#+date: [2026-04-22 Wed 09:59:21]
#+title: Automating Backups with Zerobyte & Cloudflare R2
#+description: Learn how to self-host Zerobyte and automate your backups!
#+slug: self-hosting-zerobyte
#+filetags: :self-hosting:

[[https://zerobyte.app][Zerobyte]] is a slick backup solution you can self host. It's one of the easiest
apps I've self hosted and the backup jobs are running smoothly.

In this post, I will show you how I've configured backups on my server to back up
data to Cloudflare R2.

* Installation
** Docker

First, let's install the app with Docker Compose. Create a directory for your
=compose.yml= file in a location you'll remember.

#+begin_src bash
mkdir ~/zerobyte
cd ~/zerobyte
nano compose.yml
#+end_src

Next, paste the following content into the =compose.yml= file. You may want to
customize the =ports=, =environment=, and =volumes= sections.

#+begin_src yaml
services:
  zerobyte:
    image: ghcr.io/nicotsx/zerobyte:v0.30
    container_name: zerobyte
    restart: unless-stopped
    cap_add:
      - SYS_ADMIN
    ports:
      - "4096:4096"
    devices:
      - /dev/fuse:/dev/fuse
    environment:
      - TZ=America/Chicago
      - BASE_URL=https://zb.example.com
      - APP_SECRET=...
    volumes:
      - /etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro
      - /var/lib/zerobyte:/var/lib/zerobyte
      - /path/to/backup:/path/to/backup
#+end_src

When you're done editing, launch the container.

#+begin_src bash
sudo docker compose up -d
#+end_src

At this point, you can access the app via [[http://localhost:4096]].

** Nginx

If you want to be able to access the app remotely, you'll need to utilize
something like a reverse proxy or tunneling software.

This example uses Nginx as a reverse proxy. To start, edit a configuration file
in Nginx:

#+begin_src bash
cd /etc/nginx/conf.d
nano zb.conf
#+end_src

#+begin_src conf
server {
    listen 80;
    server_name zb.example.com;
    location / { proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:4096; }
}
#+end_src

Once you've created the file, test your Nginx configuration and restart the web
server.

#+begin_src bash
sudo nginx -t && sudo systemctl restart nginx.service
#+end_src

If your version of Nginx uses the =sites-available= structure instead, do this:

#+begin_src bash
cd /etc/nginx/sites-available
nano zb
# Edit the file
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/zb /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/zb
#+end_src

You may also need to provision a TLS/SSL certificate and add a =443= block to your
Nginx configuration above, if you wish to connect securely.

* Configuration

At this point, you will be able to access the app. Upon first login, you will
need to create an administrator account.

I won't be diving fully into the setup process. I highly suggest reading the
[[https://zerobyte.app/docs][Zerobyte Docs]]. They are very helpful and will walk you through the setup for
your provider.

** Volumes

First, create a volume. This is a file or directory on your server that you wish
to back up. You can see I have two directories connected as volumes.

#+CAPTION: Volumes List
[[https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20260422-self-hosting-zerobyte/volumes_01.webp]]

When you create a volume, you will be able to dictate the name, path, and type.

Remember to add a =volume= in your =compose.yml= file to ensure it's available
within the app!

#+CAPTION: Volume Configuration
[[https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20260422-self-hosting-zerobyte/volumes_02.webp]]

Finally, you can inspect the files within your volume.

#+CAPTION: Volume Files
[[https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20260422-self-hosting-zerobyte/volumes_03.webp]]

** Repositories

The next step is to connect to a remote repository. This example uses Cloudflare
R2 buckets.

#+CAPTION: Repositories List
[[https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20260422-self-hosting-zerobyte/repositories_01.webp]]

Within this configuration page, you can see the =Configuration= section in the
bottom-right detailing the connection information.

#+CAPTION: Repository Configuration
[[https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20260422-self-hosting-zerobyte/repositories_02.webp]]

When each backup runs, it produces a snapshot that you can view and explore.

#+CAPTION: Repository Snapshots
[[https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20260422-self-hosting-zerobyte/repositories_03.webp]]

Within a snapshot, you can review information about the backup job that ran and
produced the snapshot, as well as the files at that point in time.

#+CAPTION: Snapshot Details
[[https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20260422-self-hosting-zerobyte/repositories_04.webp]]

** Backups

You can create any backup jobs (daily, weekly, monthly, specific days, or with a
cron pattern). This allows you to specify:
- The volume to be backed up
- The repository to back up to
- The schedule
- The files to back up (all will be backed up if nothing is specifically selected)
- Include/exclude patterns
- Retention policies
- Custom restic patterns

#+CAPTION: Backup Jobs
[[https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20260422-self-hosting-zerobyte/backups_01.webp]]

Within a backup job, you can configure the related notifications, snapshots, or
back up, edit, or clean up the job.

#+CAPTION: Backup Job Details
[[https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20260422-self-hosting-zerobyte/backups_02.webp]]

** Notifications

Lastly, you can enable various notification channels to receive alerts when jobs
start, fail, complete, etc.

I have used an SMTP email provider to send myself emails upon these points.

#+CAPTION: Notification Settings
[[https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20260422-self-hosting-zerobyte/notifications.webp]]