The 5 Best Graphical Backup Tools for Ubuntu and Linux Mint

In this guide, we review the best graphical user interface backup tools for Ubuntu and Linux Mint operating systems. These Linux backup tools are also installable and work on Ubuntu flavors such as Lubuntu, Kubuntu, and Xubuntu and other derivatives such as elementary OS, Zorin OS, and more.

1. Déjà Dup

Déjà Dup is an open-source simple yet powerful personal backup tool that makes backup incredibly easy. It uses duplicity (encrypted bandwidth-efficient backup using the rsync algorithm) as the backend. It supports local, off-site (or remote), or cloud backup locations such as Google drive. It securely encrypts data for safe transactions and compresses data for faster transmission.

It also features incremental backups that allow you to restore from any particular backup, schedules regular backups, and integrates well with GNOME desktop environment.

To install Déjà Dup in Ubuntu and Linux Mint, open a terminal window and run the following command:

$ sudo apt install deja-dup 

Alternatively, you can also install it as a snap as follows. This requires you to have snapd package installed on your system.

$ sudo snap install deja-dup --classic 

2. Grsync

Grsync is an open-source simple, great, and easy to use graphical user interface for the popular rsync command-line tool. It currently supports only a limited set of the most important rsync features, however, it can be used effectively to synchronize directories, files, and make backups. It comes with an efficient interface and supports the storage of different sessions (you can create and switch between sessions).

To install Grsync on your system, simply run the following command:

$ sudo apt install grsync

3. Timeshift

Timeshift is an open-source powerful backup and system restore tool for Linux that requires little setup. It is used to create filesystem snapshots in two modes: RSYNC mode where snapshots are taken using rsync+hardlinks on all systems and BTRFS mode where snapshots are taken using the in-built features only on BTRFS systems. By default, user data is excluded in snapshots because the program is designed to protect system files and settings.

Timeshift features scheduled snapshots, multiple backup levels (hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, and boot), and exclude filters. Importantly, snapshots can be restored while the system is running or from Live CD/USB. Besides, it supports cross-distribution restoration and so much.

You can install Timeshift package available in the Launchpad PPA for supported Ubuntu release, by issuing the following commands:

$ sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:teejee2008/timeshift
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install timeshift

4. Back In Time

A simple open-source backup tool for Linux desktops, Back In Time comes with a Qt5 GUI ‘backintime-qt‘ application which will run on both Gnome and KDE based desktop enthronements and a command-line client ‘backintime’.

Backups are stored in plain text (which enables for the restoration of files even without Back in Time) and files ownership, group, and permissions are stored in a separate compressed plain text file fileinfo.bz2.

The Back In Time package is included in Ubuntu repositories, you can install it as shown.

$ sudo apt-get install backintime-qt4

5. UrBackup

Last but not least, we have UrBackup, an open-source fast, easy to set up backup tool. Unlike most of the tools we have looked at before, UrBackup has a client/server architecture. It has configurable (but next to no configuration) clients for Linux, FreeBSD, and Windows operating systems.

It features full and incremental image and file backups, file metadata such as last modified is backed up, image and file backups while the system is running, fast calculation of file tree differences, easy to use file and image restore (via restoring CD/USB stick),

UrBackup also features consistent backups of used files on Windows and Linux, e-mail alerts, if a system isn’t backed up for some configurable period of time, reports about backups can be sent to users or administrators. Also, it comes with a web interface used for managing the client, which shows the status of the clients, ongoing activities and statistics, and modifying/overriding client settings.

The main limitation of UrBackup is that image backups only work with NTFS formatted volumes and with the Windows client.

To install UrBackup, run the following commands to add its PPA and install it:

$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:uroni/urbackup
$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt install urbackup-server

That’s all! The above are the best graphical backup tools for Ubuntu and Linux Mint operating systems. Do you have some thoughts to share? Have your say, via the comment form below.