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Auto-Backup to Koofr (Vault) on Windows Using Rclone

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 22:06:30 GMT

Overview

This guide will walk you through the process of setting up an automatic backup for a folder to Koofr using rclone on a Windows machine. The steps are:

Set up Koofr and rclone
Create a CMD script to sync your local folders with Koofr
Schedule the script using the Windows Task Scheduler

Setting Up Rclone and Koofr

First, install rclone if you haven't already. On recent Windows versions, run the following command in PowerShell:

winget install Rclone.Rclone

For older versions, you can install it via Chocolatey or download the installer directly.

Adding a Regular Koofr Storage

To securely connect to Koofr without sharing your password, generate a new app password in the Koofr Password Portal.

Then, run rclone config to configure a new remote:

Select the option "Koofr, Digi Storage, and other Koofr-compatible storage providers."
Provide your Koofr credentials to complete the setup.

If you run the following command:

rclone tree <remote-name>:/

You should see the file tree of your Koofr storage.

Adding an Encrypted Vault

To set up an encrypted vault, open your vault at Koofr Vault, and access the configuration settings as shown below:

Next, go to Backup the safebox config and copy the provided rclone configuration.

Open the file $env:APPDATA\rclone\rclone.conf in your text editor and paste the configuration there. It should look something like this:

[koofr]
type = koofr
provider = koofr
user = <snip>
password = <snip>

[julian-vault]
type = crypt
remote = koofr:/julian-vault
password = <snip>
password2 = <snip>

Save the file, exit the editor, and run rclone config. You should now see the new remote. Running:

rclone tree <vault-name>:/

will show the contents of your vault.

Creating the Backup Script

Choose a location on your machine to store your script (ideally an empty folder), and create a .bat file.

You can sync a single folder to Koofr or Koofr Vault using the rclone sync command. Here's a sample command:

rclone sync folderPath koofr:/path/to/folder ^
        --log-level INFO ^
        --log-file=C:/path/to/logfile ^
        --exclude "*.o" ^
        --exclude ".git/**" ^
        --exclude "out/**/*.class" ^
        --delete-excluded ^
        --progress

For detailed usage, refer to the rclone documentation.

To sync multiple folders, use the following template:

@echo off
@echo Rclone Backup to Koofr
@echo.

rclone sync "D:\folder-1" koofr:/julian/folder-1 ^
        --log-level INFO ^
        --log-file=C:\koofr-sync\log.txt ^
        --exclude "*.o" ^
        --exclude "*.bin" ^
        --delete-excluded ^
        --progress

for %%x in (folder-2 folder-3) do (
    rclone sync "D:\%%x" koofr:/julian/%%x ^
        --log-level INFO ^
        --log-file=C:\koofr-sync\log.txt ^
        --delete-excluded ^
        --progress
)

for %%x in (vault-folder1 vault-folder2 vault-folder3) do (
    rclone sync "D:\%%x" julian-vault:/%%x ^
        --log-level INFO ^
        --log-file=C:\koofr-sync\log.txt ^
        --delete-excluded ^
        --progress
)

Test the script by running it manually in cmd to ensure it works as expected.

Scheduling the Script

Open the Windows Task Scheduler by running taskschd.msc.
Select Action > Create Basic Task.
Configure the task to run at logon and set the script as the program to be executed.
After creating the task, go back to the Task Scheduler and edit the newly created task.
Fine-tune the task settings to suit your needs, such as:
- Sync only when connected to the power grid
- Sync only when a network connection is available
- Delay activation for a few minutes after login (found under the Trigger tab)

Once set up, the backup will run automatically when you log in, as long as the configured conditions are met. Check the sync log for any new entries.

References

History of Reading: December 2024 - February 2025

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 21:31:30 GMT

This post is directly inspired by Eli Bendersky. Make sure to check out those posts if you are interested in book reviews.

"Metropolis" by Ben Wilson - A book on the history of cities, generally well written. It tends to be more of a loose collection of anecdotes rather than a structured comparison of urban planning across different eras. In my opinion, it is too anecdotal, but it does successfully paint a vivid picture of urban culture in different times and places.
"Nach Grau kommt Himmelblau" by Thomas Reinbacher (German) - A compelling book about a high-flyer who came crashing down. An honest account of how depression can be independent of happiness and should be taken seriously—affecting even the brightest and most successful individuals. A must-read, especially for those who are too busy to read it.
"Utopia for Realists" by Rutger Bregman - I approached this book with skepticism regarding its ideas on basic income, free migration, and a 30-hour workweek. While the book is easy to read, it failed to convince me, as it leans toward a populist style with many claims but few substantial arguments. However, some points, such as the discussion on "bullshit jobs" and the lack of contemporary utopias, were thought-provoking.
"The Power of Positive Thinking" by Norman Vincent Peale - This book delivers a valuable message but is repetitive and framed in traditional Christian language. If one replaces prayer and Bible study with more contemporary notions of mindfulness and meditation, its core ideas may resonate with a broader audience. That said, there may be better books on this topic in 2025.

Welcome to this blog.

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 21:21:30 GMT

On this blog, I will (semi-)regularly post about topics I am interested in and about books I read.

I created this blog for mostly three reasons:

I genuinely enjoy writing. Additionally, writing down a topic for a general audience helps me understand it better.
I image that blog posts are a good way to document things in a proper way.
Some of the things I write may be actually interesting to some of you (or maybe not, who knows).