backintime-config - Man Page

BackInTime configuration files.

Synopsis

~/.config/backintime/config /etc/backintime/config

Back In Time was developed as pure GUI program and so most functions are only usable with backintime-qt. But it is possible to use Back In Time e.g. on a headless server. You have to create the configuration file (~/.config/backintime/config) manually. Look inside /usr/share/doc/backintime-common/examples/ for examples.

The configuration file has the following format:
keyword=arguments

Arguments don't need to be quoted. All characters are allowed except '='.

Run 'backintime check-config' to verify the configfile, create the snapshot folder and crontab entries.

Possible Keywords

config.version

Type: int Allowed Values: 0-99999

Default: 6

global.hash_collision

Type: int Allowed Values: 0-99999
Internal value used to prevent hash collisions on mountpoints. Do not change this.

Default: 0

global.language

Type: str Allowed Values: text
Language code (ISO 639) used to translate the user interface. If empty the operating systems current local is used. If 'en' the translation is not active and the original English source strings are used. It is the same if the value is unknown.

Default: ''

global.use_flock

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
Prevent multiple snapshots (from different profiles or users) to be run at the same time

Default: false

profile<N>.name

Type: str Allowed Values: text
Name of this profile.

Default: Main profile

profile<N>.schedule.custom_time

Type: str Allowed Values: comma separated int (8,12,18,23) or */3
Custom hours for cronjob. Only valid for profile<N>.schedule.mode = 19

Default: 8,12,18,23

profile<N>.schedule.day

Type: int Allowed Values: 1-28
Which day of month the cronjob should run? Only valid for profile<N>.schedule.mode >= 40

Default: 1

profile<N>.schedule.mode

Type: int Allowed Values: 0|1|2|4|7|10|12|14|16|18|19|20|25|27|30|40|80
Which schedule used for crontab. The crontab entry will be generated with 'backintime check-config'.
0 = Disabled
1 = at every boot
2 = every 5 minute
4 = every 10 minute
7 = every 30 minute
10 = every hour
12 = every 2 hours
14 = every 4 hours
16 = every 6 hours
18 = every 12 hours
19 = custom defined hours
20 = every day
25 = daily anacron
27 = when drive get connected
30 = every week
40 = every month
80 = every year

Default: 0

profile<N>.schedule.repeatedly.period

Type: int Allowed Values: 0-99999
How many units to wait between new snapshots with anacron? Only valid for profile<N>.schedule.mode = 25|27

Default: 1

profile<N>.schedule.repeatedly.unit

Type: int Allowed Values: 10|20|30|40
Units to wait between new snapshots with anacron.
10 = hours
20 = days
30 = weeks
40 = months
Only valid for profile<N>.schedule.mode = 25|27

Default: 20

profile<N>.schedule.time

Type: int Allowed Values: 0-2400
Position-coded number with the format "hhmm" to specify the hour and minute the cronjob should start (eg. 2015 means a quarter past 8pm). Leading zeros can be omitted (eg. 30 = 0030). Only valid for profile<N>.schedule.mode = 20 (daily), 30 (weekly), 40 (monthly) and 80 (yearly)

Default: 0

profile<N>.schedule.weekday

Type: int Allowed Values: 1 = monday - 7 = sunday
Which day of week the cronjob should run? Only valid for profile<N>.schedule.mode = 30

Default: 7

profile<N>.snapshots.backup_on_restore.enabled

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
Rename existing files before restore into FILE.backup.YYYYMMDD

Default: true

profile<N>.snapshots.bwlimit.enabled

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
Limit rsync bandwidth usage over network. Use this with mode SSH. For mode Local you should rather use ionice.

Default: false

profile<N>.snapshots.bwlimit.value

Type: int Allowed Values: 0-99999
Bandwidth limit in KB/sec.

Default: 3000

profile<N>.snapshots.continue_on_errors

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
Continue on errors. This will keep incomplete snapshots rather than deleting and start over again.

Default: true

profile<N>.snapshots.copy_links

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
When symlinks are encountered, the item that they point to (the reference) is copied, rather than the symlink.

Default: false

profile<N>.snapshots.copy_unsafe_links

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
This tells rsync to copy the referent of symbolic links that point outside the copied tree. Absolute symlinks are also treated like ordinary files.

Default: false

profile<N>.snapshots.cron.ionice

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
Run cronjobs with 'ionice -c2 -n7'. This will give BackInTime the lowest IO bandwidth priority to not interrupt any other working process.

Default: true

profile<N>.snapshots.cron.nice

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
Run cronjobs with 'nice -n19'. This will give BackInTime the lowest CPU priority to not interrupt any other working process.

Default: true

profile<N>.snapshots.cron.redirect_stderr

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
redirect stderr to /dev/null in cronjobs

Default: False

profile<N>.snapshots.cron.redirect_stdout

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
redirect stdout to /dev/null in cronjobs

Default: true

profile<N>.snapshots.dont_remove_named_snapshots

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
Keep snapshots with names during smart_remove.

Default: true

profile<N>.snapshots.exclude.bysize.enabled

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
Enable exclude files by size.

Default: false

profile<N>.snapshots.exclude.bysize.value

Type: int Allowed Values: 0-99999
Exclude files bigger than value in MiB. With 'Full rsync mode' disabled this will only affect new files because for rsync this is a transfer option, not an exclude option. So big files that has been backed up before will remain in snapshots even if they had changed.

Default: 500

profile<N>.snapshots.exclude..value

Type: str Allowed Values: file, folder or pattern (relative or absolute)
Exclude this file or folder. must be a counter starting with 1

Default: ''

profile<N>.snapshots.exclude.size

Type: int Allowed Values: 0-99999
Quantity of profile<N>.snapshots.exclude. entries.

Default: -1

profile<N>.snapshots.include..type

Type: int Allowed Values: 0|1
Specify if profile<N>.snapshots.include..value is a folder (0) or a file (1).

Default: 0

profile<N>.snapshots.include..value

Type: str Allowed Values: absolute path
Include this file or folder. must be a counter starting with 1

Default: ''

profile<N>.snapshots.include.size

Type: int Allowed Values: 0-99999
Quantity of profile<N>.snapshots.include. entries.

Default: -1

profile<N>.snapshots.keep_only_one_snapshot.enabled

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
NOT YET IMPLEMENTED. Remove all snapshots but one.

Default: false

profile<N>.snapshots.local.nocache

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
Run rsync on local machine with 'nocache'. This will prevent files from being cached in memory.

Default: false

profile<N>.snapshots.local_encfs.path

Type: str Allowed Values: absolute path
Where to save snapshots in mode 'local_encfs'.

Default: ''

profile<N>.snapshots.log_level

Type: int Allowed Values: 1-3
Log level used during takeSnapshot.
1 = Error
2 = Changes
3 = Info

Default: 3

profile<N>.snapshots.min_free_inodes.enabled

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
Remove snapshots until profile<N>.snapshots.min_free_inodes.value free inodes in % is reached.

Default: true

profile<N>.snapshots.min_free_inodes.value

Type: int Allowed Values: 1-15
Keep at least value % free inodes.

Default: 2

profile<N>.snapshots.min_free_space.enabled

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
Remove snapshots until profile<N>.snapshots.min_free_space.value free space is reached.

Default: true

profile<N>.snapshots.min_free_space.unit

Type: int Allowed Values: 10|20
10 = MB
20 = GB

Default: 20

profile<N>.snapshots.min_free_space.value

Type: int Allowed Values: 1-99999
Keep at least value + unit free space.

Default: 1

profile<N>.snapshots.mode

Type: str Allowed Values: local|local_encfs|ssh|ssh_encfs
Use mode (or backend) for this snapshot. Look at 'man backintime' section 'Modes'.

Default: local

profile<N>.snapshots.<MODE>.password.save

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
Save password to system keyring (gnome-keyring or kwallet). <MODE> must be the same as profile<N>.snapshots.mode

Default: false

profile<N>.snapshots.<MODE>.password.use_cache

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
Cache password in RAM so it can be read by cronjobs. Security issue: root might be able to read that password, too. <MODE> must be the same as profile<N>.snapshots.mode

Default: true if home is not encrypted

profile<N>.snapshots.no_on_battery

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
Don't take snapshots if the Computer runs on battery.

Default: false

profile<N>.snapshots.notify.enabled

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
Display notifications (errors, warnings) through libnotify.

Default: true

profile<N>.snapshots.path

Type: str Allowed Values: absolute path
Where to save snapshots in mode 'local'. This path must contain a folderstructure like 'backintime/<HOST>/<USER>/<PROFILE_ID>'

Default: ''

profile<N>.snapshots.path.host

Type: str Allowed Values: text
Set Host for snapshot path

Default: local hostname

profile<N>.snapshots.path.profile

Type: str Allowed Values: 1-99999
Set Profile-ID for snapshot path

Default: current Profile-ID

profile<N>.snapshots.path.user

Type: str Allowed Values: text
Set User for snapshot path

Default: local username

profile<N>.snapshots.path.uuid

Type: str Allowed Values: text
Devices uuid used to automatically set up udev rule if the drive is not connected.

Default: ''

profile<N>.snapshots.preserve_acl

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
Preserve ACL. The source and destination systems must have compatible ACL entries for this option to work properly.

Default: false

profile<N>.snapshots.preserve_xattr

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
Preserve extended attributes (xattr).

Default: false

profile<N>.snapshots.remove_old_snapshots.enabled

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
Remove all snapshots older than value + unit

Default: true

profile<N>.snapshots.remove_old_snapshots.unit

Type: int Allowed Values: 20|30|80
20 = days
30 = weeks
80 = years

Default: 80

profile<N>.snapshots.remove_old_snapshots.value

Type: int Allowed Values: 0-99999
Snapshots older than this times units will be removed

Default: 10

profile<N>.snapshots.rsync_options.enabled

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
Past additional options to rsync

Default: false

profile<N>.snapshots.rsync_options.value

Type: str Allowed Values: text
rsync options. Options must be quoted e.g. --exclude-from="/path/to/my exclude file"

Default: ''

profile<N>.snapshots.smart_remove

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
Run smart_remove to clean up old snapshots after a new snapshot was created.

Default: false

profile<N>.snapshots.smart_remove.keep_all

Type: int Allowed Values: 0-99999
Keep all snapshots for X days.

Default: 2

profile<N>.snapshots.smart_remove.keep_one_per_day

Type: int Allowed Values: 0-99999
Keep one snapshot per day for X days.

Default: 7

profile<N>.snapshots.smart_remove.keep_one_per_month

Type: int Allowed Values: 0-99999
Keep one snapshot per month for X month.

Default: 24

profile<N>.snapshots.smart_remove.keep_one_per_week

Type: int Allowed Values: 0-99999
Keep one snapshot per week for X weeks.

Default: 4

profile<N>.snapshots.smart_remove.run_remote_in_background

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
If using mode SSH or SSH-encrypted, run smart_remove in background on remote machine

Default: false

profile<N>.snapshots.ssh.check_commands

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
Check if all commands (used during takeSnapshot) work like expected on the remote host.

Default: true

profile<N>.snapshots.ssh.check_ping

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
Check if the remote host is available before trying to mount.

Default: true

profile<N>.snapshots.ssh.cipher

Default: default

profile<N>.snapshots.ssh.host

Type: str Allowed Values: IP or domain address
Remote host used for mode 'ssh' and 'ssh_encfs'.

Default: ''

profile<N>.snapshots.ssh.ionice

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
Run rsync and other commands on remote host with 'ionice -c2 -n7'

Default: false

profile<N>.snapshots.ssh.max_arg_length

Type: int Allowed Values: 0, >700
Maximum command length of commands run on remote host. This can be tested for all ssh profiles in the configuration with 'python3 /usr/share/backintime/common/sshMaxArg.py [initial_ssh_cmd_length]'.
0 = unlimited

Default: 0

profile<N>.snapshots.ssh.nice

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
Run rsync and other commands on remote host with 'nice -n19'

Default: false

profile<N>.snapshots.ssh.nocache

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
Run rsync on remote host with 'nocache'. This will prevent files from being cached in memory.

Default: false

profile<N>.snapshots.ssh.path

Type: str Allowed Values: absolute or relative path
Snapshot path on remote host. If the path is relative (no leading '/') it will start from remote Users homedir. An empty path will be replaced with './'.

Default: ''

profile<N>.snapshots.ssh.port

Type: int Allowed Values: 0-65535
SSH Port on remote host.

Default: 22

profile<N>.snapshots.ssh.prefix.enabled

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
Add prefix to every command which run through SSH on remote host.

Default: false

profile<N>.snapshots.ssh.prefix.value

Type: str Allowed Values: text
Prefix to run before every command on remote host. Variables need to be escaped with \$FOO. This doesn't touch rsync. So to add a prefix for rsync use profile<N>.snapshots.rsync_options.value with --rsync-path="FOO=bar:\$FOO /usr/bin/rsync"

Default: 'PATH=/opt/bin:/opt/sbin:\$PATH'

profile<N>.snapshots.ssh.private_key_file

Type: str Allowed Values: absolute path to private key file
Private key file used for password-less authentication on remote host.

Default: ~/.ssh/id_dsa

profile<N>.snapshots.ssh.user

Type: str Allowed Values: text
Remote SSH user

Default: local users name

profile<N>.snapshots.take_snapshot_regardless_of_changes

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
Create a new snapshot regardless if there were changes or not.

Default: false

profile<N>.snapshots.use_checksum

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
Use checksum to detect changes rather than size + time.

Default: false

profile<N>.snapshots.user_backup.ionice

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
Run BackInTime with 'ionice -c2 -n7' when taking a manual snapshot. This will give BackInTime the lowest IO bandwidth priority to not interrupt any other working process.

Default: false

profile<N>.user_callback.no_logging

Type: bool Allowed Values: true|false
Do not catch std{out|err} from user-callback script. The script will only write to current TTY. Default is to catch std{out|err} and write it to syslog and TTY again.

Default: false

profiles