Tag Archives: database

Local Copy of WordPress Site (ChatGPT)

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Yes! You can create a local copy of your WordPress site for backup, testing, or development purposes. Here are the steps:

Method 1: Using Localhost (XAMPP, LocalWP, or Docker)

If you want to run WordPress locally, you can use tools like XAMPP, LocalWP, or Docker.

Step 1: Backup Your Live Site

  1. Download Website Files
    • Use an FTP client (like FileZilla) or your hosting’s file manager to download all files from the public_html (or WordPress root) directory.
  2. Export the Database
    • In your hosting’s control panel, open phpMyAdmin.
    • Select your WordPress database and click Export → Choose SQL format → Click Go.

Step 2: Set Up a Local Server

  • Install XAMPP (Windows/Mac/Linux) or LocalWP (easier for beginners).
  • Start Apache and MySQL services.

Step 3: Copy Files to Local Server

  • Move your WordPress files to C:\xampp\htdocs\your-site (if using XAMPP).
  • For LocalWP, simply create a new site and replace its wp-content folder with your backup.

Step 4: Import the Database

  • Open phpMyAdmin at http://localhost/phpmyadmin/.
  • Create a new database.
  • Import your .sql file.

Step 5: Update wp-config.php

Edit the wp-config.php file to match your local database credentials:

define('DB_NAME', 'your_local_db');
define('DB_USER', 'root');
define('DB_PASSWORD', '');
define('DB_HOST', 'localhost');

Step 6: Fix URLs in Database

Your local site URL may differ from the live site, so update it:

  1. Run this SQL query in phpMyAdmin: UPDATE wp_options SET option_value = 'http://localhost/your-site' WHERE option_name = 'siteurl' OR option_name = 'home';
  2. Alternatively, use the Better Search Replace plugin to change URLs.

Now, visit http://localhost/your-site to access your local WordPress copy!

Would you like to automate backups or sync changes between local and live sites?

Back up Pi-hole on a Schedule

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To back up Pi-hole on a schedule, you can use its built-in configuration export tools combined with a cron job. This allows you to save the configuration and restore it if needed. Here’s how to set it up:

1. Pi-hole Configuration Backup

Pi-hole provides a pihole -a command to export and import settings.

Backup Command:

To back up Pi-hole settings, run:

pihole -a -t

This creates a tarball of Pi-hole settings in the current directory, containing:

  • DNS configuration
  • Whitelist/Blacklist
  • Static DHCP leases
  • Query logs (optional)

Restore Command:

To restore from the backup:

pihole -a -r

2. Automate Backup with a Cron Job

Step 1: Create a Backup Directory

Choose where to store the backup files (e.g., /home/pi/pihole-backups):

mkdir -p /home/pi/pihole-backups

Step 2: Write a Backup Script

Create a script to handle the backup process.

Example script: /home/pi/backup_pihole.sh

#!/bin/bash

# Define backup directory
BACKUP_DIR="/home/pi/pihole-backups"

# Create a timestamp
TIMESTAMP=$(date +"%Y-%m-%d_%H-%M-%S")

# Backup file path
BACKUP_FILE="$BACKUP_DIR/pihole-backup-$TIMESTAMP.tar.gz"

# Run Pi-hole backup
pihole -a -t > /dev/null 2>&1

# Move the tarball to the backup directory with a timestamp
mv /etc/pihole/*.tar.gz "$BACKUP_FILE"

# Delete old backups (optional, e.g., keep 7 days)
find "$BACKUP_DIR" -type f -mtime +7 -exec rm {} \;

Make the script executable:

chmod +x /home/pi/backup_pihole.sh

Step 3: Add a Cron Job

Edit the crontab to schedule the script:

crontab -e

Add a line to schedule the script (e.g., daily at 2:00 AM):

0 2 * * * /home/pi/backup_pihole.sh

3. (Optional) Sync Backups to Another Location

For additional safety, copy backups to an external location (e.g., NAS, cloud storage, or another server).

Example: Use rsync to Copy Backups

Add the following line to the script:

rsync -av --delete /home/pi/pihole-backups/ user@remote-server:/backup-location/

4. Verify Backup and Restore

  1. Run the script manually to test: /home/pi/backup_pihole.sh
  2. Confirm the backup file exists in /home/pi/pihole-backups.
  3. Test restoring using: pihole -a -r

With this setup, Pi-hole backups will occur automatically, and you’ll have a reliable way to restore your configuration when needed. Let me know if you’d like help customizing the process!