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I use Linux for both desktop and server. My preference for a server OS is one without a GUI, which means I have to turn to a lot of command-line tools. In some cases, I prefer to use the same command-line tools for both desktop and server, because it simplifies everything. After all, I don't want to have to learn two different tools for the same job. On top of that, the command-line tools I've included in this list are very powerful and flexible enough to meet all of my needs.
With a command-line backup tool, I can enjoy automated backups using either built-in features or cron, which makes them even more flexible. Plus, command-line tools tend to use fewer resources than their GUI counterparts.
Also: 8 things you can do with Linux that you can't do with MacOS or Windows
With that said, what are the best command-line backup tools available to Linux?
Here are five of them for your consideration.
1. Rsync
The rsync command-line backup tool is the easiest to use on the list and can be used to back up locally (to external-attached drives) or remotely. Rsync is also one of the more popular backup tools for Linux users. This backup tool includes features like incremental backups, whole directory tree and file system updates, file permission, links, and ownership preservation, and can be automated with the help of bash scripts and cron. Of course, rsync doesn't have to be set up for automatic backups, as you can run it manually whenever you need.
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The best quality about rsync is that it's really easy to use (as long as you're okay with the Command Line Interface). Not only that, but it's also fast and can even work over SSH, so it's more secure. Rsync comes preinstalled on most Linux distributions, so you can start using it right out of the gate.
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