Skip to main content
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to back up files on Linux using native command-line tools. We’ll cover:
  • Synchronizing directories over the network with rsync
  • Creating full disk or partition images with dd
These simple yet powerful utilities preserve file attributes, transfer only changed data when possible, and let you store backups remotely or locally.

​
Synchronize Directories with rsync

rsync (remote synchronization) is a fast, versatile tool that copies files between local and remote directories while preserving permissions, timestamps, and symbolic links. It only transfers the differences between the source and destination, making repeated backups efficient.
The image illustrates the concept of syncing two directories using "rsync" (remote synchronization) between a remote server and a local server.

​
Basic Syntax

rsync -a [source/] user@remote_host:[destination/]
OptionDescription
-aArchive mode: preserves symbolic links, permissions, timestamps, and recursion
-vVerbose output
-hHuman-readable numbers
-PShow progress and keep partially transferred files
Adding a trailing slash to the source (e.g., ~/pics/) copies contents of the directory. Omitting the slash (e.g., ~/pics) copies the directory itself.

​
Examples

Push local directory to a remote server: 
rsync -a ~/pictures/ [email protected]:/backup/pictures/
Pull a remote directory to your local system: 
rsync -a [email protected]:/backup/pictures/ ~/pictures/
Synchronize two local directories: 
rsync -a /path/to/source/ /path/to/destination/
On subsequent runs, only changed files are transferred, dramatically speeding up your backups.

​
Bit-by-Bit Backups with dd

When you need a complete disk or partition image (for cloning or disaster recovery), use dd. It performs a raw, byte-for-byte copy.
Always unmount the target device before creating or restoring an image with dd to avoid data corruption.

​
Create an Image

sudo dd if=/dev/vda of=diskimage.raw bs=1M status=progress
  • if=/dev/vda Input file (source disk or partition)
  • of=diskimage.raw Output file (raw image)
  • bs=1M Block size of 1 MiB for faster transfers
  • status=progress Show live progress statistics

​
Restore an Image

sudo dd if=diskimage.raw of=/dev/vda bs=1M status=progress
Example output: 
$ sudo dd if=/dev/vda of=diskimage.raw bs=1M status=progress
1340080128 bytes (1.3GB, 1.2GiB) copied, 3s, 432 MB/s

$ sudo dd if=diskimage.raw of=/dev/vda bs=1M status=progress
1340080128 bytes (1.3GB, 1.2GiB) copied, 3s, 432 MB/s

​
References

Watch Video