BackupPC: Centralized Network Backups Without the Noise

Some backup systems want to be everything — cloud-ready, mobile-friendly, built into dashboards with AI suggestions. BackupPC is not one of them. It’s a straightforward, server-side backup solution that quietly pulls in data from Linux, Windows, and macOS machines over the network, deduplicates it smartly, and stores it locally — usually for years.

It doesn’t need agents. It barely needs your attention once configured. And it works surprisingly well at scale.

What It Does (And Why It’s Still Relevant)

At its core, BackupPC is a centralized backup server. It connects to client machines using rsync, SMB, or tar over SSH, pulls files, and stores them in a deduplicated pool.

Even if you’re backing up 20 machines that all have /usr/bin/, it stores those files once, then links them. That saves serious space — especially in offices or labs with lots of similar systems.

It also offers:

– Web-based UI (basic but functional)

– Automatic scheduling

– Email alerts

– Compression and pooling

– Incremental backups that behave like fulls

Why It’s Useful

– Great for internal networks — schools, labs, small businesses

– Can pull data from Windows shares with no agents

– Doesn’t rely on cloud storage or third-party services

– Easy to script, monitor, and audit

– Built for longevity — it can run for years untouched

It’s not pretty, and it won’t hold your hand. But if the goal is “keep daily backups from 15+ machines, and don’t fill the drive,” it gets the job done.

Example Scenario

Let’s say you’ve got five Linux workstations and three Windows desktops. On the server (running Ubuntu, say), BackupPC uses SSH and rsync to back up the Linux boxes, and connects to the Windows systems via their shared folders (SMB).

Backups run overnight. Users don’t notice. If someone loses a file — the admin opens the web UI, picks a snapshot, clicks “restore,” and it’s back on the user’s desktop within minutes.

No client software needed. No helpdesk ticket delay.

Installation (on Debian/Ubuntu)

sudo apt update
sudo apt install backuppc

After install:
– Web UI is usually available at http://localhost/backuppc
– Configure hosts via /etc/backuppc/hosts
– Adjust global settings in /etc/backuppc/config.pl
– Start backups, monitor, done

Things to Keep in Mind

– The UI looks like it’s from 2005 — because it mostly is

– Permissions can be tricky, especially with Windows shares

– First backup is slow — but after that, it’s all incrementals

– Not great for laptops that leave the network often

– Requires some Linux comfort to set up and troubleshoot

But once it’s running? It just keeps going.