Crashplan headless

I've previously mentioned my desire to get headless backups working with Crashplan. However, it wasn't quite right. So, I spent some more time this morning trying to get it working simply and well.

Before I start, here are the references to the work completed:

• Installing Crashplan remotely
• Using a headless server
• Helpful remote access script for Crashplan

Setup the remote server

Install the Java virtual machine - don't use openJRE

sudo apt-get install sun-java6-jre

Accept the licence

Goto the crashplan download site and find out the URL of the latest version

Get the crashplan archive, extract it and change directory

wget http://download.crashplan.com/installs/linux/install/CrashPlan/CrashPlan_3.0.2_Linux.tgz

tar -zxvf CrashPlan_3.0.2_Linux.tgz

cd CrashPlan-install

Install Crashplan as root (if you want access to all directories)

sudo -s

./install.sh

Complete the install process

• Read the EULA
• Hit q to exit the EULA and then agree to it
• Accept the default locations for the binaries, backups and scripts

Finish off the remote install process

• Remove the downloaded files
• Firewall: open up port 4243 on the remote machine

Setup the local machine

To administrate the remote machine, we will be port forwarding via ssh 4200 to 4243 and then using the desktop GUI.

Copy and paste the following script into crashplan/bin/CrashPlanRemote (which is usually in /usr/local/ on Ubuntu).

#!/bin/bash

# Do we have the appropriate input?

if [ -z "$1" ]; then

echo usage: $0 remote-server

exit

fi

# fill in your stuff here:

USER=jeremy

SERVER=$1

# dont change anything down here

ssh -fnNTL 4200:localhost:4243 ${USER}@${SERVER}

PID=$!

# get CrashPlan folder

SCRIPT=$(ls -l $0 | awk '{ print $NF }')

SCRIPTDIR=$(dirname $SCRIPT)

TARGETDIR="$SCRIPTDIR/.."

cd ${TARGETDIR}

#change CrashPlan config to use the tunnel

sed 's/#servicePort=4200/servicePort=4200/g' ${TARGETDIR}/conf/ui.properties > /tmp/CrashPlan-ui.properties

cp /tmp/CrashPlan-ui.properties ${TARGETDIR}/conf/ui.properties

rm /tmp/CrashPlan-ui.properties

#CrashPlan start script - begin

. ${TARGETDIR}/install.vars

. ${TARGETDIR}/bin/run.conf

${JAVACOMMON} ${GUI_JAVA_OPTS} -classpath "./lib/com.backup42.desktop.jar:./lang:./skin" com.backup42.desktop.CPDesktop > ${TARGETDIR}/log/ui_output.log 2 > ${TARGETDIR}/log/ui_error.log

#CrashPlan start script - end

#change CrashPlan config back to default

sed 's/servicePort=4200/#servicePort=4200/g' ${TARGETDIR}/conf/ui.properties > /tmp/CrashPlan-ui.properties

cp /tmp/CrashPlan-ui.properties ${TARGETDIR}/conf/ui.properties

rm /tmp/CrashPlan-ui.properties

#kill (every 4200) tunnel

CMD="ps -eo pid,args | grep 'ssh -fnNTL 4200:localhost:4243' | grep -v 'grep' | cut -c1-6"

PID=`eval $CMD`

kill -9 $PID

Now create a link from somewhere in your path, so that you can run it with the command CrashPlanRemote

chmod +x /usr/local/crashplan/bin/CrashPlanRemote

sudo ln -s /usr/local/crashplan/bin/CrashPlanRemote /usr/local/bin/CrashPlanRemote

And that should be it!

• CrashPlanRemove server.name.here

NB. it's best to have setup passwordless login to the remote server

• /etc/hosts: add a line with the IP address and full.domain.name
• ssh-copy-id -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub full.domain.name