Attic: Solid, No-Nonsense Backups for UNIX and Linux Pros
⚠️ The Attic project has been unmaintained since 2015. Its direct successor is BorgBackup. ⚠️
Let’s say you’ve got critical systems to maintain — the kind you absolutely can’t afford to lose data from. You don’t need flashy dashboards or another cloud “solution” that hides what’s actually going on. What you need is a tool that does one job, does it right, and doesn’t get in your way. That’s where Attic comes in.
This tool is built for folks who want full control over their backups. No surprises. No fluff. Just compressed, encrypted archives that are easy to manage from the command line — with zero third-party dependencies.
So, Why Go With Attic?
Attic answers a pretty straightforward question: how do I back up my stuff safely, without wasting space, and without duplicating everything over and over? Whether you’re managing a personal system or a whole fleet of servers, Attic keeps things tight, secure, and efficient — while still letting you peek under the hood whenever you want.
Key Features — Explained Plainly
| Feature | Why It Actually Matters |
| Encrypted backups | AES-256 keeps your data locked down, even if someone walks off with the storage device. |
| Chunk-based deduplication | It only saves what’s new or different. Identical chunks? Skipped entirely. |
| Compression + Deduplication | Saves a serious amount of disk space by combining both techniques. |
| Snapshot-style archives | Restore files from any point in time — like rewinding history. |
| Command-line first | Fast, scriptable, and ideal for automation. No bloated UI needed. |
| Off-site friendly | Back up over SSH with no server-side software needed on the other end. |
| Mountable via FUSE | Need to browse a backup like a regular folder? You can. |
| Preserves metadata | Keeps all your permissions, timestamps, symlinks — the works. |
How It Works — In a Nutshell
Attic walks through your files, splits the data into chunks, compresses them, encrypts them (if you want), and stores only the pieces it hasn’t already seen. When you run it again, it skips over what hasn’t changed. So, every backup looks like a full snapshot — but under the hood, it’s mostly just the deltas.
It’s clever without being complicated.
Quick Install: Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3-pip libssl-dev
pip3 install attic
Or use the distro package, if available:
sudo apt install attic
Basic Usage
Create an encrypted repo:
attic init –encryption=repokey /mnt/backup/mydata.attic
Run a backup:
attic create /mnt/backup/mydata.attic::2025-06-12-backup /home/user/
List existing archives:
attic list /mnt/backup/mydata.attic
Mount an archive to explore:
attic mount /mnt/backup/mydata.attic::2025-06-12-backup /mnt/restore
Extract files:
attic extract /mnt/backup/mydata.attic::2025-06-12-backup ./important/
When Attic’s the Right Fit
– You want tight encryption but don’t want to mess with cloud keys or third-party lock-ins.
– You need backups that don’t chew up all your storage.
– You prefer working in a terminal, not clicking around in some half-baked UI.
– You like knowing exactly where your data is — and being the one who holds the keys.
Final Thought
Attic isn’t trying to dazzle anyone. It’s designed to be solid, dependable, and boring in the best way possible. If you’re running serious systems and want a backup tool you can trust — one that doesn’t nag, break, or leak — this one’s worth a look.
