How do I backup my data?
All your data is stored locally on your PCS under /DATA/. You can back it up using standard Linux tools.
What to back up
| Directory | Contains |
|---|---|
/DATA/AppData/ | All app configurations and databases |
/DATA/Documents/ | Your documents |
/DATA/Media/ | Music, videos, photos |
/DATA/Gallery/ | Photo gallery (Immich external library) |
/DATA/Downloads/ | Downloaded files |
Backup methods
USB/External drive
The simplest method — plug in a USB drive and copy:
rsync -avh /DATA/ /mnt/usb-backup/
Network backup (rsync to another machine)
rsync -avh /DATA/ user@backup-server:/backups/pcs/
Scheduled automatic backup
Set up a cron job to run backups automatically:
# Daily backup at 2 AM
0 2 * * * rsync -avh --delete /DATA/ /mnt/backup/
Restoring from backup
- Install a fresh PCS
- Stop all running apps
- Copy your backup back to
/DATA/ - Restart apps — they will find their data in place
Important notes
- App data persists through uninstall/reinstall — uninstalling an app gives you the option to keep its data
- Docker images are not stored in
/DATA/— they are re-downloaded on reinstall - Stop database-heavy apps (e.g., Immich, Docmost) before backing up to ensure data consistency