Restic

Restic is a backup program for Linux that can take backups to various storage providers. I am using it with Backblaze B2.

Setting up

• Automate backups with restic and systemd - Fedora Magazine
• Use restic on Fedora for encrypted backups - Fedora Magazine

In summary:

1. Create an application password in B2 and note down the keyID and key

2. Create a bucket using restic by running

   export B2_ACCOUNT_ID=<application key ID>
   export B2_ACCOUNT_KEY=<application key>
   restic -r b2:<bucket name>:/ init
   

3. You can now create snapshots by running

   restic -r b2:<bucket name>:/ backup <...paths>
   

4. Automate it with a systemd timer

   • ~/.config/restic/restic.conf

     BACKUP_PATHS="/home/mpardalos/Documents /home/mpardalos/Pictures"
     BACKUP_EXCLUDES="--exclude-file /home/mpardalos/.config/restic/excludes --exclude-if-present .exclude_from_backup"
     RETENTION_DAYS=7
     RETENTION_WEEKS=4
     RETENTION_MONTHS=6
     RETENTION_YEARS=3
     B2_ACCOUNT_ID=...
     B2_ACCOUNT_KEY=...
     RESTIC_REPOSITORY=...
     RESTIC_PASSWORD=...
     

   • ~/.config/restic/excludes Excludes go here. If none, create it and leave it empty.
   • ~/.config/systemd/user/restic-backup.service

     [Unit]
     Description=Restic backup service
     [Service]
     Type=oneshot
     ExecStart=restic backup --verbose --one-file-system --tag systemd.timer $BACKUP_EXCLUDES $BACKUP_PATHS
     ExecStartPost=restic forget --verbose --tag systemd.timer --group-by "paths,tags" --keep-daily $RETENTION_DAYS --keep-weekly $RETENTION_WEEKS --keep-monthly $RETENTION_MONTHS --keep-yearly $RETENTION_YEARS
     EnvironmentFile=%h/.config/restic/restic.conf
     

   • ~/.config/systemd/user/restic-backup.timer

     [Unit]
     Description=Backup with restic daily
     [Timer]
     OnCalendar=daily
     Persistent=true
     [Install]
     WantedBy=timers.target
     

   Just enable the timer and everything should be set systemctl --user enable --now restic-backup.timer