Backup & Restore

Protect your data with PC2’s backup system.

What Gets Backed Up

A PC2 backup includes:

• User Files — All files in your storage
• Database — Metadata, sessions, settings
• Identity — Node keypair and configuration
• App Data — WASM apps and configurations

Creating a Backup

From the UI

From Command Line

cd pc2-node
 
# Create backup
npm run backup
 
# Backup is saved to data/backups/

Backup Storage

Backups are stored in:

• Local: pc2-node/data/backups/
• Format: .tar.gz compressed archive
• Naming: backup-YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS.tar.gz

Downloading Backups

1. Go to Settings → PC2
2. Find backup in the list
3. Click Download
4. Save to external storage

Restoring from Backup

Web UI Restore

If your node is running:

Fresh Install Restore

For a new node or disaster recovery:

# 1. Start PC2 node
npm start
 
# 2. Access the restore URL directly
open http://localhost:4200/restore
 
# 3. Upload your backup file
# 4. Click Restore

Command Line Restore

cd pc2-node
 
# Restore from specific backup
npm run restore -- --file data/backups/backup-2024-01-15.tar.gz

Backup Best Practices

Frequency

Storage Locations

Keep backups in multiple locations:

1. Local — On the same server (quick restore)
2. External Drive — Physical backup
3. Cloud Storage — Off-site (encrypted)
4. Another PC2 Node — Cross-backup with friend

Encryption

Backups contain sensitive data. If storing off-site:

# Encrypt with GPG
gpg -c backup-2024-01-15.tar.gz
 
# Creates backup-2024-01-15.tar.gz.gpg

Recovery Phrase vs Backup

Automated Backups

Using Cron

# Edit crontab
crontab -e
 
# Add daily backup at 2 AM
0 2 * * * cd /path/to/pc2-node && npm run backup

Retention Policy

Delete old backups to save space:

# Keep only last 7 days
find /path/to/pc2-node/data/backups -mtime +7 -delete

→ Next: Auto Updates