Encrypted cloud backups with Duplicity
Data Safe
If you're looking for a secure and portable backup technique, try combining the trusty command-line utility Duplicity with an available cloud account.
The Duplicity command-line tool is a popular option for storing backups in insecure environments, because it offers encryption by default. Encrypted backups can fall into the hands of third parties without risk. Many users configure Duplicity to back up to a local file server, but you can also send your files to an FTP server, an SSH server, or even a cloud-based Amazon (S3) or Ubuntu (U1) system. Backing up to the cloud offers the protection of a remote location, and it makes the archive available worldwide. In this article, I describe how to use Duplicity to back up files to the cloud.
About Duplicity
When launched, Duplicity first generates a full backup; later backups store incremental changes, called deltas, in what Duplicity refers to as volumes. Space-saving hard links then refer to the files on the full backup.
Thus, in principle, you could just create one full backup and then use incremental backups for the changes. The developers of Duplicity warn customers, however: Not only can a mistake in one incremental part ruin the entire backup [1], but restoring files takes quite a long time if the software needs to run through all the incremental backups.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
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
-
openSUSE Joins End of 10
openSUSE has decided to not only join the End of 10 movement but it also will no longer support the Deepin Desktop Environment.
-
New Version of Flatpak Released
Flatpak 1.16.1 is now available as the latest, stable version with various improvements.
-
IBM Announces Powerhouse Linux Server
IBM has unleashed a seriously powerful Linux server with the LinuxONE Emperor 5.
-
Plasma Ends LTS Releases
The KDE Plasma development team is doing away with the LTS releases for a good reason.
-
Arch Linux Available for Windows Subsystem for Linux
If you've ever wanted to use a rolling release distribution with WSL, now's your chance.
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.