How to Create a Basic Server Backup Folder
VPS Servers · Self-help guide
Before editing configuration files, create a basic backup copy. Connect to your VPS using SSH. Create a backup folder with sudo mkdir -p /root/manual-backups. To back up a configuration file, copy it with a date in the filename, for example sudo cp /etc/nginx/nginx.conf /root/manual-backups/nginx.conf.$(date +%F). For a folder backup, you can create an archive such as sudo tar -czf /root/manual-backups/etc-backup-$(date +%F).tar.gz /etc. These commands are useful before planned changes, but they are not a replacement for full off-server backups or provider snapshots. Keep backups secure because they may contain sensitive configuration details and service paths.