.\" Automatically generated by Pandoc 3.5
.\"
.TH "bup" "1" "2026\-01\-28" "Bup 0.33.10+"
.SH NAME
bup \- Backup program using rolling checksums and git file formats
.SH SYNOPSIS
bup [global options\&...]
<command> [options\&...]
.SH DESCRIPTION
\f[CR]bup\f[R] is a program for making backups of your files using the
git file format.
.PP
Unlike \f[CR]git\f[R](1) itself, bup is optimized for handling huge data
sets including individual very large files (such a virtual machine
images).
However, once a backup set is created, it can still be accessed using
git tools.
.PP
Subcommands are described in separate man pages.
For example \f[CR]bup\-init\f[R](1) covers \f[CR]bup init\f[R].
.SH GLOBAL OPTIONS
.TP
\-\-version
print bup\[cq]s version number.
Equivalent to \f[CR]bup version\f[R].
.TP
\-d, \-\-bup\-dir=\f[I]BUP_DIR\f[R]
use the given BUP_DIR parameter as the bup repository location, instead
of reading it from the $BUP_DIR environment variable or using the
default \f[CR]\[ti]/.bup\f[R] location.
.SH COMMONLY USED SUBCOMMANDS
.TP
\f[CR]bup\-fsck\f[R](1)
Check backup sets for damage and add redundancy information
.TP
\f[CR]bup\-ftp\f[R](1)
Browse backup sets using an ftp\-like client
.TP
\f[CR]bup\-fuse\f[R](1)
Mount your backup sets as a filesystem
.TP
\f[CR]bup\-help\f[R](1)
Print detailed help for the given command
.TP
\f[CR]bup\-index\f[R](1)
Create or display the index of files to back up
.TP
\f[CR]bup\-on\f[R](1)
Backup a remote machine to the local one
.TP
\f[CR]bup\-restore\f[R](1)
Extract files from a backup set
.TP
\f[CR]bup\-save\f[R](1)
Save files into a backup set (note: run \[lq]bup index\[rq] first)
.TP
\f[CR]bup\-web\f[R](1)
Launch a web server to examine backup sets
.SH RARELY USED SUBCOMMANDS
.TP
\f[CR]bup\-damage\f[R](1)
Deliberately destroy data
.TP
\f[CR]bup\-drecurse\f[R](1)
Recursively list files in your filesystem
.TP
\f[CR]bup\-init\f[R](1)
Initialize a bup repository
.TP
\f[CR]bup\-join\f[R](1)
Retrieve a file backed up using \f[CR]bup\-split\f[R](1)
.TP
\f[CR]bup\-ls\f[R](1)
Browse the files in your backup sets
.TP
\f[CR]bup\-margin\f[R](1)
Determine how close your bup repository is to armageddon
.TP
\f[CR]bup\-memtest\f[R](1)
Test bup memory usage statistics
.TP
\f[CR]bup\-midx\f[R](1)
Index objects to speed up future backups
.TP
\f[CR]bup\-newliner\f[R](1)
Make sure progress messages don\[cq]t overlap with output
.TP
\f[CR]bup\-random\f[R](1)
Generate a stream of random output
.TP
\f[CR]bup\-server\f[R](1)
The server side of the bup client\-server relationship
.TP
\f[CR]bup\-split\f[R](1)
Split a single file into its own backup set
.TP
\f[CR]bup\-tick\f[R](1)
Wait for up to one second.
.TP
\f[CR]bup\-version\f[R](1)
Report the version number of your copy of bup.
.SH ENVIRONMENT
.TP
\f[CR]BUP_ASSUME_GIT_VERSION_IS_FINE\f[R]
If set to \f[CR]true\f[R], \f[CR]yes\f[R], or \f[CR]1\f[R], assume the
version of \f[CR]git\f[R] in the path is acceptable.
.SH SEE ALSO
\f[CR]git\f[R](1) and the \f[I]README\f[R] file from the bup
distribution.
.PP
The home of bup is at \c
.UR http://github.com/bup/bup/
.UE \c
\&.
.SH AUTHORS
Avery Pennarun \c
.MT apenwarr@gmail.com
.ME \c.