Workspace Backup

Automated workspace backup to GitHub — git-based with auto-generated commit messages, proper .gitignore, and restore procedures. Cron-friendly for hands-free...

Security Scan

The skill is internally consistent with its stated purpose (git-based backups to GitHub), contains a simple bash script, and does not ask for unrelated credentials or install external code — but review the cron/path examples and .gitignore assumptions before use.

Purpose & Capability

Name and description match the included behavior: a git-based backup that adds/commits/pushes the OpenClaw workspace. The only required binary is git and the script uses SSH pushes (as documented). Nothing requested or installed is disproportionate to a backup tool.

Instruction Scope

Instructions are mostly scoped to the workspace and git operations. The script will honor optional environment variables OPENCLAW_WORKSPACE, BACKUP_BRANCH, and BACKUP_REMOTE (not declared in requires.env) and will git add -A (so it will stage any file not ignored). The SKILL.md examples contain templated placeholders like {baseDir} in cron lines that are inconsistent and may break if copied as-is. There are no network endpoints or exfiltration instructions beyond pushing to the configured git remote (expected).

Install Mechanism

No install step or external downloads; this is instruction-only plus an included shell script. The script is small, not obfuscated, and does not fetch code from external URLs.

Credentials

The skill does not require credentials in metadata. It implicitly depends on SSH keys configured for git push (documented). It also reads optional env vars (OPENCLAW_WORKSPACE, BACKUP_BRANCH, BACKUP_REMOTE) that are reasonable for configurability but were not listed in requires.env. There is a risk of accidentally committing secrets if they exist in the workspace and aren't covered by .gitignore.

Persistence & Privilege

always is false and the skill does not request system-wide changes or modify other skills' configs. Autonomous invocation is permitted by default but is appropriate for a cron-friendly backup tool.

Assessment

Before installing or scheduling this skill: (1) run the script manually once in a disposable/test repo to confirm behavior; (2) ensure your .gitignore excludes any secrets or sensitive files you do not want pushed (the script will git add -A and commit everything not ignored); (3) use a scoped deploy key or a dedicated GitHub repo (avoid pushing to personal repos you rely on); (4) fix the example cron paths/placeholders ({baseDir}) to actual paths in your environment; (5) verify which SSH key will be used by the cron job (cron may run with a different HOME/ssh-agent context) and test pushes from that context; (6) consider encrypting secrets before storing them in the backup repo. Overall the skill appears to do what it claims, but double-check .gitignore and SSH/cron environment details to avoid accidental secret commits or failed pushes.

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 [e-mail]: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

Script	Description
{baseDir}/scripts/backup.sh	Main backup script — add, commit, push

Credits

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

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