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Kopia as encrypted backup provider?

Anyone have takes? Things I want:
- Encrypted backups, on my external hard drive + backblaze b2 (seems like it checks this box)
- Basically a reliable operation that's going to continue to exist, fix bugs, etc.
- Works nicely when people try to restore from backups.

Their website

in reply to Daniel Filan

Ben Weinstein-Raun
Ben Weinstein-Raun
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hadn't heard of it; I think I've seen restic recommended in the DataHoarders subreddit for ~the same purpose, though I haven't used that either. After comparing for ~10m, it looks like the main reasons people use Kopia over Restic are:

  • GUI
  • Maybe better Windows support

while restic is a bit older, and has a bit more github activity, and it was a bit easier to find a design document that explains its encryption (restic.readthedocs.io/en/v0.4.…). I think personally after these 10m, I'd lean toward restic over kopia, but pretty weakly :shrug:

in reply to Ben Weinstein-Raun

Ben Weinstein-Raun
Ben Weinstein-Raun
•
kopia's web site does include an explanation of their encryption scheme here, so it's not like they're hiding it or anything: kopia.io/docs/advanced/encrypt… I'm not a cryptographer, but both seem naively reasonable.
in reply to Daniel Filan

Kevin Gibbons
Kevin Gibbons
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I've been using restic (with B2) for ~6 years with no hiccups, including restoring in anger once (i.e. my local drives died). Kopia is newer and less popular; I don't see much reason to use it over restic unless there's some specific feature you want, though I also don't know of any particular reason not to use it.

(Restic's crypto has been informally reviewed by a cryptographer, who concluded he'd use it for his own backups; no idea what the state of Kopia's crypto is.)

in reply to Daniel Filan

Daniel Filan
Daniel Filan
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I did not on purpose do the thing where you confidently say a wrong answer to get people to tell you the right answer but I'm glad that effect seems to have worked in my favour.
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