JFBackupDownload
JFBackup is still in development, so there is nothing to download yet. This page shows what the packages will contain and how they are signed.
Windows
Coming soonSetup (.exe)
- Contains
- the console, the server, the agent and bcctl, plus the Linux agent, so a Windows server can install agents on Linux machines over SSH
- Installs
- per user, without administrator rights; the console's setup assistant then registers the server or the agent as a Windows service, asking for permission (UAC)
- Signed
- Authenticode, the setup and every program in it
Linux
Coming soon.deb package (Debian, Ubuntu)
- Contains
- the console, the server, the agent and bcctl, linked into
/usr/bin, with systemd units for the server and the agent - Installs
- with apt; the console's setup assistant registers the server or the agent as a service (asking through pkexec), the package's own units stay off until you enable them
- Signed
- through a signed apt repository (GPG), which JFLib's packager builds; apt then checks every package's SHA-256
ARM64
PlannedWindows and Linux on ARM
Packages for ARM64 processors, the agent included, are a step of JFLib's plan for ARM. Until then JFBackup runs on 64-bit x86 (Intel and AMD).
After installing
The console's setup assistant does the rest
- Start the consoleOn the first start its setup assistant opens and asks what this computer should do.
- Backup server on this computerChoose a data folder, whether the server is reachable only here or on the network (then with TLS and the names for its certificate), the first administrator and a repository. The assistant registers the service and signs you in.
- Agents on your other machinesOn each one, choose "Have this computer backed up (agent)" and enter the server's address, a pairing code and the CA fingerprint, or let the server install the agent over SSH on Linux.
- The first jobThe job wizard opens right after the setup.
What JFBackup needs
Only what the app's documentation states
| For | You need |
|---|---|
| Console, server, agent | Windows or Linux on 64-bit x86 |
| Virtual machines | a Linux backup server with QEMU/KVM; backups, instant start and boot checks run there |
| Volume backups | administrator rights (VSS) on Windows, root (LVM) on Linux |
| Agents over SSH | Linux computers on x86-64 with OpenSSH and an Ed25519 host key |
| Notifications | an SMTP server (STARTTLS or TLS) or a web hook address |
Updates
Signed by the publisher, checked by your server
The server reads a signed manifest from its update channel, by hand or once a day. The manifest is signed with Ed25519 and names the package for each platform with its SHA-256; the server downloads the one for its platform and checks it. The console shows the new version, and an administrator installs it. The details are in Architecture & security.
Other package formats
What JFLib's packager can make
The packager behind JFBackup makes a setup and a .deb package by default, and these are the formats JFBackup's own packaging uses today. It can also build an MSIX package for Windows and AppImage, RPM and Flatpak for Linux. Whether JFBackup will be offered in any of them is still open.