I don't know shell scripting but I would like to script the backup so that my sql database password is not in the crontab file. This is what I'm running in crontab
mkdir /backups/daily_`date --iso-8601` && mysqldump --tab=/backups/daily_`date --iso-8601` database -u **** -p******

fyi, I have Gutsy Gibbon server

thanks, aaron

Here's a good thread about that:
http://www.webhostingtalk.com/archive/inde...p/t-467630.html

Thanks for the link, I was able to figure it out! Nothing fancy, but it works