So I learned today that electric can openers have little magnets in the top that apparently hold on to the lid while the can is being opened.  And get this — apparently you’re supposed to take the stuff out of the can before you put it in the microwave because I guess metal and microwaves don’t go together.  I wonder why they don’t put this kind of stuff of the labels.  I mean, good thing I’m a genius and I figured that out before I could have killed myself.

This is a simple script derived from the cPanel process that generates full account backups, only in PHP form. This makes the task of backing up your site easier and more reliable by allowing you to generate and maintain your own full site backups.

Download v1.6

• Automatic backup via Cron job
• Generates an actual cPanel backup in tar.gz format
• Very easy to set up, and executable with only one simple command
• Email notification when the backup is complete
• FTP option to transfer the backup file to a specified FTP server
• Compatible with monsoon, x, x2, and x3 themes

Requirements:

• cPanel 10 or higher with Cron job and backup functionality enabled
• PHP 4.1.x or higher
• FTP access (optional)

How to Use:

1. Download the script to your computer and extract the tarball
2. Edit the cpanel_backup.php file with your cPanel settings:

$cpuser = Your cPanel username

$cppass = Your cPanel password

$domain = The domain name where cPanel is run, usually without the www’s

$skin = cPanel skin that you are currently running. This will usually be “x3″ if you’re on cPanel 11 and “x” if you’re still on 10 (which I hope you’re not) but your webhost may have changed this. You can double-check by logging into cPanel and viewing your server settings:

The next section will set up the FTP options to upload the backup tarball to a server. If the FTP location is the same as the server you are doing the backup on, you should leave these fields blank.

$ftpuser = Username for your FTP site

$ftppass = Password for your FTP site

$ftphost = FTP hostname (usually ftp.yourdomainname.com)

$ftpmode = The mode in which you would like to have the file transferred. I would recommend “passive” mode, especially for larger sites.

$notifyemail = The email address that the backup confirmation should be send to once the backup is complete

$secure = Whether or not to allow the script to access your cPanel through its secure ports

$debug = Whether or not to show the detailed backup results in your confirmation email

4. Once the php file has been configured, upload it to your webserver. For security’s sake, it is very important that you make sure this file is located outside your document root (public_html) with permissions of 600

5. Now, all you need to do is set the crontab. Log into your cPanel and go to the “Cron Jobs” section and choose “Standard.” Here is where you will create the actual cron job to run the script whenever you want:

The command may vary depending on the setup of PHP on your server, but your Cron command will be as follows:

php -q /home/username/cpanel_backup.php

Known issues:

• Users having the rvskin theme have indicated that using ‘x3′ at the theme may work, but others have said that the the script just doesn’t work at all.  I’d say just try running a backup manually and see what theme is in your URL when you do it, and use that.

Upcoming Features:

• Support for SSH/scp
• Selection of remote directory for FTP and SSH/scp
• Option to just back up MySQL databases or home directory