6 ms·

How I configure BorgBackup and borgmatic (2023)

40 points by justusw 1y ago

imcritic 1y ago
This site seems to use netlify and it doesn't serve responses.
vjvjvjvjghv 1y ago
I know Borg has a good reputation but two years ago I experimented with a Linux laptop. I set up Borg and within 6 months my backups were corrupted twice and not recoverable. Not sure if this common but I personally wouldn’t use it again.
- throwaway277432 1y ago
  Lots of people haven't had to actually restore their data. Somehow it has good marketing. I used it for a while and was not impressed. Random Python errors, requires too much scripting, and at least on my data terrible restore speed. I followed development on Github and what I saw in terms of fixes and commits gave me pause. Not how I like my critical backup software written. I now use restic and sleep much better.
kernc 1y ago
The intricacies of Borg are exactly why I switched over to a wrapper around pure git: https://kernc.github.io/myba/ https://kernc.github.io/myba/
- TacticalCoder 1y ago
  Oh that's interesting: it uses two similarly shaped Git repos with one being transparently encrypted. I take it that way you can deduplicate backups. My own backup procedure uses Git too: but I don't deduplicate. For every Git repo my backup procedure (which runs from an OCI containers and mounts the Git repo volume read-only) does: - git clone the entire repo - clean any mess - run git fsck (you never know you know) - tar + compress - encrypt - add a cryptographic sum to the unique resulting encrypted file - deduplicate (but this only works if zero change were made to the Git repo since the last backup) - send if not a duplicate - on the remote end: verify the cryptographic hash, decrypt, uncompress/untar, re-run git fsck (you never know you know) This way I'm reasonably sure the backup is not corrupted. FWIW the cryptographic hash allowed me to catch a bit flip, once. So my files are encrypted too but my main issue is any change to a Git repo means a new full backup has to be made. I can see how something automated like myba could help.
- justusw 1y ago
  Thank you for the link, I'm quite intrigued by myba. At least on macOS, I spend way too much time finding workarounds, even with borgmatic.
IshKebab 1y ago
I used Borg for years and it's good, but the fact that you can only backup to SSH is quite limiting. I eventually found Restic & Rustic which are much better and support way more backends: https://rustic.cli.rs/docs/comparison-restic.html#supported-storage-backends https://rustic.cli.rs/docs/comparison-restic.html#supported-...
- pavel_lishin 1y ago
  Can't you transfer the resulting archive however you want? rsync, ftp, USB stick glued to a bird, tattooed onto a shaved man's head, etc?
- BitPirate 1y ago
  Borg 2.0 (unreleased) is moving in a similar direction with borgstore: https://www.borgbackup.org/releases/borg-2.0.html https://www.borgbackup.org/releases/borg-2.0.html

40 points by justusw 1y ago

This site seems to use netlify and it doesn't serve responses.

I know Borg has a good reputation but two years ago I experimented with a Linux laptop. I set up Borg and within 6 months my backups were corrupted twice and not recoverable. Not sure if this common but I personally wouldn’t use it again.

throwaway277432 1y ago
Lots of people haven't had to actually restore their data. Somehow it has good marketing. I used it for a while and was not impressed. Random Python errors, requires too much scripting, and at least on my data terrible restore speed. I followed development on Github and what I saw in terms of fixes and commits gave me pause. Not how I like my critical backup software written. I now use restic and sleep much better.

kernc 1y ago

The intricacies of Borg are exactly why I switched over to a wrapper around pure git: https://kernc.github.io/myba/ https://kernc.github.io/myba/

TacticalCoder 1y ago
Oh that's interesting: it uses two similarly shaped Git repos with one being transparently encrypted. I take it that way you can deduplicate backups. My own backup procedure uses Git too: but I don't deduplicate. For every Git repo my backup procedure (which runs from an OCI containers and mounts the Git repo volume read-only) does: - git clone the entire repo - clean any mess - run git fsck (you never know you know) - tar + compress - encrypt - add a cryptographic sum to the unique resulting encrypted file - deduplicate (but this only works if zero change were made to the Git repo since the last backup) - send if not a duplicate - on the remote end: verify the cryptographic hash, decrypt, uncompress/untar, re-run git fsck (you never know you know) This way I'm reasonably sure the backup is not corrupted. FWIW the cryptographic hash allowed me to catch a bit flip, once. So my files are encrypted too but my main issue is any change to a Git repo means a new full backup has to be made. I can see how something automated like myba could help.
justusw 1y ago
Thank you for the link, I'm quite intrigued by myba. At least on macOS, I spend way too much time finding workarounds, even with borgmatic.

IshKebab 1y ago

I used Borg for years and it's good, but the fact that you can only backup to SSH is quite limiting. I eventually found Restic & Rustic which are much better and support way more backends: https://rustic.cli.rs/docs/comparison-restic.html#supported-storage-backends https://rustic.cli.rs/docs/comparison-restic.html#supported-...

pavel_lishin 1y ago
Can't you transfer the resulting archive however you want? rsync, ftp, USB stick glued to a bird, tattooed onto a shaved man's head, etc?
BitPirate 1y ago
Borg 2.0 (unreleased) is moving in a similar direction with borgstore: https://www.borgbackup.org/releases/borg-2.0.html https://www.borgbackup.org/releases/borg-2.0.html