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Learn how to generate a full VPS backup using rclone! This article provides a detailed step-by-step description of how to generate a full VPS backup using rclone. What is rclone? Rclone is a powerful open-source command-line tool for managing files on cloud storage services and local storage. You can think of it as kind of like "rsync" (the popular file-copying tool), but specifically designed to work with cloud providers. At its core, rclone can: Upload, download, sync, and copy files between your local computer, servers, and over 90 cloud storage providers (like Google Drive, Dropbox, S3, OneDrive, Backblaze B2, etc.) Mount cloud storage as a local filesystem Encrypt files before uploading Serve files over HTTP, WebDAV, FTP, or SFTP Schedule backups, sync directories, and even do server-to-server migrations with no local download Some common use cases: Backup your VPS to Google Drive automatically Move large datasets between AWS S3 and Wasabi Mount your Dropbox as a drive on your Linux server Sync an encrypted folder to Backblaze B2 Copy a full remote Google Drive folder to a local NAS SEE ALSO: 3-2-1 Backups Explained Quick example command: rclone sync /local/folder remote:backup-folder Where remote could be your Google Drive or Dropbox account (configured beforehand). Why people love it: Lightweight and fast Highly configurable Supports crypt, compression, bandwidth throttling Free and open source How to Generate a Full VPS Backup Using rclone To generate a full VPS backup using rclone, follow the steps provided below: Install rclone on your VPS First, you need rclone installed. curl https://rclone.org/install.sh | sudo bash Check it's installed: rclone version Set Up Your Remote Storage You need to tell rclone where you want to send the backup (Google Drive, S3, Dropbox, etc.). Start config: rclone config Follow the prompts: New remote → n Name → (something like gdrive_backup) Storage type → pick your cloud provider Authentication → follow the steps (may need browser auth) Check your remote: rclone listremotes You should see something like: gdrive_backup: Decide What to Back Up You can back up: Your entire / (full filesystem), or Just key directories: /etc, /home, /var/www, /opt, etc. ⚠️ Warning: Backing up the entire system including /proc, /sys, /dev and /tmp is a bad idea. Those are virtual or ephemeral filesystems. Better strategy: Create a backup folder that excludes risky stuff. Example exclude list: /etc /home /var/www /opt /root /usr/local Create a Backup Archive (Optional but Recommended) Why? Compresses files faster upload Packs everything easier to restore Use tar to create an archive: sudo tar --exclude/proc --exclude/sys --exclude/dev --exclude/tmp --exclude/mnt --exclude/media --exclude/run -czvf /root/fullbackup.tar.gz / Explained: --exclude skips volatile directories -czvf compress, zip, verbose, file You’ll get /root/fullbackup.tar.gz. Upload Backup to Remote Storage Simple upload: rclone copy /root/fullbackup.tar.gz gdrive_backup:/VPS-Backups/ Or if you're backing up folders directly without tar: rclone sync /etc gdrive_backup:/VPS-Backups/etc rclone sync /home gdrive_backup:/VPS-Backups/home rclone sync /var/www gdrive_backup:/VPS-Backups/www (Optional) Automate with a Cron Job You don’t want to remember this every day. Set up a cronjob. Edit crontab: crontab -e Add a line like: 0 3 * * * /usr/bin/tar --exclude/proc --exclude/sys --exclude/dev --exclude/tmp --exclude/mnt --exclude/media --exclude/run -czf /root/fullbackup.tar.gz / && /usr/bin/rclone copy /root/fullbackup.tar.gz gdrive_backup:/VPS-Backups/ Meaning: Every day at 3:00 AM, it will: Create a fresh tar.gz Upload it (Optional) Add Encryption To make it safer, encrypt backups. Use rclone's crypt backend: During rclone config, create a crypt remote that encrypts gdrive_backup:/VPS-Backups/ so data is encrypted at rest. Then upload to the encrypted remote instead. Quick Summary Step Action 1 Install rclone 2 Configure remote storage 3 Choose what to backup 4 (Optional) Create a tar archive 5 Upload using rclone copy 6 (Optional) Automate with cron 7 (Optional) Encrypt backups Alternate Guide: Generate a Full VPS Backup with rclone - 1 Step Guide To generate a full VPS backup with rclone and store the backup in Google Drive (at "VPS Backups" folder), you can use our convenient 1-step process: Login via SSH as root, run the following commands: wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Rad-Web-Hosting/vps-backup-rclone/refs/heads/main/vps_backup.sh chmod +x vps_backup.sh ./vps_backup.sh That's it! The backup will be generated and sent to your Google Drive folder, titled "VPS Backups". Conclusion You now know how to generate a full VPS backup using rclone.

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