rdiff-backup

What is rdiff-backup?

rdiff-backup is a comprehensive backup tool that allows users to create reverse differential backups of directories, either over a network or locally. The application works by backing up one directory to another, resulting in the target directory becoming an exact copy of the source directory. However, rdiff-backup also stores "reverse diffs" in a special subdirectory of the target directory, enabling the recovery of files that were lost or deleted at some point in the past

Highlights

• Supports reverse differential backups, allowing for recovery of previously deleted or lost files
• Preserves file metadata, including subdirectories, hard links, device files, permissions, ownership, modification times, Access Control Lists (ACLs), Extended Attributes (EAs), and resource forks
• Operates in a bandwidth-efficient manner, utilizing a pipe-like approach similar to rsync, making it suitable for remote backups over secure connections like SSH
• Capable of backing up directories both locally and over a network