davekilleen Backup Restore
Three jobs, in increasing weight: prove a backup is intact, prove it actually restores, and bring one back. All three are driven by one tool, and none of them will ever overwrite the live vault: a restore always goes to a fresh folder the user chooses, to inspect and move into place themselves.
Test mode (the one to suggest routinely)
python3 core/backup/restore_vault.py test
This checks the newest set's fingerprints, verifies the version-history bundle with git's own verifier, extracts the whole archive into a throwaway temporary folder, counts what came out, and deletes the extraction. It proves a restore works without touching anything. Suggest running it once after setup and occasionally after that; a backup that has never been test-restored is a hope, not a backup.
Verify only (quick integrity check)
python3 core/backup/restore_vault.py verify
Fingerprint and history checks only, no extraction. Add --set <stamp> for a specific older set, or --source /path for a folder other than the configured destination.
Restore for real
First ask which set they want (default is the newest) and where the restored copy should go. The target must be a new or empty folder.
python3 core/backup/restore_vault.py restore --to /path/to/fresh-folder
Then be explicit about three things:
- The live vault was not touched. The restored copy sits in the folder they chose. Comparing, cherry-picking files, or swapping the whole vault over is their deliberate next step, not something this tool does behind their back.
- The version history comes back separately. The history bundle is copied alongside;
git clone dex-vault-<stamp>.bundle restored-historyrecovers it. - Secrets and schedules are not in the backup, on purpose. API keys, the scheduled backup job itself, and macOS permissions all need re-establishing. Walk them through
docs/backup-restore.mdfor the full list.
For cloud (rclone) backups
The tool is honest about not reaching into the network: copy one set down first (rclone copy remote:path/dex-vault-<stamp>.* /some/local/folder/), then point --source at that folder.
Report honestly
Report exactly what the tool printed. If verification failed, the copy in storage is damaged: say so plainly, and suggest trying the next-oldest set (--set) rather than pretending the newest one is usable.