A native Linux desktop backup client for Proxmox Backup Server (PBS).
BackupPilot wraps the official proxmox-backup-client in a modern GNOME app (GTK4 and Libadwaita) with a background service. You can protect local files and folders, run scheduled backups, monitor job health, and restore from snapshots — without using the command line.
- Website: onesystems.ch
- Source & issues: git.onesystems.ch/backuppilot
- Support: Submit a ticket
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Linux desktop | GNOME or another desktop with GTK4 / Libadwaita |
| Proxmox Backup Server | A reachable PBS instance with a repository you can use |
proxmox-backup-client |
Must be installed on the system (or on the host when using Flatpak) |
Flatpak builds call proxmox-backup-client on the host through a wrapper. See the Flatpak install notes in the repository (packaging/flatpak/) if PBS backups fail inside the sandbox.
- Backup profiles — Multiple independent profiles with source paths, exclusions, and schedules (hourly, daily, weekly, at login, or custom cron)
- Incremental backups — To PBS via
proxmox-backup-client; start manually or let the background service run jobs automatically - Restore — Browse snapshots and restore files or folders to the original path or another location, with overwrite protection
- Encryption & limits — Optional client-side encryption keys and per-profile bandwidth limits
- Smart start conditions — Optional checks for AC power, reachable PBS, or selected network connections before a job starts
- Health monitoring — Warnings when backups are overdue, with configurable thresholds
- History & logs — Run history with status, duration, and error details
- Desktop integration — System tray, quick actions, and notifications (English, German, French, Italian)
Pre-built packages are the easiest way to get started:
| Format | Typical use |
|---|---|
.deb |
Debian, Ubuntu, and derivatives |
.rpm |
Fedora, openSUSE, RHEL-compatible systems |
.flatpak |
Sandboxed install; requires the GNOME Platform runtime from Flathub unless you use an offline bundle |
Download the package that matches your system from the publisher’s website or release archive. After installation, launch BackupPilot from your application menu.
The app installs a user service (backuppilot-daemon) that handles scheduled backups. It should start automatically with your desktop session; you can also enable Start BackupPilot in the background in the app settings.
Latest releases:
https://git.onesystems.ch/backuppilot/-/releases
- Install
proxmox-backup-clientif it is not already on your system (from your distribution or Proxmox repositories). - Open BackupPilot and follow the setup hints on the dashboard.
- Create a backup profile:
- Add the folders or files you want to back up
- Connect to your PBS repository (server, datastore, credentials; optional namespace and backup ID)
- Optionally set encryption, bandwidth limits, and a schedule
- Run a test backup from the profile or dashboard and check the activity log.
- Restore when needed from the restore view: pick a snapshot, browse the archive, and choose where files should go.
Before each scheduled run, BackupPilot can run preflight checks (network and PBS reachability) so jobs do not start when the server is unavailable.
| Item | Location |
|---|---|
| Database | ~/.local/share/backuppilot/backuppilot.db |
| Configuration | ~/.config/backuppilot/ |
Uninstalling the app does not remove these directories automatically; back them up or delete them manually if you no longer need them.
- Use
backuppilot --helpfor command-line options (e.g. opening a specific view). - For crashes or a frozen UI, try:
RUST_BACKTRACE=1 backuppilot --debug - Interface language follows your system locale when a translation is available.
This section is for developers and advanced users who want to compile BackupPilot themselves.
The App/ directory is a Rust workspace with these crates:
| Crate | Binary | Role |
|---|---|---|
backuppilot-core |
— | Models, SQLite, PBS client integration |
backuppilot-daemon |
backuppilot-daemon |
D-Bus background service |
backuppilot-gui |
backuppilot |
GTK4 / Libadwaita user interface |
backuppilot-cli |
backuppilot-cli |
Command-line tools |
- Rust ≥ 1.78 (rustup)
proxmox-backup-clienton the system (for real backup runs)- Development libraries: GTK4, Libadwaita, gettext
Debian / Ubuntu:
sudo apt install build-essential pkg-config \
libgtk-4-dev libadwaita-1-dev gettext libintl-dev \
libnotify-bin python3-pillibnotify-bin provides notify-send for desktop notifications when backups finish.
From the repository root (parent of App/):
./build.sh # interactive menu
./build.sh local 1.0.0 # release build for local testingThis keeps the version in VERSION and App/Cargo.toml in sync and can produce .deb, .rpm, and Flatpak bundles under build/dist/. Run ./build.sh help for all targets.
cd App
cargo build --release
# Background service (separate terminal or session)
./target/release/backuppilot-daemon
# GUI
./target/release/backuppilot
# Verbose diagnostics
RUST_BACKTRACE=1 ./target/release/backuppilot --debugcd App
cargo install --path crates/backuppilot-daemon
cargo install --path crates/backuppilot-gui
mkdir -p ~/.config/systemd/user
cp data/backuppilot-daemon.service ~/.config/systemd/user/
cp data/ch.onesystems.backuppilot.daemon.service ~/.local/share/dbus-1/services/
systemctl --user daemon-reload
systemctl --user enable --now backuppilot-daemon.serviceApp icons are generated from Marketing/Icon-Dark.png:
./scripts/generate-icons.shLanguages are listed in po/LINGUAS (German, English, French, Italian).
./scripts/i18n-update.sh # refresh .pot and .po (optional: .venv-i18n)
./scripts/i18n-compile.sh
LANG=de_DE.UTF-8 ./target/release/backuppilotBackupPilot is licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 or later (AGPL-3.0-or-later).