Problem Description:
Wondering the best backup util on 26.04, for general backups…
Want to backup (what will be..) a headless PC (with ssh + either NoMachine or Rustdesk, as connection), and backing up mainly several docker installs….
Have googled, and find that best to use “Backups/DejaDup”, one of which should be installed as default, but, no, neither installed “as default”?
Since this is a headless machine and your main concern is backing up Docker workloads, I’d choose the backup strategy based on the data rather than the desktop environment.
Déjà Dup is still a perfectly good choice for backing up user files, but it wouldn’t be my first pick for a machine that’s mostly running Docker services. I’d make sure the Docker volumes, bind mounts, Compose files, and any custom configuration are backed up, since those are the parts that are difficult to recreate.
As for Déjà Dup itself, you’re not missing anything. A fresh 26.04 installation doesn’t necessarily include it anymore, even though older Ubuntu releases often did. The package is still available, so you can install it manually whenever you need it.
For a headless system, I’d probably use restic directly (or another CLI backup tool) and schedule it with systemd. That avoids depending on a GUI while giving you a backup process that’s easy to automate over SSH.
I have been using BorgBackup for some time. I like that it has competent deduplication and versions, with plenty of options for tailoring. It’s a CLI program, ideal for a server, although there is a GUI available in Vorta for those who don’t like CLI.