Adding a remote storage backup functionality to Little Backup Box hasn’t been my highest priority for one simple reason: most of us rarely have an internet connection that can handle large data transfers when we are on the move. I tried, though. As some point, I added a simple shell script that made it possible to perform backups to a remote server using rsync, but it was neither elegant nor flexible enough. I also considered using rclone, but it lacks a web interface, so you need an SSH connection to your Raspberry Pi to be able to configure and use the tool.
So I put my thinking cap on, did some research, and decided to go with Syncthing. This open source synchronization tool has several advantages.
- Syncthing is a synchronization tool that you can run on multiple machines.
- The tool doesn’t rely on a commercial and proprietary cloud storage service.
- You can run Syncthing practically on any Linux distribution, including Raspbian.
- Syncthing is configured and controlled via a web UI.
The Little Backup Box installer script now installs the latest version of Syncthing. Although the app is disabled by default, enabling it is rather easy (see the Linux Photography book for furher info.
On a completely unrelated note, when I saw a 1TB SanDisk Extreme SSD on Amazon at a lower than usual price, I simply couldn’t resist. This tiny ruggedized water and dust resistant SSD makes a perfect companion to Little Backup Box, and I’m happy to report that it works like a charm with Raspberry Pi 4.