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Backrest – a web UI and orchestrator for restic backup

Backrest offers a user-friendly web UI and orchestration layer for the powerful restic backup tool, simplifying complex command-line operations into an intuitive interface. It streamlines backup management, scheduling, and restoration across various platforms, including Docker, making advanced data protection accessible to a broader audience. This project appeals to Hacker News's appreciation for robust, self-hostable open-source utilities that enhance productivity and data security.

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#11
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5h
on Front Page
First Seen
Jun 7, 5:00 PM
Last Seen
Jun 7, 9:00 PM
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The Lowdown

Backrest is an open-source project designed to provide a web-accessible graphical user interface and orchestration capabilities for restic, a popular command-line backup program. It aims to abstract away the complexities of restic's CLI, offering an intuitive way to manage, schedule, and restore backups.

  • Web Interface: Provides an easy-to-use web UI accessible locally or remotely, ideal for Network Attached Storage (NAS) deployments.
  • Multi-Platform Support: Works across Linux, macOS, Windows, FreeBSD, and can be easily deployed via Docker.
  • Comprehensive Backup Management: Allows users to import existing restic repositories, schedule automated backups and maintenance tasks (like prune and check), browse snapshots, and restore files. It also includes configurable notifications and pre/post backup command hooks.
  • Extensive Storage Compatibility: Supports all restic storage backends (e.g., S3, B2, Azure, GCS, local, SFTP) and is compatible with rclone remotes for even broader storage options.
  • Lightweight and Secure: Built with Go, it is distributed as a single, lightweight binary with restic as its sole dependency, offering secure user authentication.

By layering an approachable web interface over restic's battle-tested capabilities, Backrest empowers users to effectively manage their backup strategies without deep command-line expertise, making robust data protection more approachable for personal and small-scale server environments.