Manage Amazon S3 with s3cmd
Productivity Sauce
While Amazon S3 provides reliable and cheap backup, you need a third-party application to put the service to some practical use. JungleDisk is one of the most popular Amazon S3-based backup solutions out there, but it's not the only fish in the sea. If you are looking for a no-frills tool which can help you to manage the Amazon S3 service, try s3cmd -- a simple command-line utility written in Python.
Before you start, you have to sign up for the Amazon S3 service, if you haven't already done that. To install s3cmd on your machine, download the latest release of the utility, unpack the downloaded archive, use the terminal to switch to the resulting directory and run the python setup.py install command as root. Next, you have to configure it using the s3cmd --configure command (have your Amazon identification keys ready to enter when prompted). Once s3cmd is configured and ready to go, you have to create a so-called bucket -- a repository on Amazon S3 servers where you store your files. To do this, use the s3cmd mb s3://BUCKET command, where BUCKET is a unique name for your bucket. Keep in mind that the bucket name must be unique among all buckets on the Amazon S3 servers, so you have to come up with something more original than "myfiles" or "documents". Fortunately, you don't have to remember the exact name of the bucket, as you can use the s3cmd ls command to view all your existing buckets on Amazon S3. To upload a single file, use the s3cmd put command followed by the path to the file and the target bucket, for example:
s3cmd put /path/to/loremipsum.odt s3://20081113-1258zrtm7
To download a file from the bucket on your machine, you can use the s3cmd get command and specify the bucket and the name of the downloaded file:
s3cmd get s3://20081113-1258zrtm7/loremipsum.odt loremipsum.odt
If you want to back up an entire directory, uploading files one-by-one is not very practical. Fortunately, s3cmd features the sync command that allows you to synchronize a local directory with a directory in an S3 bucket:
s3cmd sync /path/to/dir s3://20081113-1258zrtm7/backup
Using the same command, you can also do a reverse synchronization which effectively acts as a restore operation:
s3cmd sync s3://20081113-1258zrtm7/backup /path/to/dir
To view a list of other commands supported by s3cmd, run the s3cmd --help command.
comments powered by DisqusSubscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Red Hat Adds New Deployment Option for Enterprise Linux Platforms
Red Hat has re-imagined enterprise Linux for an AI future with Image Mode.
-
OSJH and LPI Release 2024 Open Source Pros Job Survey Results
See what open source professionals look for in a new role.
-
Proton 9.0-1 Released to Improve Gaming with Steam
The latest release of Proton 9 adds several improvements and fixes an issue that has been problematic for Linux users.
-
So Long Neofetch and Thanks for the Info
Today is a day that every Linux user who enjoys bragging about their system(s) will mourn, as Neofetch has come to an end.
-
Ubuntu 24.04 Comes with a “Flaw"
If you're thinking you might want to upgrade from your current Ubuntu release to the latest, there's something you might want to consider before doing so.
-
Canonical Releases Ubuntu 24.04
After a brief pause because of the XZ vulnerability, Ubuntu 24.04 is now available for install.
-
Linux Servers Targeted by Akira Ransomware
A group of bad actors who have already extorted $42 million have their sights set on the Linux platform.
-
TUXEDO Computers Unveils Linux Laptop Featuring AMD Ryzen CPU
This latest release is the first laptop to include the new CPU from Ryzen and Linux preinstalled.
-
XZ Gets the All-Clear
The back door xz vulnerability has been officially reverted for Fedora 40 and versions 38 and 39 were never affected.
-
Canonical Collaborates with Qualcomm on New Venture
This new joint effort is geared toward bringing Ubuntu and Ubuntu Core to Qualcomm-powered devices.