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Linux and systemd

This page covers MineBackup 1.16.2, a separate product. Use the commands, configuration and backup modes documented here. FolderRewind users should start with the current guide.

This page puts a verified CLI Profile into a Linux production chain:

Install .deb
↓
Prepare Profile
↓
Prepare Manifest
↓
doctor
↓
Manual job run
↓
Configure env
↓
Enable serve
↓
Enable timer
↓
Check status
↓
Check journal

Complete the five-minute quick start first and confirm Backup, History, Verify, and Restore dry-run before handing the workflow to systemd.

1. Install the CLI​

Download minebackup-cli_<version>_amd64.deb or the portable MineBackup-CLI-<version>-linux-x64.tar.gz from MineBackup Releases. For a .deb:

sudo apt install ./minebackup-cli_<version>_amd64.deb
minebackup-cli --version

For a portable package, place its directory at a stable location and use the real CLI path in the systemd environment. Do not rely on a temporary interactive-shell PATH for a service.

2. Prepare the Profile, save root, and backup root​

Example variables:

PROFILE=/var/lib/minebackup/server
SAVE_ROOT=/srv/minecraft
BACKUP_ROOT=/var/backups/minecraft
JOB_ID=22222222-2222-4222-8222-222222222222

The Unix user running MineBackup (the official templates default to minecraft) must:

  • read saveRoot;
  • write backupRoot;
  • read and write the Profile;
  • be the same account used by serve and one-shot CLI commands.

Do not open the same Profile in the GUI as another user. Permission problems commonly appear first in doctor or as target_not_found; do not run one command as root and leave ownership inconsistent.

3. Prepare and validate the Manifest​

Generate or edit server.json as described in Profiles and Manifests. Ensure that saveRoot is the parent of the worlds, backupRoot is the archive root, and each worlds[].path is relative. Then run the complete sequence:

minebackup-cli --json profile validate --file /etc/minebackup/server.json
minebackup-cli --data-dir "$PROFILE" --json \
  profile diff --file /etc/minebackup/server.json
minebackup-cli --data-dir "$PROFILE" --json \
  profile apply --file /etc/minebackup/server.json --dry-run
minebackup-cli --data-dir "$PROFILE" --json \
  profile apply --file /etc/minebackup/server.json
minebackup-cli --data-dir "$PROFILE" --json --no-network doctor

Then inspect the Config, World, and Job:

minebackup-cli --data-dir "$PROFILE" --json config list
minebackup-cli --data-dir "$PROFILE" --json world list --config <ConfigId>
minebackup-cli --data-dir "$PROFILE" --json job list

4. Run one Job manually​

Do not enable the timer first. Run the same command that the repository template will call:

minebackup-cli --data-dir "$PROFILE" --json \
  job run --job "$JOB_ID"

Check the exit code, Job/Stage/Step envelope, History, and Verify. If the manual run fails, fix the CLI/Profile first instead of letting the timer repeat the same error.

5. Configure the official .env​

The .env file contains instance paths and a Job ID; it does not replace the Manifest and should not contain passwords. Use the example.env supplied by the package, normally installed at:

/usr/share/doc/minebackup-cli/examples/systemd.env

Copy it for the instance and edit it:

sudo install -d -m 0750 /etc/minebackup
sudo cp /usr/share/doc/minebackup-cli/examples/systemd.env \
  /etc/minebackup/server.env
sudoedit /etc/minebackup/server.env

Confirm at least these variables:

MINEBACKUP_DATA_DIR=/var/lib/minebackup/server
MINEBACKUP_SAVE_ROOT=/srv/minecraft
MINEBACKUP_BACKUP_ROOT=/var/backups/minecraft
MINEBACKUP_JOB_ID=22222222-2222-4222-8222-222222222222

6. Use the repository-provided unit files​

Do not invent new unit files. The official package provides these templates:

minebackup-serve@.service
minebackup-backup@.service
minebackup-backup@.timer

Their responsibilities are:

  • .service: runs minebackup-cli ... serve as the long-running Profile runtime;
  • minebackup-backup@.service: runs the one-shot job run --job ... operation;
  • .timer: decides when to trigger the backup service; Persistent=true can catch up a missed schedule.

The templates default to the minecraft user and group, a restrictive umask, and constrained system permissions. If your server account differs, adjust User/Group according to your package operations policy, then make sure Serve and Job use the same account and can access all four paths.

7. Enable Serve, then enable the timer​

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now minebackup-serve@server.service
sudo systemctl enable --now minebackup-backup@server.timer

Confirm the long-running runtime first:

systemctl status minebackup-serve@server.service
minebackup-cli --data-dir "$PROFILE" --json serve status

Then inspect the timer and the latest Job:

systemctl list-timers 'minebackup-backup@*'
systemctl status minebackup-backup@server.service
journalctl -u minebackup-backup@server.service

The timer’s ordinary job run command forwards through local IPC to Serve; no second command model is needed, and the timer must not start the GUI.

Layered diagnosis when no backup appears​

Check in this order:

scheduler
→ systemctl status / list-timers
→ journalctl
→ CLI envelope / exit code
→ Job / Config / World
→ archive and backupRoot

Common boundaries:

  • Serve is not running: inspect serve status and minebackup-serve@server.service.
  • Job failed: run the same job run manually and inspect Job/Stage/Step diagnostics.
  • World is missing: run config list, world list, and doctor; do not guess the path.
  • 7-Zip is unavailable: follow the tool_unavailable diagnosis from doctor.
  • Permission denied: check the Unix account used by the unit, not only the SSH account.

Continue with Commands, JSON, and exit codes and CLI troubleshooting.