Backup

Docker Volume Management: Backups, Migration, and Best Practices You’ve got a dozen containers running — Nextcloud, Jellyfin, Paperless-ngx, databases. Each one stores data in Docker volumes. But can you actually back them up? Migrate them to a new server? Clean up the dead weight? If you already understand the difference between volumes and bind mounts, this guide picks up where that leaves off. We’re covering the operational side: how to protect, move, and maintain your Docker volumes in production. ...

Self-Hosting Duplicati: Encrypted Cloud Backup with Docker You have a self-hosted stack running. Databases, configuration files, media libraries, personal documents — all living on your server. Now ask yourself: if that drive died right now, what would you lose? Duplicati is a free, open-source backup client that encrypts your data before sending it to cloud storage. It supports over 30 storage backends — S3, Backblaze B2, Google Drive, OneDrive, SFTP, WebDAV, and more — with AES-256 encryption, deduplication, and incremental backups. Everything runs through a clean web UI, so you schedule it once and forget about it. ...

Self-Hosting Ente: End-to-End Encrypted Google Photos Alternative Google Photos is convenient. It’s also a privacy nightmare — your photos are scanned, analyzed, and stored on servers you don’t control. If you’ve been looking for a self-hosted alternative that doesn’t sacrifice the features that make cloud photo management actually useful, Ente deserves serious consideration. Ente is a fully open-source, end-to-end encrypted photo storage platform. Every photo is encrypted on your device before it ever touches your server. Not even you (as the server admin) can see the contents of uploaded photos without the user’s encryption keys. It’s been audited by Cure53, one of the most respected cybersecurity firms in the world, along with Symbolic Software for cryptography and Fallible for penetration testing. ...

Dropbox gives you 2GB free, charges $12/month for 2TB, and scans every file you upload. Google Drive is no different — your documents train their AI models and feed their ad network. If you want file sync without the surveillance tax, Syncthing is the answer. Syncthing is a free, open-source, peer-to-peer file synchronization tool. It syncs files directly between your devices with no cloud server in the middle. No accounts, no storage limits, no monthly fees. Your files never touch a third-party server. ...

compose-backup: One-Command Backup for Docker Compose Stacks If you’re running multiple Docker Compose services — Nextcloud, Traefik, Gitea, Home Assistant, whatever — you probably have a patchwork of backup scripts. Or worse, no backups at all. compose-backup fixes that. One command, and every Compose project on your server gets backed up: configs, .env files, override files, and Docker volumes — all compressed into a clean .tar.gz archive you can actually restore from. ...

The Complete Docker Compose Backup Strategy for Self-Hosters You’ve got a dozen Docker Compose stacks humming along — Nextcloud for files, Vaultwarden for passwords, Gitea for code, maybe Immich for photos. Everything works great. Until it doesn’t. A corrupted disk, a bad update, an accidental docker volume rm — and suddenly you’re staring at data loss. If you don’t have a backup strategy, it’s only a matter of time. This guide walks through everything you need to back up your Docker Compose infrastructure properly. ...

You’re running a home server with important data — photos, documents, databases, configurations. What happens when a drive dies? When you accidentally rm -rf the wrong directory? When ransomware hits? Restic + Rclone is the gold standard backup combo for self-hosters. Restic creates fast, encrypted, deduplicated snapshots. Rclone syncs them to any cloud provider. Together, they give you enterprise-grade backups for free. The 3-2-1 Backup Rule Before we start, understand the rule that prevents data loss: ...