kopi-docka 5.3.1

Robust cold backups for Docker environments using Kopia

Kopi-Docka

Cold Backup Tool for Docker Environments using Kopia

Kopi-Docka is a Python-based backup wrapper for Docker containers and volumes. It uses Kopia for encryption and deduplication, with specific focus on Docker Compose stack awareness.

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What is Kopi-Docka?

Kopi-Docka = Kopia + Docker + Backup

A wrapper around Kopia, designed for Docker environments:

• 📦 Stack-Aware - Recognizes Docker Compose stacks and backs them up as logical units
• 🔐 Encrypted - End-to-end encryption via Kopia (AES-256-GCM)
• 🌐 Multiple Storage Options - Local, S3, B2, Azure, GCS, SFTP, Tailscale, Rclone
• 💾 Disaster Recovery - Encrypted bundles with auto-reconnect scripts
• 🔧 Pre/Post Hooks - Custom scripts (maintenance mode, notifications, etc.)
• 📊 Systemd Integration - Daemon with sd_notify and watchdog support
• 🚀 Restore on New Hardware - Recovery without original system

See detailed features →

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Quick Start

Installation

# Recommended: pipx (isolated environment)
pipx install kopi-docka

# Or: pip (system-wide)
pip install kopi-docka

Full installation guide →

Setup

# Interactive setup wizard
sudo kopi-docka setup

The wizard guides you through:

1. ✅ Dependency check (Kopia, Docker)
2. ✅ Repository storage selection (Local, S3, B2, Azure, GCS, SFTP, Tailscale, Rclone)
3. ✅ Repository initialization
4. ✅ Connection test

Configuration guide →

First Backup

# System health check
sudo kopi-docka doctor

# List backup units (containers/stacks)
sudo kopi-docka advanced snapshot list

# Test run (no changes)
sudo kopi-docka dry-run

# Full backup
sudo kopi-docka backup

# Create disaster recovery bundle
sudo kopi-docka disaster-recovery
# → Store bundle off-site: USB/cloud/safe

Usage guide →

Automatic Backups

# Generate systemd units
sudo kopi-docka advanced service write-units

# Enable daily backups (02:00 default)
sudo systemctl enable --now kopi-docka.timer

# Check status
sudo systemctl status kopi-docka.timer

# Or use the interactive management wizard
sudo kopi-docka advanced service manage

Systemd integration →

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Key Features

1. Compose-Stack-Awareness

Recognizes Docker Compose stacks and backs them up as atomic units with docker-compose.yml included.

Traditional vs. Kopi-Docka:

Traditional:                    Kopi-Docka:
├── wordpress_web_1            Stack: wordpress
├── wordpress_db_1             ├── Containers: web, db, redis
└── wordpress_redis_1          ├── Volumes: wordpress_data, mysql_data
                               ├── docker-compose.yml
❌ Context lost                └── Common backup_id
                               ✅ Complete stack restorable

2. Disaster Recovery Bundles

Encrypted packages containing repository connection data and auto-reconnect scripts:

# Create bundle
sudo kopi-docka disaster-recovery

# In emergency (on new server):
1. Decrypt bundle
2. Run ./recover.sh
3. kopi-docka restore
4. docker compose up -d

Note: The legacy TAR/stdin snapshot method is deprecated in favor of direct Kopia directory snapshots (see docs/PROBLEM_1_PLAN.md). Direct snapshots provide file-level deduplication and are the recommended default.

3. Tailscale Integration

Automatic peer discovery for P2P backups over WireGuard mesh network:

sudo kopi-docka advanced config new
# → Select Tailscale
# → Shows all devices in your Tailnet
# → Auto-configures SSH keys
# → Direct encrypted connection (no cloud costs)

4. Systemd Integration

Daemon implementation with:

• sd_notify status reporting
• Watchdog monitoring
• Security hardening (ProtectSystem, NoNewPrivileges, etc.)
• PID locking (prevents parallel runs)
• Structured logging to systemd journal

See detailed features →

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Documentation

📚 Guides:

• Installation - System requirements, installation options
• Configuration - Wizards, config files, storage backends
• Usage - CLI commands, workflows, how it works
• Features - Detailed feature documentation
• Hooks - Pre/post backup hooks, examples
• Troubleshooting - Common issues, FAQ
• Development - Project structure, contributing
• Architecture - Code-driven architecture overview (authoritative)

📁 Examples:

• examples/config.json - Sample configuration
• examples/docker-compose.yml - Example stack
• examples/hooks/ - Hook script examples
• examples/systemd/ - Systemd setup guide

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CLI Commands

Kopi-Docka features a simplified CLI with top-level commands and an admin subcommand for advanced operations.

Top-Level Commands

sudo kopi-docka setup              # Complete setup wizard
sudo kopi-docka backup             # Full backup (standard scope)
sudo kopi-docka restore            # Interactive restore wizard
sudo kopi-docka restore --yes      # Non-interactive restore (CI/CD)
sudo kopi-docka disaster-recovery  # Create DR bundle
sudo kopi-docka dry-run            # Simulate backup (preview)
sudo kopi-docka doctor             # System health check
kopi-docka version                 # Show version

Admin Commands

# Configuration
sudo kopi-docka advanced config show      # Show config
sudo kopi-docka advanced config new       # Create new config
sudo kopi-docka advanced config edit      # Edit config

# Repository
sudo kopi-docka advanced repo init        # Initialize repository
sudo kopi-docka advanced repo status      # Repository info
sudo kopi-docka advanced repo maintenance # Run maintenance

# Snapshots & Units
sudo kopi-docka advanced snapshot list          # List backup units
sudo kopi-docka advanced snapshot list --snapshots  # List all snapshots
sudo kopi-docka advanced snapshot estimate-size # Estimate backup size

# System & Service
sudo kopi-docka advanced system install-deps    # Install dependencies
sudo kopi-docka advanced service write-units    # Generate systemd units
sudo kopi-docka advanced service daemon         # Run as daemon

Complete CLI reference →

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Storage Backend Options

Kopi-Docka supports 8 different storage backends:

1. Local Filesystem - Local disk or NAS mount
2. AWS S3 - Amazon S3 or S3-compatible (Wasabi, MinIO)
3. Backblaze B2 - ~$6/TB/month (includes egress)
4. Azure Blob - Microsoft Azure storage
5. Google Cloud Storage - GCS
6. SFTP - Remote server via SSH
7. Tailscale - P2P over WireGuard mesh network
8. Rclone - Universal adapter (OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, 70+ services)

Storage configuration →

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System Requirements

• OS: Linux (Debian, Ubuntu, Arch, Fedora, RHEL/CentOS)
• Python: 3.10 or newer
• Docker: Docker Engine 20.10+
• Kopia: >= 0.13 (recommended; required for sparse-file support) (automatically checked)

Detailed requirements →

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Feature Comparison

Feature	Kopi-Docka	docker-volume-backup	Duplicati	Restic
Docker-native	✅	✅	❌	❌
Cold Backups	✅	✅	❌	❌
Compose-Stack-Aware	✅	❌	❌	❌
Network Backup*	✅	❌	❌	❌
DR Bundles	✅	❌	❌	❌
Tailscale Integration	✅	❌	❌	❌
Rclone Support	✅	❌	❌	❌
systemd Integration	✅	❌	❌	❌
Pre/Post Hooks	✅	⚠️	❌	❌
Storage Options	8 backends	Basic	Many	Many
Deduplication	✅ (Kopia)	❌	✅	✅

*Network Backup = Automatic backup of custom Docker networks with IPAM configuration (subnets, gateways)

Kopi-Docka's focus: Stack-awareness, disaster recovery bundles, Tailscale P2P, and systemd hardening

Full comparison →

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Project Status

Status: Feature-Complete, Stabilization Phase
Latest Release: See badges above ↑

The current release includes all planned core features:

• ✅ Backup scope selection (minimal/standard/full)
• ✅ Docker network backup with IPAM
• ✅ Pre/Post backup hooks
• ✅ Disaster recovery bundles
• ✅ Systemd integration with hardening

Current Focus:

• Bug fixing and edge-case handling
• Test coverage expansion
• Documentation improvements

Known Limitations:

• Single repository only (no parallel multi-cloud backup)
• Hooks require careful configuration (Safety Guide)
• Restore edge-cases still being hardened

New major features: Only after stable foundation

View Changelog | Development Roadmap

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Thanks & Acknowledgments

Kopi-Docka = Kopia + Dockar – the name reflects what this project is: a bridge between two excellent tools.

Kopi-Docka would not exist without these excellent tools:

• Kopia – the rock-solid backup engine providing encryption, deduplication and snapshot management
  https://kopia.io

• Docker – container runtime and ecosystem that makes reproducible environments possible
  https://www.docker.com

• Tailscale – secure WireGuard-based networking that enables simple peer-to-peer offsite backups
  https://tailscale.com

• rclone – universal storage adapter enabling access to many affordable cloud and remote storage providers
  https://rclone.org

• Typer – clean and readable CLI framework for Python
  https://typer.tiangolo.com

All of these tools remain under their respective licenses and are not bundled with Kopi-Docka.

This project is built with deep respect for the open-source ecosystem.

Author: Markus F. (TZERO78)
Links: PyPI | GitHub

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License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details.

Copyright (c) 2025 Markus F. (TZERO78)

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Feedback & Support

If you find Kopi-Docka useful, feel free to leave a ⭐ on GitHub.

I cannot test all storage backends and edge cases on my own, so feedback from real-world setups is highly appreciated.

If something doesn't work as expected, please open an Issue and include your environment details.

• 📦 PyPI: pypi.org/project/kopi-docka
• 📚 Documentation: Complete docs
• 🐛 Bug Reports: GitHub Issues
• 💬 Discussions: GitHub Discussions
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Code of Conduct: CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md