Backup To Telnyx Storage

Backup and restore your OpenClaw workspace to Telnyx Storage. Simple CLI-based scripts with no external dependencies.

Security Scan

The skill largely does what it claims (archive workspace and upload to Telnyx Storage) but contains multiple documentation/instruction inconsistencies and a secondary code path that reads .env files — reviewers should confirm how credentials are handled before installing.

Purpose & Capability

The skill's name, required binary (telnyx), and required environment variable (TELNYX_API_KEY) are consistent with backing up to Telnyx Storage. However, SKILL.md repeatedly states "no environment variables" while the metadata and code require TELNYX_API_KEY. The included legacy Python script also uses boto3 and an S3 endpoint, which is an extra capability not highlighted by the documentation.

Instruction Scope

The runtime instructions and shell scripts operate only on user workspace files (archive and upload), which is appropriate for a backup tool. But SKILL.md contains contradictory guidance (claims no env vars) and inconsistent CLI package names (SKILL.md suggests `@telnyx/api-cli` while scripts mention `telnyx-cli` and telnyx commands). The Python script's load_api_key() will search workspace .env files and a local .env adjacent to the script for TELNYX_API_KEY — that means the skill will read workspace files for credentials if an env var isn't set. This behavior is plausible for usability but expands file reads beyond simply archiving (it looks specifically for secrets).

Install Mechanism

There is no packaged install spec; the skill is instruction-plus-scripts. No external download or obscure URLs are used. The only install actions are recommending global npm installation of a Telnyx CLI and (optionally) pip install boto3 for the legacy Python script, which are expected for this tooling.

Credentials

Requesting a single Telnyx API key (TELNYX_API_KEY) is proportionate to the stated purpose. But the SKILL.md claim that "no environment variables" are needed conflicts with the declared primary credential. Additionally, the Python script will read .env files in the workspace and script directory looking for TELNYX_API_KEY — this increases the scope of file access and could expose other workspace secrets if users place them in .env files.

Persistence & Privilege

The skill does not request always: true, does not modify other skill configs, and requires the telnyx CLI (no system-level persistence). It runs only when invoked and does not assert extra platform privileges.

What to consider before installing

This skill appears to implement legitimate backup and restore logic, but there are several inconsistencies you should verify before installing: - SKILL.md contradicts itself: it says "no environment variables" but the metadata and code require TELNYX_API_KEY. Expect to provide a Telnyx API key or run telnyx auth setup. - The repo includes two approaches: shell scripts that use the Telnyx CLI and a legacy Python script that uses boto3 and a Telnyx S3 endpoint. Decide which you will use and verify its dependencies (npm global package name differs across files). - The Python script actively searches .env files in your workspace and the skill folder to locate TELNYX_API_KEY. If you keep other secrets in .env files, be aware the script will read them (it looks for the TELNYX_API_KEY entry). Consider setting TELNYX_API_KEY in your environment or reviewing .env files first. - The backup scope includes files and directories that may contain sensitive data (memory/, knowledge/, scripts/, skills/). Review the FILES_TO_BACKUP list and remove or exclude anything you don't want backed up to remote storage. - Test the scripts in an isolated environment (or with a non-production Telnyx bucket/key) to confirm the CLI commands and create/list/delete behavior match your expectations. Given these mixed signals (documentation, package-name inconsistencies, and the .env lookup), treat this skill with caution and validate its behavior and credentials handling before using it for production backups.

Backup and restore your OpenClaw workspace to Telnyx Storage (S3-compatible).

Setup (One-Time)

# 1. Install Telnyx CLI (if not already)
npm install -g @telnyx/api-cli

# 2. Authenticate
telnyx auth setup

That's it. No boto3, no AWS credentials, no environment variables.

Usage

Backup

./backup.sh

# Output:
# 🔄 OpenClaw Backup → Telnyx Storage
# ========================================
# Creating archive: openclaw-backup-20260201-120000.tar.gz
#   + MEMORY.md
#   + SOUL.md
#   + memory/
# ✅ Backup complete: openclaw-backup/openclaw-backup-20260201-120000.tar.gz

Custom bucket and workspace:

./backup.sh my-bucket ~/my-workspace

Control backup retention (default: 48, ~24h of 30-min backups):

MAX_BACKUPS=100 ./backup.sh

List Backups

./list.sh

# Output:
# 📋 Available Backups
# ========================================
# Bucket: openclaw-backup
#
#   • openclaw-backup-20260201-120000.tar.gz  1.2M  2/1/2026
#   • openclaw-backup-20260131-180000.tar.gz  1.1M  1/31/2026

Restore

# Restore latest backup
./restore.sh latest

# Restore specific backup
./restore.sh openclaw-backup-20260201-120000.tar.gz

# Restore to different location
./restore.sh latest my-bucket ~/restored-workspace

What Gets Backed Up

• AGENTS.md, SOUL.md, USER.md, IDENTITY.md, TOOLS.md
• MEMORY.md, HEARTBEAT.md, GUARDRAILS.md
• memory/, knowledge/, scripts/

Scheduling

Automatic backups every 30 minutes:

crontab -e
# Add:
*/30 * * * * ~/skills/backup-to-telnyx-storage/backup.sh >> /tmp/backup.log 2>&1

Pricing

Telnyx Storage: $0.023/GB/month — typical workspace costs pennies.

Legacy Python Script

The original backup.py using boto3 is still available if you need AWS SDK compatibility:

pip install boto3
export TELNYX_API_KEY=KEYxxxxx
python3 backup.py

Note: The CLI-based scripts (backup.sh, list.sh, restore.sh) are recommended as they require no additional dependencies and provide full backup/list/restore functionality.