Option 1 - Install the Backup Agent using APT
Configure an APT repository on Debian and Ubuntu to install the Backup Agent using apt. This repository also helps to manage upgrades of the Backup Agent in the future. For more information about upgrading the Backup Agent, see Upgrade Backup Agent for Linux.
NOTE: For older legacy systems still using apt-key for gpg key management, click here.
To configure an APT repository:
1) First, download the R1Soft apt gpg key to the /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/ directory :
2) After the key is saved successfully, the next step is to create a sources file for the R1Soft repo:
Use your favorite text editor to create the r1soft.sources file, here :
Copy the lines below inside the r1soft.sources file.
3) Save and exit this file.
4) Lastly, run apt update to download the latest information about the packages in the new repository:
5) Once the APT repository is configured, you can use the following command to install the Backup Agent:
Option 2 - Install the Backup Agent using DPKG
Download Backup Agent
For more information about downloading the Backup Agent, see Obtain Linux Backup Agent.
Make sure you can unzip the download
Most Linux distributions come with the unzip utility pre-installed.
To determine if you have the unzip utility:
Run the following command:
The system returns output similar to the following:
If it returns nothing, install the unzip utility first.
To install unzip on Debian or Ubuntu:
Execute the following command:
Extract the Zip file
Use the unzip command to extract the files.
Install the packages
 | Notice You must be a Linux root user to install the Backup Agent. |
The archive extracted contains two folders: one with .deb packages (in our case, "deb-linux64") and one with .rpm packages ("rpm-linux64"). If you are installing on Debian or Ubuntu, choose the folder with .deb packages.
Each folder contains a set of the Backup Agent components:
- serverbackup-setup
- serverbackup-agent
- serverbackup-enterprise-agent
- serverbackup-async-agent-2-6
You must install all of the previous folders in one step. Use the cd command to go to the folder with the packages (in our case, "cd deb-linux64"), and then run the following command:
Install Server Backup Linux device driver
Server Backup Device Driver is a proprietary, loadable Linux kernel module distributed by R1Soft. It is loadable at run-time without restarting Linux, and you do not need to recompile your Linux kernel to use it.
The Server Backup Agent will attempt to install the Linux kernel module automatically on startup so the following only applies if that fails.
| Notice You need to have loadable modules enabled as a feature in your kernel. This is an advanced feature on all popular Linux distributions. |
1. Compiling Server Backup kernel module against kernel headers
You must compile the kernel module using the kernel headers. The program serverbackup-setup obtains all the information needed to compile a module from your running kernel.
In order for kernel module compilation to work, you should have Internet connectivity directly from the Linux server you are installing the Backup Agent on, to TCP port HTTPS (443), on the host krnlbld.r1soft.com.
You can test connectivity with the following command (this may take a minute):
2. Install kernel sources
If you are using an unmodified kernel provided by Ubuntu installer, install the kernel-devel package:
 | Note In the recent versions of Ubuntu Server the correct version of Linux-headers is probably already installed, so you don't have to install it. |
3. Build Server Backup kernel module online (direct Internet connection to R1Soft build server)
To attempt to build the kernel module, run the following command (this may take several minutes):
If the module is compiled and installed successfully, the system displays output similar to the following:
Build the Server Backup kernel module offline (without direct Internet connection to R1Soft build server)
If there is no direct Internet connection between your Server Backup Manager and R1Soft build server, it is still possible to compile the kernel module. In this case:
1) Create a header tarball file from the kernel headers using serverbackup-setup. Start by executing the following command:
After running this command, the system displays output similar to the following:
2) Copy this tarball file from the server to some other computer which has an Internet connection.
3) From this computer, open a new case with R1Soft Support, upload the tarball to the case, and wait for the build to be completed.
4) When the module is ready, download and copy it back to the Backup Agent machine, and place it in the /lib/modules/r1soft directory
5) Restart the Backup Agent to load the new module