Rdiffweb is a user-friendly web interface for managing incremental backups created with Rdiff-backup. Using Docker to deploy Rdiffweb is a convenient and efficient way to set up this service quickly. This step-by-step guide will show you how to install and configure Rdiffweb with Docker, even if you are new to the world of incremental backup.

Step 1: Install Docker

If you don't already have Docker installed on your system, start by installing Docker following the instructions specific to your operating system. You can find detailed installation guides on the official Docker website. On most system,  you can install it using the following command:

curl -s https://get.docker.com/ | sh

This command downloads and installs Docker on your system. Make sure to follow any prompts or instructions that appear during the installation process.

Step 2: Download Rdiffweb Docker Image

Once Docker is installed, open your terminal or command prompt and run the following command to download the official Rdiffweb Docker image from the Docker Hub registry:

docker pull ikus060/rdiffweb

This command pulls the latest version of the Rdiffweb Docker image from the Docker Hub repository to your local system.

Step 3: Create a Docker Container for Rdiffweb

Now that you have the Rdiffweb Docker image downloaded, you can create a Docker container using the following command:

docker run -d --name rdiffweb -p 8080:8080 -v /path/to/your/backups:/backups -v /path/to/rdiffweb/config:/etc/rdiffweb ikus060/rdiffweb

• docker run: This command is used to run a Docker container.
• -d: It runs the container in the background (detached mode).
• --name rdiffweb: Assigns the name "rdiffweb" to the Docker container for easy reference.
• -p 8080:8080: Maps port 8080 inside the container to port 8080 on your host machine, allowing you to access Rdiffweb at http://localhost:8080.
• -v /path/to/your/backups:/backups: Mounts the local directory /path/to/your/backups into the container at /data. Replace /path/to/your/backups with the absolute path to the directory where you want to store your backups. This ensures that your backup data is persistent even if the container is removed.
• -v /path/to/rdiffweb/config:/etc/rdiffweb: Mounts the local directory /path/to/rdiffweb/config into the container at /etc/rdiffweb. This location will be used for internal Rdiffweb database.
• ikus060/rdiffweb: Specifies the name of the Docker image to be used for the container.

Your Rdiffweb Docker container is now up and running, allowing you to manage your incremental backups through the web interface.

Step 4: Access Rdiffweb Web Interface

Once the container is running, open your web browser and go to the following address:

http://localhost:8080

This will take you to the Rdiffweb web interface. You can log in with the default credentials (username: admin, password: admin123). Be sure to change this information upon your first login.

If you configured the /path/to/your/backups directory with a location where you already have Rdiff-backup repositories, the web interface should automatically detect and display them. This means you can manage and restore from your existing Rdiff-backup repositories directly through the user-friendly Rdiffweb interface.

From the Rdiffweb web interface, you can configure new backups, monitor the status of ongoing backups, and restore files from both new and existing Rdiff-backup repositories. Explore the interface to customize your backup settings and efficiently manage your data.

Step 5: Advance configuration

Rdiffweb allows you to pass configuration settings to the application using environment variables. These settings must be prefixed with "RDIFFWEB_" as per the documentation. When running the Rdiffweb Docker container, you can pass configuration parameters by setting environment variables. For example, to set the timezone, you can use the RDIFFWEB_BRAND_HEADER_NAME environment variable. Here's how you can run the container with environment variables:

docker run -d --name rdiffweb -p 8080:8080 -v /path/to/your/backups:/backups -v /path/to/rdiffweb/config:/etc/rdiffweb -e RDIFFWEB_BRAND_HEADER_NAME="My Backup Server" ikus060/rdiffweb

In this example, the RDIFFWEB_BRAND_HEADER_NAME environment variable is set to "My Backup Server", which changes the application name displayed in the title.

Step 6: Use Docker Compose for Convenient Deployment

Managing Docker containers and their configurations can become complex as your applications grow. Docker Compose simplifies this process by allowing you to define and manage multi-container applications. It uses a docker-compose.yml file to configure your services, networks, and volumes in one place.

Create a file named docker-compose.yml in your project directory. Add the following configuration for Rdiffweb:

version: "3.5"
services:
  rdiffweb:
    image: ikus060/rdiffweb
    container_name: rdiffweb
    ports:
      - 8080:8080
    volumes:
      - /path/to/rdiffweb/backups:/backups
      - /path/to/rdiffweb/config:/etc/rdiffweb
    restart: "always"
    environment:
      - RDIFFWEB_BRAND_HEADER_NAME=My Backup Server

From the Rdiffweb web interface, you can configure your backups, monitor the status of ongoing backups, and restore files from previous backups.

In this configuration:

• image: Specifies the Rdiffweb Docker image to use.
• ports: Maps port 8080 inside the container to port 8080 on your host machine.
• volumes: Mounts the local directory /path/to/your/backups into the container at /backups.
• environment: Sets environment variables for Rdiffweb.
• restart: Ensures that the container restarts automatically if it stops for any reason.

Once you have your docker-compose.yml file ready, start Rdiffweb using Docker Compose with the following command:

docker-compose up -d

Docker Compose will read the configuration from docker-compose.yml and start the Rdiffweb container along with the specified settings. Now that Rdiffweb is running via Docker Compose, you can access the web interface by opening your web browser and navigating to: http://localhost:8080

Conclusion

There you go, you have now installed and configured Rdiffweb with Docker! Feel free to explore the web interface's features to customize your backups and manage your data with ease.

Don't forget to check the official documentation of Rdiffweb and Docker for more detailed information on configuration and advanced features. Enjoy your experience with Rdiffweb and the user-friendly way it provides to manage your incremental backups!