How to Set Up a Backup Server Using Bacula on Debian 12 Bookworm

Data loss can be catastrophic — whether caused by hardware failure, accidental deletion, or malicious activity. For system administrators and power users managing critical data, having a reliable backup system is not optional. One of the most flexible and powerful open-source backup solutions is Bacula.

In this tutorial, we’ll walk through how to set up a backup server using Bacula on a Debian 12 (Bookworm) system. We’ll cover the installation of the necessary packages, configuration of the Director, Storage Daemon, and File Daemon, and finish with a working backup and restore setup.

What is Bacula?

Bacula is a set of programs that allow you to manage backup, recovery, and verification of data across a network. It is scalable, supports various storage types (disks, tapes, cloud), and separates roles into different daemons for better modular control:

• Director (Dir): The central component managing all backups.
• Storage Daemon (SD): Handles the storage and retrieval of backup data.
• File Daemon (FD): Installed on clients to be backed up; handles reading and restoring files.
• Catalog: Stores metadata about backups, typically using MySQL or PostgreSQL.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, ensure you have the following:

• A Debian 12 Bookworm server with root or sudo access.
• A static IP address configured (especially for remote client/server setups).
• Internet access to download packages.
• At least 2 GB of RAM and 10+ GB of disk space for testing (more for production).

Step 1: Update the System

Start by updating the system packages to the latest versions:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Install essential tools:

sudo apt install -y vim wget curl net-tools

Step 2: Install the Bacula Packages

Debian 12 provides Bacula through the official repositories. For a full backup server, install the following:

sudo apt install -y bacula-director bacula-sd bacula-fd bacula-common-mysql mariadb-server

This installs:

• The Director to manage jobs.
• The Storage Daemon to store backups.
• The File Daemon to be backed up (this can be remote in multi-host setups).
• MariaDB, which we’ll use for the catalog database.

Step 3: Configure the Bacula Catalog Database

Start and secure MariaDB:

sudo systemctl enable mariadb
sudo systemctl start mariadb
sudo mysql_secure_installation

Create a database and user for Bacula:

sudo mysql -u root -p

CREATE DATABASE bacula;
CREATE USER 'bacula'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'StrongPasswordHere';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON bacula.* TO 'bacula'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Next, populate the database with Bacula’s schema:

cd /usr/lib/bacula
sudo ./create_bacula_database
sudo ./make_bacula_tables
sudo ./grant_bacula_privileges

Step 4: Configure the Bacula Director

The Bacula Director configuration is located at:

/etc/bacula/bacula-dir.conf

Make sure the Catalog section uses the database details:

Catalog {
  Name = MyCatalog
  dbname = "bacula"; dbuser = "bacula"; dbpassword = "StrongPasswordHere"
}

Define a basic backup job. You can use the default Client and JobDefs, but here’s a simple custom example:

Job {
  Name = "BackupLocalhost"
  JobDefs = "DefaultJob"
  Write Bootstrap = "/var/lib/bacula/BackupLocalhost.bsr"
}

Ensure the FileSet includes relevant directories:

FileSet {
  Name = "Full Set"
  Include {
    Options {
      signature = MD5
    }
    File = /etc
    File = /home
    File = /var/log
  }
}

Also, check the Director section in bacula-fd.conf (File Daemon config) and bacula-sd.conf (Storage Daemon config) matches the Director’s name and password.

Step 5: Configure the Storage Daemon

File: /etc/bacula/bacula-sd.conf

Ensure the storage is defined properly. Look for the Device section:

Device {
  Name = FileStorage
  Media Type = File
  Archive Device = /var/backups
  LabelMedia = yes;
  Random Access = yes;
  AutomaticMount = yes;
  RemovableMedia = no;
  AlwaysOpen = yes;
}

Create the backup directory and give ownership to the Bacula user:

sudo mkdir /var/backups
sudo chown bacula:bacula /var/backups

Step 6: Configure the File Daemon

File: /etc/bacula/bacula-fd.conf

Make sure the Director section matches what’s defined in the Director configuration file:

Director {
  Name = bacula-dir
  Password = "secret-password-from-dir"
}

Step 7: Start and Enable Bacula Services

Enable and start all Bacula services:

sudo systemctl enable bacula-director
sudo systemctl enable bacula-sd
sudo systemctl enable bacula-fd

sudo systemctl start bacula-director
sudo systemctl start bacula-sd
sudo systemctl start bacula-fd

Check status:

sudo systemctl status bacula-director

Step 8: Using bconsole

bconsole is the command-line console for Bacula.

Launch it:

sudo bconsole

Inside bconsole, try listing clients:

*status director
*status client
*status storage

To run a manual backup job:

*run

Follow the prompts to choose the Job and other options.

To monitor job progress:

*status dir

Step 9: Test a Restore

Once a backup has completed, test the restoration process:

*restore

This launches a wizard-style interface:

• Choose the backup to restore from.
• Select the files or directories.
• Specify the restore location (default is /tmp/bacula-restores).

Make sure the restore works as expected.

Step 10: Automate Backup Jobs

Jobs in Bacula can be scheduled using the Schedule resource.

Example:

Schedule {
  Name = "WeeklyCycle"
  Run = Full 1st sun at 01:00
  Run = Incremental mon-sat at 01:00
}

Apply it to your JobDefs:

JobDefs {
  Name = "DefaultJob"
  Type = Backup
  Level = Incremental
  FileSet = "Full Set"
  Schedule = "WeeklyCycle"
  Storage = File
  Messages = Standard
  Pool = Default
  Priority = 10
}

Step 11: Firewall Configuration (Optional)

If your Bacula services are communicating over a network (especially between client and server), allow the appropriate ports:

• Director to File Daemon: TCP 9102
• Director to Storage Daemon: TCP 9103
• bconsole to Director: TCP 9101

sudo ufw allow 9101/tcp
sudo ufw allow 9102/tcp
sudo ufw allow 9103/tcp

Final Thoughts

Setting up Bacula on Debian 12 Bookworm provides a robust foundation for managing data backups in a secure, centralized, and scalable manner. While it might seem complex at first, Bacula’s separation of roles gives you flexibility and control that many GUI-based backup tools lack.

You can expand this setup to include multiple clients, remote storage options, email notifications, and even cloud integration. If you’re managing critical infrastructure or sensitive data, a Bacula-based solution ensures you’re never caught without a safety net.

Useful Commands Recap

sudo systemctl status bacula-director
sudo systemctl status bacula-sd
sudo systemctl status bacula-fd

sudo bconsole
*status director
*run
*restore

References

• Official Bacula Documentation
• Debian Wiki: Bacula
• Man pages: man bacula-dir, man bacula-sd, man bacula-fd