Rsync for generating daily backups, with some sort of history

this is probably expanding on Using Rsync to backup to an external drive

I usually, manually, back up my data to an external drive. I start by creating a directory on the external drive with today's date and coping the important data there. That way i have a backup for system error and for human error (just go to the previous date)

Is there any way to automate that with rsync? or maybe something like rsyncing a "transparent" git repository (everything automatically commited at certain daily or hourly intervals) with my local data if that isn't too crazy? Also how bad would be scouring such repo after a year of automated backups?

or just plain rsync, but having something like daily backups as long as there is space on the external drive?

data are mostly small text files (text, source code) or medium pictures (~6mb) but by the hundreds of thousands.

There are various options, starting with Shane Madden's suggestion:

• rdiff-backup
• rsnapshot
• Unison

Or if you prefer graphical utilities:

• Back in Time
• Areca Backup
• luckyBackup

All are designed to implement rsync incremental/snapshot results.

If you want to roll your own script (which isn't hard), read up on the --link-dest option to rsync.

How about something like rdiff-backup?