Arch Linux Backup and Restore Guide

Complete beginner-friendly guide to backing up and restoring your Arch Linux system, including file backups, system backups, automated backups, and restore procedures.

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Table of Contents

1. Backup Strategies
2. File Backups
3. System Backups
4. Automated Backups
5. Restore Procedures
6. Backup Tools

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Backup Strategies

What to Backup

Important data:

• Home directory (/home)
• Configuration files (/etc)
• Package lists
• System data

Backup Types

Types:

• Full backup: Entire system
• Incremental: Changes only
• File-level: Individual files
• Image backup: Disk image

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File Backups

rsync

Install rsync:

# Install rsync
sudo pacman -S rsync

# Backup home directory
rsync -av --exclude='.cache' ~/ /backup/home/

# Restore
rsync -av /backup/home/ ~/

tar

Create archive:

# Backup home
tar -czf backup-home-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz ~/

# Backup system
sudo tar -czf backup-system.tar.gz --exclude=/proc --exclude=/sys --exclude=/dev --exclude=/run --exclude=/tmp /

Restore tar

Extract archive:

# Extract
tar -xzf backup-home-20240115.tar.gz

# To specific location
tar -xzf backup-home-20240115.tar.gz -C /restore/path

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System Backups

Clonezilla

Install Clonezilla:

# Download ISO from clonezilla.org
# Boot from ISO
# Follow wizard

dd

Disk image:

# Create image
sudo dd if=/dev/sda of=/backup/system.img bs=4M status=progress

# Restore
sudo dd if=/backup/system.img of=/dev/sda bs=4M status=progress

** Warning**: dd can destroy data if used incorrectly!

Timeshift

Install Timeshift:

# Install Timeshift
yay -S timeshift

# Create snapshot
sudo timeshift --create

# List snapshots
sudo timeshift --list

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Automated Backups

Cron Jobs

Setup cron:

# Edit crontab
crontab -e

Example:

# Daily backup at 2 AM
0 2 * * * rsync -av ~/ /backup/home/

# Weekly full backup
0 3 * * 0 tar -czf /backup/weekly-$(date +\%Y\%m\%d).tar.gz ~/

systemd Timers

Create timer:

# Create service
sudo vim /etc/systemd/system/backup.service

Service file:

[Unit]
Description=Backup Service

[Service]
Type=oneshot
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/backup.sh

Create timer:

sudo vim /etc/systemd/system/backup.timer

Timer file:

[Unit]
Description=Backup Timer

[Timer]
OnCalendar=daily
Persistent=true

[Install]
WantedBy=timers.target

Enable:

sudo systemctl enable backup.timer
sudo systemctl start backup.timer

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Restore Procedures

Restore Files

From rsync:

# Restore
rsync -av /backup/home/ ~/

From tar:

# Extract
tar -xzf backup.tar.gz -C /

Restore System

From image:

# Boot from live USB
# Mount partitions
# Restore image
sudo dd if=backup.img of=/dev/sda

From Clonezilla:

# Boot Clonezilla
# Select restore
# Choose image
# Follow wizard

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Backup Tools

BorgBackup

Install Borg:

# Install Borg
sudo pacman -S borg

# Create repository
borg init /backup/repo

# Create backup
borg create /backup/repo::archive-{now} ~/

# List archives
borg list /backup/repo

Restic

Install Restic:

# Install Restic
sudo pacman -S restic

# Initialize
restic init --repo /backup/repo

# Backup
restic backup ~/

# List snapshots
restic snapshots

Duplicity

Install Duplicity:

# Install Duplicity
sudo pacman -S duplicity

# Backup
duplicity ~/ file:///backup/home

# Restore
duplicity restore file:///backup/home ~/restore

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Summary

This guide covered:

1. Backup strategies - Planning backups
2. File backups - rsync, tar
3. System backups - Clonezilla, dd
4. Automated backups - Cron, systemd
5. Restore - Restore procedures
6. Tools - Borg, Restic, Duplicity

Key Takeaways:

• Backup regularly
• Test restores
• Use automation
• Store backups off-site
• Document procedures

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Next Steps

• Arch Linux System Configuration - System setup
• Arch Linux Filesystem Management - Filesystems
• ArchWiki Backup: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Backup_programs

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This guide is based on the ArchWiki. For the most up-to-date information, always refer to the official ArchWiki.