If you use Linux daily and still don't have a good backup strategy, you're playing Russian roulette with your data. Between hardware failures, human error, and ransomware attacks, have a solid and automated backup system It ceases to be a whim and becomes a basic necessity.
In this article we'll see how to take advantage of Jottacloud and its tool jotta-cli in Linux to create cloud backups from the terminalAlong with other classic backup approaches in GNU/Linux (full, incremental, rsync, dd, etc.). You'll see both graphical and console options, how to automate them, and what you should keep in mind to avoid losing a single important file.
What is Jottacloud and what tools does it offer?
Jottacloud is a cloud storage service that allows save, synchronize and back up of your files from different devices. It's not just designed for Linux, but also for other systems, but it's especially useful if we want to centralize our backups with a single provider.
Within the Jottacloud ecosystem you will find several applications designed for different uses and devices, all of them aimed at keeping your data safe. supported and accessible from anywhere.
Desktop application
For desktop and laptop computers with desktop operating systems, Jottacloud offers a desktop app This app monitors folders and uploads their contents to the cloud. It allows you to mark directories for backup, manage what gets synced, and check the backup status.
With this application you can do backups on external drives both local drives and external disks or even network drives and NAS devicesprovided they are accessible from the system. It's a very convenient option if you don't want to use the terminal and prefer a graphical interface to manage your backups.
Mobile app
In the mobile sphere, Jottacloud offers applications for smartphones and tabletsThese apps allow you to upload photos, videos, and other files directly to your cloud account, either manually or automatically (for example, backing up your mobile phone's photo gallery).
This way, your mobile devices also become part of your data protection strategy, and you can keep everything in one place. backups of your desktop PC, your laptop, and your phone, all centralized in Jottacloud.
Command line tool: jotta-cli
For Linux users (and, in general, terminal enthusiasts), Jottacloud offers a command-line tool called jotta-cliThis utility allows you to register your account, add backup paths, delete them, view the synchronization status, and much more, all without leaving the shell.
Its basic use is quite simple. First, you need to create a Jottacloud account (either free or paid) on their website. Then, on your Linux machine, you can log in with:
jotta-cli login
Once authenticated, you can add a system folder to the backup using a command like:
jotta-cli add 'path/to/directory'
If at any time you want a folder to be removed from the set of directories monitored for backup, you can remove it with:
jotta-cli rem '/path/to/delete'
To find out what's being uploaded, what's synced, and the overall status of your jotta-cli installation, the key command is:
jotta-cli status
With these basic commands you already have a very powerful way to Manage cloud backups from the Linux console, without needing to open graphical interfaces.
web application
In addition to desktop and mobile applications and the terminal tool, Jottacloud has a web application Accessible from your browser. From there you can review your files, download files, share links, and check the status of your cloud storage.
The web app complements jotta-cli very well, because you can Upload and manage data from Linux using commands and, when needed, access the browser from any computer to check or download something specific without touching the console.
Back up network drives and NAS with Jottacloud
A fairly common case in home environments and small offices is the use of network drives or NAS devices To store large amounts of data, Jottacloud allows you to include these types of drives in your backup plan, although with one important consideration.
Jottacloud does not offer a specific client installed directly on the NAS (unless it is supported by other means), but rather the Backups of network drives or NAS devices are performed using a computer that runs the Jottacloud desktop application. In other words, you need a PC (Windows, macOS, or Linux, depending on support) with the network drive mounted in order to upload that data to the cloud.
The general flow would be something like this: First, you connect the NAS or network drive to the computer where the desktop application is located, mounting it like any other shared resource. Then, within the Jottacloud app, Add the NAS folders to the backup sectionjust as you would with an external drive or any other local folder.
Once configured, the desktop application will begin sending the content of those routes to the cloud. The system works with a mirrored backup logic, meaning The changes you make to the NAS backup folders are replicated to the cloud.If you add or modify a file in those folders, the new version will be uploaded; if you delete a file from the NAS within a folder marked for backup, it will also disappear from Jottacloud.
This is very convenient because you'll always have one in the cloud. Updated image of your NAS dataHowever, caution is advised: if you accidentally delete something on the NAS, it may also be deleted from the cloud, depending on your configured retention policy. It's a good idea to review your provider's options to understand how deleted files or previous versions are handled.
Why is it essential to back up Linux?
Many users think that because they use Linux their system is immune to certain problems, but the reality is that your hardware can fail, you can make mistakes, and malware also exists in this ecosystem. Therefore, Having backups in Linux is just as important as in any other system.
Among the most common reasons for implementing backups in Linux are several very clear ones: on the one hand, protect your data from physical failures of hard drives, SSDs or any other storage medium; on the other hand, to prevent the loss of information in cases of equipment theft, file system corruption or human errors such as accidentally deleting a key directory.
Furthermore, ransomware threats and other security attacks that can encrypt your data or render it unusable are becoming increasingly common. Given this scenario, having a robust backup policy in Linux allows you to... Recover your files even if the operating system becomes unusable or you have to completely reformat.
Types of backups in Linux: full and incremental
When designing your backup strategy in Linux, two main types of backups are usually discussed: full copy and the so-called copy incrementalThe ideal is not to choose one or the other exclusively, but to combine them intelligently to balance security, speed and space consumption.
Full backup
The complete copy consists of saving all the content of the chosen directories or systems on another storage device or location. This could be an external hard drive, a remote server, a NAS, or the cloud. This type of backup copies all selected files, regardless of whether they have changed since the last backup.
Its main advantage is that it offers a comprehensive snapshot of your system or data at a specific moment, which is very useful when you need restore everything at onceHowever, it is also the method that can take the longest and the most space, so it is not usually practical to make full backups too frequently.
It is generally recommended to perform a full backup periodically (for example, weekly or monthly) and supplement it with other types of backups that optimize the process for daily changes. In this way, You always have a complete base. from which to rebuild your system and on which to apply the rest of the copies.
Incremental backup
Incremental copying, on the other hand, focuses solely on the files that have been modified or created since the last backup (whether full or incremental). This means that, instead of compiling absolutely everything, only what has changed is backed up, making the process much faster and more efficient.
Its main advantage is that it allows you to perform backups much more frequently, even daily or several times a day, without saturating storage or consuming excessive bandwidth. As long as you have an initial full backup, subsequent incremental backups will also be effective. They keep your system up to date without the need to constantly duplicate all the data.
In Linux, many tools allow you to configure incremental backup policies (including some cloud services and synchronization utilities). This allows you to have a combination of full copies more spaced out and frequent incremental backups, achieving a balanced relationship between security and resources used.
Classic backup commands in Linux
If you're comfortable using the terminal, Linux offers a wealth of useful commands for creating and restoring advanced backups. Some of the most common ones focus on... back up entire directories, make incremental copies, or clone entire disks.
For example, to back up the directory / Home You can use tools like dumpwhich allow saving entire file systems. A typical command for a full backup of the user directory might have a structure similar to:
dump -0aj -f /tmp/home0.bak / home
In this case, a backup file is generated in /tmp/home0.bak with the contents of /home. If you want to perform a subsequent incremental backup (that is, of the files modified or new since the last full backup), the command would vary slightly:
dump -1aj -f /tmp/home0.bak / home
To restore a copy generated with dump, you can use a command with the following syntax:
restore -if /tmp/home0.bak
This way you recover the content saved in the backup file. On the other hand, if you're looking to clone the contents of a hard drive to a file, a well-known utility in Linux is ddwhich allows low-level copying:
dd if = / dev / sda of = / tmp / file1
Here's where you take the device / Dev / sda (the entire disk, for example) and it's written to a file in /tmp. It's a powerful method, although it must be used with care because copy all content at the block levelincluding unused space.
These are just a few examples of classic Linux backup commands; the official system and tool documentation offers more details, parameters, and variations to adjust the behavior according to your specific needs.
Backups with rsync and bash scripts
Another widespread approach in Linux for creating backups is the use of rsync combined with bash scriptsrsync is an extremely versatile tool that allows you to efficiently copy files between local directories, external disks or across the network, maintaining attributes and dates.
A typical rsync command to copy files from a remote server to your local machine, preserving symbolic links and timestamps, and passing the transfer over SSH might look something like this:
rsync -avz -e 'ssh -p22' –times user@192.168.1.10:/path/web/web1.com/ .
In this order, the parameters fulfill the following functions: the option -a activates archive mode, which recursively copies and maintains symbolic links and permissions; -v This makes rsync display on the screen what it is copying; the -z enables compression during transfer; the parameter -e 'ssh -p22' It indicates that the copy will be made via SSH on port 22; and the option –times preserves the original file dates.
In this command, the source path (in this case, the remote server directory) and the destination path, which here is a dot (.) which represents the current directory from which the command is executed. rsync also allows implementing incremental copiesso that only the modified files are transferred, saving time and resources on frequent copies.
A good practice is to encapsulate these types of commands in a bash script To automate the process and manage multiple directories in a single operation. For example, you can create a script that generates a backup directory based on the current date, obtains the script's own path for orientation, and copies different directories from the server to your local machine.
A script of this style usually includes steps such as: saving the date in a variable (for example, in the format YYYYMMDD), identify the directory where the script is located using readlink -f $0 y dirnameDefine the IP address of the remote server, create a backup directory named after the date, and within it create subdirectories such as backup_1 y backup_2 to group the different copies.
Next, the script executes rsync commands for each of the paths you want to back up, changing to the corresponding directory before starting the copy. A line is usually added at the end to display a completion message, such as... echo "END"so that you know the process is over.
Once you have the script ready, you can integrate it with cron or another task scheduling system so that backups are performed automatically at certain times, without you having to monitor them. This combination of rsync + bash is very powerful for custom, incremental and scheduled backups on Linux servers and computers.
Linux backup in the cloud
Beyond copies to external drives or local servers, an increasingly popular strategy is to perform the Linux backup directly to the cloud storageThis offers significant advantages: your data is safe even if you lose the physical equipment, you can access it from anywhere with an internet connection, and in many cases, you can benefit from advanced file versioning and retention policies.
The usual model involves using a specialized service, such as Jottacloud itself or other storage providers, that offer Specific clients for making automatic backups from Linux. The operation is usually very simple: you choose which folders you want to protect, configure the backup frequency, and the software takes care of uploading the changes to the cloud.
The most interesting thing is that you can combine this solution with others: for example, keeping a copy on an external drive or NAS and also having a off-site copy to the cloudThis way, even if one of the copies fails (for example, the external hard drive breaks down), you still have another layer of security.
Many of these services allow you to adjust the backup frequency (daily, weekly, continuous, etc.), so you can adapt the settings to the number of changes you make to your files. If you work with critical or frequently changing data, it's highly recommended to opt for one of these services. frequent automatic backups to minimize losses in case of an incident.
Backups in Linux using graphical tools
If you don't feel like dealing with the terminal for your backups, Linux distributions usually offer integrated graphical backup tools or available in their repositories. These utilities provide a user-friendly interface for configuring what is backed up, where, and when.
One of the most common options is to use a backup application or similar, which allows you to select folders (such as your home directory, Documents, Pictures, etc.), choose a destination (external drive, network folder, remote server), and set a backup schedule. This type of tool typically... It combines initial full backups with subsequent incremental backups., in a way that is transparent to the user.
Another way to create backups from the graphical environment is to use the file manager (Archive, Nautilus, Dolphin, etc.)With it, you can manually copy critical directories to another drive using drag and drop or context menus. While less sophisticated than an automated solution, it can be useful for occasional backups or cloning configurations before making significant system changes.
In any case, even if you use graphical tools, it is advisable to understand the concept of copy frequency, backup type and destination to avoid relying solely on random clicks. A good backup plan requires some planning, whether via GUI or terminal.
Using Jottacloud as a destination with Duplicati and the terminal
If you want to take it a step further and combine different tools, Duplicati is another interesting piece in this puzzle. It's software designed to create encrypted, compressed, and programmable backups to various destinations, including Jottacloud.
To connect Duplicati with Jottacloud, it is necessary to configure a specific destination folder in the service and, above all, authorize Duplicati to operate on your behalfThis is done by obtaining an authentication identifier (AuthID) through an OAuth service associated with Jottacloud. Typically, when configuring the destination in the Duplicati interface, you'll find an "AuthID" link in the corresponding field: clicking it starts the authentication process, and when it's finished, the value is automatically populated.
Once you have the AuthID, you can use the Duplicati command line To work with Jottacloud as a storage backend, a specific URL format for this provider is used. The Duplicati documentation details the necessary syntax and OAuth server options for obtaining the AuthID in different ways.
Within Jottacloud, each registered device appears as a deviceand within each device, different things can be managed mount pointsBy default, Duplicati uses the special device called In order to and the mounting point Archive to save your copies, but you can modify these values ​​using the options –jottacloud-device y –jottacloud-mountpoint if you need to store data elsewhere.
If you define only the device and not the mount point, Duplicati will default to the mount point named duplicatesFurthermore, there are parameters for performance adjustment to adapt resource consumption and transfer speed to your environment, although the specific configuration depends on each use case.
Taken together, this integration allows you to Manage encrypted and highly flexible backups from Linux to Jottacloud, either with a graphical interface or from the console, and take advantage of advanced features such as file versions, deduplication, and verbose scheduling.
Articles and related resources about backups and Jottacloud
Within the Jottacloud ecosystem itself and its supplementary documentation, there are several resources that delve deeper into specific aspects of backups. Some of these focus on topics such as back up network drives or NAS to the cloudAnother topic is the differences between backup and synchronization folders, or how to upload files to the cloud, understanding all the available options.
There are also specific guides for understanding How backup works in your desktop applications (new and old)These resources explain, for example, the correct way to delete backup folders without risking data you don't want to lose. Other resources offer quick guides to get started with the service and showcase new features such as the release of new versions of the desktop app.
Having this type of documentation on hand helps you take advantage of less obvious features, avoid common mistakes (such as confusing synchronization with backup), and configure more precisely. what is stored, where and for how longBy combining these guides with the tools we have seen (jotta-cli, Duplicati, rsync, etc.), you can build a very robust backup strategy in Linux adapted to your way of working.
With all that said, it's clear that in Linux you have many options to protect your data: from classic commands like dump or dd, to rsync and bash scripts, to cloud solutions like Jottacloud with jotta-cli or advanced integrations with Duplicati.
The important thing is that you define what information is critical to you, choose a reasonable combination of local and cloud backups, and configure an automatic and tested backup system that allows you to sleep peacefully knowing that, if something breaks, you can recover your files without drama. Share the information so that more users know about the topic.