FAQ

What does GitBack back up?

GitBack currently backs up:

• GitHub repositories
• GitHub Gists
• Backup state information

Repositories and Gists are stored as standard Git mirrors.

Does GitBack support private repositories?

Yes.

GitBack supports both public and private repositories that are accessible to the configured GitHub account.

The required GitHub token permissions are documented in Installation.

Does GitBack support GitHub Gists?

Yes.

GitBack discovers and synchronizes GitHub Gists alongside repositories.

Gists are stored separately from repository mirrors.

Does GitBack support GitHub Wikis?

Not currently.

Wiki backup support is planned for a future release.

Does GitBack support GitHub Organizations?

GitBack can back up repositories accessible to the configured GitHub account.

Dedicated organization-focused features are planned for future releases.

Why does GitBack use Git mirrors?

Git mirrors contain the complete Git repository, including:

• Branches
• Tags
• References
• Commit history

This allows backups to remain compatible with standard Git tooling.

Can I access backups without GitBack?

Yes.

GitBack uses:

• Standard Git mirrors
• Standard tar archives
• Standard zstd compression
• Standard SHA256 checksums

No GitBack-specific tooling is required to inspect backup data.

Does GitBack require a database?

No.

GitBack stores state as plain files.

There are no database dependencies.

Does GitBack require a daemon or background service?

No.

GitBack runs on demand.

Typical automation uses:

• cron
• systemd timers
• CI/CD pipelines

Can I run GitBack on multiple machines?

Yes.

Each installation maintains its own mirrors, snapshots, and state.

Be careful not to share the same writable data directory between multiple active GitBack instances.

Can I move snapshots to another machine?

Yes.

Snapshots are portable archives.

Verify integrity:

sha256sum -c snapshot.tar.zst.sha256

Extract:

tar --zstd -xf snapshot.tar.zst

What happens if a repository is renamed?

Run:

gitback discover
gitback sync

to refresh inventories and synchronize the latest repository information.

What happens if runtime directories are deleted?

GitBack automatically recreates missing runtime directories when possible.

Examples:

mirrors/
snapshots/
state/
tmp/

Recovery events are logged automatically.

What happens if inventory files are missing?

GitBack reports the issue through warnings and logs.

Run:

gitback discover

to regenerate inventories.

How often should I run discover?

For most users:

Daily

is sufficient.

Discovery updates repository and Gist inventories.

How often should I run sync?

This depends on repository activity.

Common schedules:

Hourly
Daily

How often should I create snapshots?

Most users create snapshots:

Daily

Organizations with stricter recovery requirements may choose more frequent schedules.

What is the difference between sync and snapshot?

Sync

Updates local Git mirrors.

GitHub → mirrors/

Snapshot

Creates a compressed archive from local backup data.

mirrors/ → snapshot.tar.zst

Most users run both.

Why does snapshot fail when repositories are unhealthy?

By default GitBack protects against creating snapshots from known unhealthy backup states.

To continue anyway:

gitback snapshot --force

Review health information before using force mode.

How do I verify a backup?

Verify the checksum:

sha256sum -c snapshot.tar.zst.sha256

Extract the snapshot:

tar --zstd -xf snapshot.tar.zst

Inspect a repository:

git --git-dir mirrors/repositories/FlareXes/gitback.git log --oneline

Is GitBack production ready?

GitBack is actively evolving and focuses on:

• Simplicity
• Transparency
• Reliability
• Recoverability

Users should periodically verify backups and recovery procedures regardless of the backup solution being used.