Workspace Backup

💾 Workspace Backup

Automated git-based backup of your OpenClaw workspace to GitHub. Designed to run as a cron job or on-demand.

Features

• One-command backup with auto-generated commit messages
• Smart .gitignore for OpenClaw workspaces
• Timestamp + changed files summary in commits
• Restore from any point in history
• Cron-friendly (no TTY required)

Setup

1. Initialize the backup repo

cd ~/.openclaw/workspace
git init
git remote add origin git@github.com:YOUR_USER/YOUR_REPO.git

2. Ensure SSH keys are configured

The script uses SSH for push. Make sure your deploy key or SSH key is available.

3. Run the backup

bash {baseDir}/scripts/backup.sh

4. Schedule as cron job

In OpenClaw, create a cron job:

{
  "name": "workspace-backup",
  "schedule": "0 */6 * * *",
  "command": "bash /home/node/.openclaw/workspace/skills/workspace-backup/{baseDir}/scripts/backup.sh",
  "description": "Backup workspace to GitHub every 6 hours"
}

Or via system crontab:

0 */6 * * * cd /home/node/.openclaw/workspace && bash skills/workspace-backup/{baseDir}/scripts/backup.sh >> /tmp/backup.log 2>&1

Restore Procedures

Restore entire workspace to latest backup

cd ~/.openclaw/workspace
git fetch origin
git reset --hard origin/main

Restore a specific file from history

git log --oneline -- path/to/file          # find the commit
git checkout <commit-hash> -- path/to/file  # restore it

Restore to a specific point in time

git log --oneline --before="2026-02-01"    # find commit near that date
git checkout <commit-hash>                  # detached HEAD at that point
# Copy what you need, then: git checkout main

View what changed between backups

git log --oneline -10
git diff <older-hash> <newer-hash> --stat

.gitignore

The backup script auto-creates a .gitignore if missing, excluding:

• .venv/ — Python virtual environments
• .data/ — Local databases and data files
• .env — Secret environment variables
• node_modules/ — Node.js dependencies
• __pycache__/ — Python bytecode
• *.pyc — Compiled Python files
• .DS_Store — macOS metadata

Script Reference

Credits

Built by M. Abidi | agxntsix.ai YouTube | GitHub Part of the AgxntSix Skill Suite for OpenClaw agents.

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