This guide will take you through on how to install and configure Borgmatic on Debian 11. Borgmatic is backup software for servers and workstations that is simple to use and configure. It creates a backup, prunes any old backups that don’t meet the retention policy’s and checks backups for consistency.
Install and Configure Borgmatic on Debian 11
- Update your packaged.
sudo apt update- Next install Borgmatic on Debian 11 using the command below.
sudo apt install borgmaticSample output
Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree... Done Reading state information... Done The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required: bc cups cups-browsed cups-client cups-core-drivers cups-daemon cups-filters cups-filters-core-drivers cups-ipp-utils cups-ppdc cups-server-common fonts-symbola hyphen-en-us iw javascript-common libcupsfilters1 libfontembed1 libglu1-mesa liblouisutdml-bin liblouisutdml-data liblouisutdml9 libpoppler-cpp0v5 libqpdf28 libreoffice-help-common libreoffice-help-en-us mythes-en-us node-normalize.css sudo x11-apps x11-session-utils xinit Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove them. The following additional packages will be installed: borgbackup libb2-1 python3-colorama python3-dateutil python3-docopt python3-llfuse python3-pykwalify python3-ruamel.yaml python3-ruamel.yaml.clib Suggested packages: borgbackup-doc python-llfuse-doc The following NEW packages will be installed: borgbackup borgmatic libb2-1 python3-colorama python3-dateutil python3-docopt python3-llfuse python3-pykwalify python3-ruamel.yaml python3-ruamel.yaml.clib 0 upgraded, 10 newly installed, 0 to remove and 2 not upgraded. Need to get 1,372 kB of archives. After this operation, 5,512 kB of additional disk space will be used. Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y Get:1 http://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye/main amd64 libb2-1 amd64 0.98.1-1.1 [40.9 kB] Get:2 http://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye/main amd64 borgbackup amd64 1.1.16-3 [708 kB] Get:3 http://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye/main amd64 python3-colorama all 0.4.4-1 [28.5 kB] Get:4 http://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye/main amd64 python3-dateutil all 2.8.1-6 [79.2 kB] Get:5 http://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye/main amd64 python3-docopt all 0.6.2-3 [26.6 kB] Get:6 http://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye/main amd64 python3-ruamel.yaml.clib amd64 0.2.2-1+b2 [132 kB] Get:7 http://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye/main amd64 python3-ruamel.yaml all 0.16.12-2 [110 kB] Get:8 http://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye/main amd64 python3-pykwalify amd64 1.8.0-1 [22.7 kB] Get:9 http://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye/main amd64 borgmatic all 1.5.12-2 [47.5 kB] Get:10 http://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye/main amd64 python3-llfuse amd64 1.3.8+dfsg-2 [176 kB] Fetched 1,372 kB in 2s (652 kB/s) Selecting previously unselected package libb2-1:amd64. (Reading database ... 143649 files and directories currently installed.) Preparing to unpack .../0-libb2-1_0.98.1-1.1_amd64.deb ... Unpacking libb2-1:amd64 (0.98.1-1.1) ... Selecting previously unselected package borgbackup. Preparing to unpack .../1-borgbackup_1.1.16-3_amd64.deb ... Unpacking borgbackup (1.1.16-3) ... Selecting previously unselected package python3-colorama. Preparing to unpack .../2-python3-colorama_0.4.4-1_all.deb ... Unpacking python3-colorama (0.4.4-1) ... Selecting previously unselected package python3-dateutil. Preparing to unpack .../3-python3-dateutil_2.8.1-6_all.deb ... Unpacking python3-dateutil (2.8.1-6) ... Selecting previously unselected package python3-docopt. Preparing to unpack .../4-python3-docopt_0.6.2-3_all.deb ... Unpacking python3-docopt (0.6.2-3) ...
- After installation, initialize backup repository.
borg init -e repokey demo.borgSample output
Enter new passphrase: Enter same passphrase again: Do you want your passphrase to be displayed for verification? [yN]: By default repositories initialized with this version will produce security errors if written to with an older version (up to and including Borg 1.0.8). If you want to use these older versions, you can disable the check by running: borg upgrade --disable-tam demo.borg See https://borgbackup.readthedocs.io/en/stable/changes.html#pre-1-0-9-manifest-spoofing-vulnerability for details about the security implications. IMPORTANT: you will need both KEY AND PASSPHRASE to access this repo! Use "borg key export" to export the key, optionally in printable format. Write down the passphrase. Store both at safe place(s).
Configure Borgmatic on Debian 11
- Create Borgamatic configuration file.
generate-borgmatic-config -d demo.yamlSample output
Generated a sample configuration file at demo.yaml. Please edit the file to suit your needs. The values are representative. All fields are optional except where indicated. If you ever need help: https://torsion.org/borgmatic/#issues
- Open the configuration file to configure it.
sudo nano demo.yaml- Customize the configuration file according to your needs i.e. directories to be backed up under source_directories, retention time, directories to be excluded etc. Check example file below.
# Where to look for files to backup, and where to store thos>
# See https://borgbackup.readthedocs.io/en/stable/quickstart>
# https://borgbackup.readthedocs.io/en/stable/usage/create.h>
# for details.
location:
# List of source directories to backup (required). Globs>
# tildes are expanded.
source_directories:
- /home
- /etc
- /var/log/syslog*
# Paths to local or remote repositories (required). Tild>
# expanded. Multiple repositories are backed up to in
# sequence. Borg placeholders can be used. See the outpu>
# "borg help placeholders" for details. See ssh_command >
# SSH options like identity file or port. If systemd ser>
# is used, then add local repository paths in the systemd
# service file to the ReadWritePaths list.
repositories:
- demo.borg
# Retention policy for how many backups to keep in each cate>
# https://borgbackup.readthedocs.io/en/stable/usage/prune.ht>
# details. At least one of the "keep" options is required fo>
# to work. To skip pruning entirely, run "borgmatic create" >
# without the "prune" action. See borgmatic documentation fo>
retention:
# Keep all archives within this time interval.
# keep_within: 3H
# Number of secondly archives to keep.
# keep_secondly: 60
# Number of minutely archives to keep.
# keep_minutely: 60
# Number of hourly archives to keep.
# keep_hourly: 24
# Number of daily archives to keep.
keep_daily: 7
# Number of weekly archives to keep.
# keep_weekly: 4
# Number of monthly archives to keep.
# keep_monthly: 6
# Number of yearly archives to keep.
# keep_yearly: 1
# When pruning, only consider archive names starting wit>
# prefix. Borg placeholders can be used. See the output>
# "borg help placeholders" for details. Defaults to
# "{hostname}-". Use an empty value to disable the defau>
# prefix: sourcehostname
Create Backup
- Run the command below to create your first backup.
sudo borgmatic --config demo.yaml --verbosity 1Sample output
demo.borg: Pruning archives
demo.borg: Creating archive
Enter passphrase for key /home/itnixpro/demo.borg:
Creating archive at "demo.borg::{hostname}-{now:%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S.%f}"
demo.borg: Running consistency checks
Starting repository check
Starting repository index check
Index object count match.
Completed repository check, no problems found.
Enter passphrase for key /home/itnixpro/demo.borg:
Starting archive consistency check...
Analyzing archive debian-2022-05-07T00:33:52.990455 (1/2)
Analyzing archive debian-2022-05-07T10:52:26.851959 (2/2)
Orphaned objects check skipped (needs all archives checked).
Archive consistency check complete, no problems found.
summary:
demo.yaml: Successfully ran configuration file
- Check backup using the following command.
sudo borgmatic -c demo.yaml --listSample output
demo.borg: Listing archives Enter passphrase for key /home/itnixpro/demo.borg: debian-2022-05-07T00:33:52.990455 Sat, 2022-05-07 00:34:02 [2dac6a6f5eb070b6ec143303ebcfd8e8f7b4818e663129493015ddec53d25b86] debian-2022-05-07T10:52:26.851959 Sat, 2022-05-07 10:52:30 [b03f5f1d4e182c45f614de384a094d7851315fcfad89865bd36c9caf4ecd277f]
Automate Backup
- Create systemd service file for borgmatic.
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/borgmatic.servicePaste the content below.
[Unit] Description=Borgmatic system backup Requires=network.target After=network.target [Service] Type=oneshot Nice=10 IOSchedulingClass=best-effort IOSchedulingPriority=6 ProtectSystem=full ExecStart=/usr/bin/borgmatic --verbosity -1 --syslog-verbosity 1
- Then specify backup time by creating timer config file using the following command.
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/borgmatic.timerPaste the configuration file and specify your preferred backup time.
[Unit] Description=Daily backup timer [Timer] OnCalendar=*-*-* 12:00:00 Persistent=true [Install] WantedBy=timers.target
- Next enable the timer.
systemctl enable --now borgmatic.timer- You have made it to the end of our article, Cheers! You have learned how to install and configure Borgmatic on Debian 11.
Read more on Borgmatic Documentation
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