good backup program?

S.C.Franklin · 2026-06-20 06:26:42

What is a good backup program to save the HOME directory? I'm using pica but wonder if there is something better. Thanks.

ewaller · 2026-06-20 14:15:01

I am partial to rsync

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Rsync

topcat01 · 2026-06-20 19:21:22

My approach is to use the most basic tool possible, and only use something higher level if absolutely needed. rsync is also my primary tool. However, if you want snapshots, then either btrfs/zfs or restic (my preference)/borg can give that to you. I often use the send feature of btrfs for incremental backups and snapshots. So:

- btrfs send+snapshots on Linux
- rsync to back up to my Linux server from !linux OS (I have macos and *BSD, but also works for Windows)
- restic to store backups with snaps in situations where I cannot use btrfs because restic has the best crypto and a data integrity scrub function
This is also useful to create an encrypted and checksummed store for cloud backup services like Backblaze or Crashplan
- rsync for any kind of file transfer, not cp because rsync has checksum verification for all (new) file copy operations

I'll admit that I'm slightly paranoid about corruption. I'd never store anything important on a non-checksumming filesystem.

ewaller · 2026-06-20 19:46:04

This might be a good point to reinforce the following. A backup is not a backup unless it is tested. A system is not backed up unless there is a backup that is not on site.

massoudd3j · 2026-06-23 08:27:17

I use borg backup. it is in CLI and has a learning curve. Also deja dup does the job

SimonJ · 2026-06-23 08:39:02

I use rsync for local, rclone for remote and backintime for something different. The most important thing is being able to restore without much effort, I also use codeberg for config files.

Nikolai5 · 2026-06-23 16:58:32

Set up a couple of practice directories for rsync, set up the command how you want it to work.

Make a manual backup first if you plan to use the --delete option, if your backup is going to effectively be a mirror of your current state, but you don't want to accidentally run it in the reverse of what you want.

I just do this to backup my home directory:

rsync --archive -vh -L --delete --exclude-from='exclude-list.txt' ~/ "$BACKUP_TARGET"

Its inside a simple script that checks my external drive is mounted at the expected target location and then executes it.
I exclude things I don't care about, steam directory for example, a bunch of dot directories.
Don't copy that without knowing what those options are doing, as well as --delete, I for example have it following links, which I use to override exclusions, such as to backup save files from within the excluded steam directory, etc.

But it gives you an idea, that command backs up everything I care about, there's not much to that command, and now its set up, I plug my drive in, execute the script I have that in and job done, easy.

Last edited by Nikolai5 (2026-06-23 17:08:22)

seth · 2026-06-23 18:41:28

rsync also has nice options for snapshots/differential updates (if you're not maintaining dotfiles or other configs with git)
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Rsync# … _on_a_week
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Rsync#Snapshot_backup

Arch Linux

#1 2026-06-20 06:26:42

good backup program?

#2 2026-06-20 14:15:01

Re: good backup program?

#3 2026-06-20 19:21:22

Re: good backup program?

#4 2026-06-20 19:46:04

Re: good backup program?

#5 2026-06-23 08:27:17

Re: good backup program?

#6 2026-06-23 08:39:02

Re: good backup program?

#7 2026-06-23 16:58:32

Re: good backup program?

#8 2026-06-23 18:41:28

Re: good backup program?

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