One-Step Encryption and Backup Tool
Command Line – duplicity

© Lead Image © Jakub Gojda, 123RF.com
With a single command, duplicity lets you encrypt and back up files. All you need to do is learn its unconventional command structure.
Despite its name, duplicity
[1] is not a command to enable dishonesty. Instead, duplicity
is one of those modern command-line tools that combines more than one function in the same application. Instead of encrypting files in a separate operation and then backing them up, duplicity
does both in a single step. When it comes to using duplicity
, its only limitation is a somewhat eccentric command structure.
Using GnuGPG for encryption, duplicity
backs up directories and files on a local or remote server. Although sources to back up are expressed as directory paths, targets for the backup files must be listed as a URL, not a path. For example, a local target directory must be identified as file:///usr/local/backup
rather than /backup
. (Note that the three forward slashes in the target URL are not an error: Two are for the URL, and the third is for the path from root.) By default, each archive is placed in a separate directory unless you use the --allow-source-mismatch
option.
duplicity
supports backups to local drives (including mounted external drives), FTP, SFTP/SCP, Rsync, WebDAV, Google Docs, HSI, and Amazon S3. duplicity
's man page does not detail how to set up all these various targets, but detailed instructions and examples are available online, particularly for those that require additional libraries, such as Google Drive, which requires PyDrive [2], and Amazon S3, which requires python-boto [3]. Some targets also take unique options. Regardless of the targets, after the first creation of a backup, later backups will be incremental, affecting only parts of files that have changed since the last backup (Figure 1). Remember that directories containing a backup display in a file manager, but the backup archives do not since they are encrypted. You will need to use duplicity
to list the backup archives (see the Actions section).
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
Linux Kernel 6.17 is Available
Linus Torvalds has announced that the latest kernel has been released with plenty of core improvements and even more hardware support.
-
Kali Linux 2025.3 Released with New Hacking Tools
If you're a Kali Linux fan, you'll be glad to know that the third release of this famous pen-testing distribution is now available with updates for key components.
-
Zorin OS 18 Beta Available for Testing
The latest release from the team behind Zorin OS is ready for public testing, and it includes plenty of improvements to make it more powerful, user-friendly, and productive.
-
Fedora Linux 43 Beta Now Available for Testing
Fedora Linux 43 Beta ships with Gnome 49 and KDE Plasma 6.4 (and other goodies).
-
USB4 Maintainer Leaves Intel
Michael Jamet, one of the primary maintainers of USB4 and Thunderbolt drivers, has left Intel, leaving a gaping hole for the Linux community to deal with.
-
Budgie 10.9.3 Now Available
The latest version of this elegant and configurable Linux desktop aligns with changes in Gnome 49.
-
KDE Linux Alpha Available for Daring Users
It's official, KDE Linux has arrived, but it's not quite ready for prime time.
-
AMD Initiates Graphics Driver Updates for Linux Kernel 6.18
This new AMD update focuses on power management, display handling, and hardware support for Radeon GPUs.
-
AerynOS Alpha Release Available
With a choice of several desktop environments, AerynOS 2025.08 is almost ready to be your next operating system.
-
AUR Repository Still Under DDoS Attack
Arch User Repository continues to be under a DDoS attack that has been going on for more than two weeks.