macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install buplocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew
Install bup with Homebrew, apt, Nix, pacman, zypper
Backup tool. Version 0.33.10 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install bupDebian stable package indexes · bup · source: deb.debian.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#bupnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/bu/bup/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S bupArch Linux sync databases · bup · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install bupopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · bup · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Backup tool
Project links
Commands and aliases
- bup
history
Project history and usage
bup is a Git-packfile-based backup system known for fast incremental backups, rolling-checksum chunking, and global deduplication. It became one of the classic examples of reusing Git's storage format outside source control, especially for large files such as virtual-machine images.
Project history
Avery Pennarun announced bup 0.01 on January 4, 2010 after writing it during a Christmas break. The original announcement and the current README emphasize the same core design: split input with an rsync-like rolling checksum, store data in Git packfiles, write packfiles directly for performance, and allow data to be addressed in a way Git tooling can still understand.
The project later moved under the bup GitHub organization and retained its own documentation site, man pages, release notes, and mailing-list workflow. Its README still warns that backups are a serious domain while documenting broad Unix-like support, optional par2 redundancy, FUSE access, remote backup over SSH, and Python/C implementation details.
Adoption history
bup was noticed quickly in the Unix backup community because it combined Git's content-addressed storage ideas with backup-oriented behavior that plain Git does not handle well. The input metadata records packaging across Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Nix, Arch, and openSUSE, which reflects its long-running availability in both source-based and distribution package ecosystems.
How it is used
Common usage follows a simple CLI flow: initialize a bup repository, index paths, save backups, then restore or browse snapshots. bup is especially associated with large mutable files because chunking lets later backups reuse most existing data even when the file as a whole has changed.
Why package nerds care
bup matters to package nerds because it is a durable example of borrowing a version-control storage primitive for system administration. It also represents an era when Git's object model inspired backup, archival, and deduplicating-storage tools, before later encrypted deduplicating backup tools such as Attic, Borg, Restic, and Bupstash became common comparisons.
Timeline
- 2010-01-04: bup 0.01 announced by Avery Pennarun.
- 2012: The current bup/bup GitHub repository was created under the bup organization.
- 2015: The bup.github.io site described bup as an efficient backup system based on Git packfiles.
- 2026: The project remains active with documented 0.33.x releases.
Related projects
- bup is directly related to Git, rsync-style rolling checksums, par2 recovery data, and FUSE mounting. In backup-tool discussions it is commonly compared with rdiff-backup, Duplicity, Borg, Restic, and Bupstash.
Sources
- https://apenwarr.ca/log/20100104
- https://bup.github.io/
- https://bup.github.io/man.html
- https://github.com/bup/bup
- source_facts.package-manager
security posture
Risk level: blue
broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.
Risk classifier
blue risk · medium confidence · tool
Why
- broad file, network, media, or database tool signal
Signals
- text:backup
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
- Installs with 2 runtime dependencies.
- Build metadata lists 2 build dependencies.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
local files
Configuration and credential file locations
These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.
Configuration files
Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.
- Unix
~/.bup/config
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
bup | cli | global executable |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-07-08
manager version0.33.10
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detected0.33.10
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:bup |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.33.10 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/bup |
| Homepage | https://bup.github.io/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/bup/bup |
| Upstream docs | https://bup.github.io/ |
| License | BSD-2-Clause AND LGPL-2.0-only |
| Source archive | https://github.com/bup/bup/archive/refs/tags/0.33.10.tar.gz |
| Dependencies | python@3.14, readline |
| Build dependencies | pandoc, pkgconf |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | bup |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Head Version | HEAD |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
Debian apt95%
bup 0.33.7-1
highly efficient file backup system based on git
sudo apt install bup- Section: admin
- Architecture: amd64
- 9 dependencies
- 3 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Bup
Debian apt95%
bup-doc 0.33.7-1
highly efficient file backup system based on git (documentation)
sudo apt install bup-doc- Section: doc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: bup
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Bup
Nix95%
bup
nix profile install nixpkgs#bup- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Bup
Ubuntu apt95%
bup 0.33.3-1build2
highly efficient file backup system based on git
sudo apt install bup- Section: universe/admin
- Architecture: amd64
- 9 dependencies
- 3 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Bup
Ubuntu apt95%
bup-doc 0.33.3-1build2
highly efficient file backup system based on git (documentation)
sudo apt install bup-doc- Section: universe/doc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: bup
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Bup
pacman95%
bup 0.33.10-1
Efficient backup system based on the git packfile format
sudo pacman -S bup- License: GPL-2.0-only
- Architecture: x86_64
- 8 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Bup
zypper95%
bup 0.33.10-1.3
Backup program based on git
sudo zypper install bup- License: LGPL-2.0-only
- Category: Productivity/Archiving/Backup
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: bup
- 11 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Bup
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment