotify-tools rclone

rclone Configuration

Ensure you have rclone configured with your Nextcloud account. You can set up the remote using the command:

rclone config

Follow the prompts to add a new remote for your Nextcloud instance. Here is an example of a remote configuration:

[bksd]
type = webdav
url = https://nextcloud.example.com/remote.php/webdav
vendor = nextcloud
user = your-username
pass = your-password

Setup Instructions

Step 1: Download the Script

Clone this repository and copy the monitor_backup.sh script to your local system:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/lightning-channel-backup.git
cd lightning-channel-backup

Step 2: Configure the Script

Edit the monitor_backup.sh file to match your setup. You’ll need to adjust the following variables:

• FILE_TO_MONITOR: The path to the channel.backup file on your system. For example:

  FILE_TO_MONITOR="$HOME/umbrel/app-data/lightning/data/lnd/data/chain/bitcoin/mainnet/channel.backup"

• RCLONE_REMOTE: Your Nextcloud remote configuration. For example:

  RCLONE_REMOTE="bksd:/backup"

Step 3: Install the Script as a Service (Optional)

To ensure the script runs automatically on system startup, you can configure it as a systemd service.

1. Copy the script to a global location:

   sudo cp monitor_backup.sh /usr/local/bin/
   sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/monitor_backup.sh

2. Create a systemd service file:

   sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/monitor_backup.service

3. Add the following content to the service file:

   [Unit]
   Description=Monitor Lightning Channel Backup File and Copy to Nextcloud
   After=network.target
   
   [Service]
   ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/monitor_backup.sh
   Restart=always
   User=your-username
   
   [Install]
   WantedBy=multi-user.target

4. Reload systemd to apply the changes:

   sudo systemctl daemon-reload

5. Enable and start the service:

   sudo systemctl enable monitor_backup.service
   sudo systemctl start monitor_backup.service

Step 4: Running the Script Manually

You can also run the script manually by executing:

./monitor_backup.sh

Step 5: Verify the Backup

You can check if the backup file has been copied successfully by logging into your Nextcloud instance or by listing the contents of the remote directory using rclone:

rclone ls bksd:/backup

Logs and Troubleshooting

If you've set the script to run as a service, you can view the logs using:

journalctl -u monitor_backup.service -f

This will give you real-time updates on the backup process.

Contributing

Feel free to submit issues or pull requests to improve this script.

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Note: Always ensure you securely store your credentials and sensitive data when configuring backup scripts for critical files like channel.backup.

Support the Project

If you found this guide helpful and would like to support the project, consider making a donation. Your contributions help maintain and improve this resource.

Donate via Bitcoin

You can send Bitcoin directly to the following address:

bc1qy0l39zl7spspzhsuv96c8axnvksypfh8ehvx3e

Donate via Lightning Network

For faster and lower-fee donations, you can use the Lightning Network:

[email protected]

Thank you for your support!

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

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