Local-first, encrypted backup and restore for Linux servers. Capture to a nearby repository, replicate selected snapshots to independent storage, and restore into a new directory.
Quick start · Install · Cloud storage · Agent CLI · All documentation
Warning
Version 2.0.0-alpha.1 is a pre-release preview, not a production-qualified backup system. Keep another recovery path and test against disposable data before using it.
- Recover quickly from local storage. Restore from a nearby encrypted repository without waiting for a cloud download.
- Keep an independent replica. Copy successful snapshots to Backblaze B2 or Amazon S3, with a separate password for each repository.
- Protect mixed Linux workloads. Capture file trees and database sources through named jobs.
- Choose mouse or automation. Use the Textual dashboard preview or strict, schema-discoverable JSON commands.
Version 2 is still exposed under bbackup production; the legacy 1.x commands remain available. The Ubuntu 24.04 and 26.04 AMD64 and ARM64 systems are target platforms, not yet qualified package releases.
Local restic and Garage S3-compatible capture, copy, check, and restore cycles have passed. Native database live qualification, B2/AWS provider recovery and thirty-day protection, Ubuntu packages, and production readiness remain unqualified. See the v2 preview and current release evidence.
Install the prerelease from its pinned source tag:
uv tool install --force 'git+https://github.com/CruxExperts/best-backup.git@v2.0.0-alpha.1'For the retained 1.x command line, install the v1.8.6 release tag:
uv tool install --force 'git+https://github.com/CruxExperts/best-backup.git@v1.8.6'See INSTALL.md for prerequisites and development setup. The v2 preview requires Python 3.12+ and restic; Docker, rsync, and tar are only needed by the retained 1.x Docker/filesystem workflow. Database capture and restore also require the matching native database clients.
Create strict portable policy and private host bindings as described in the quick start, then run:
bbackup production --config config.json --bindings bindings.json doctor
bbackup production --config config.json --bindings bindings.json jobs run --name dailyjobs run captures locally and copies the successful snapshot to each configured replica. Keep the returned full snapshot IDs. The quick start shows how to verify a repository and restore a selected ID into a new directory.
Backblaze B2 through its S3 API and Amazon S3 can be configured as restic repositories and restore sources. The preview also has a native read-only B2 capability inspection path. Provider-specific thirty-day retention and independent recovery qualification are still pending; setup details and exact boundaries are in the cloud storage guide.
- Quick start: v2 configuration, password files, local capture, replicas, and restore.
- Installation: pinned source installs, legacy release, and development checkout.
- Agent integration: strict schemas, JSON envelopes, pagination, and reconciliation.
- Cloud storage: B2/S3 repository setup and provider qualification limits.
- Legacy management: retained
bbmanand 1.x commands. - Encryption: restic password custody and legacy file-encryption modes.
- Architecture: preview service boundary and retained implementation.
- Support · Security · Contributing
Slavic Kozyuk
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