Vorta BorgBackup GUI Now Available For Install On Linux From Flathub

Vorta, a GUI for BorgBackup (or Borg for short), is now easier to install on Linux. The backup tool was added to Flathub the other day, a service for hosting and distributing applications as Flatpak packages.

Vorta BorgBackup GUI Linux
Vorta Archives view, with a backup snapshot mounted so it can be browsed using the system file  manager

Vorta is a free and open source GUI for BorgBackup. BorgBackup itself is a backup tool, but for the command line, which features encryption, data deduplication, compression and validation. It can be used to backup to a local drive, or to a host available over SSH.

The application runs on macOS and Linux, and besides using the powerful BorgBackup for the actual backup and restore system, Vorta comes with:

  • backup profiles for easily switching between different sources and destinations
  • backup scheduling with a log viewer
  • run shell commands pre or post backup
  • A backup archives view from where you can extract, mount, check, delete or prune backups
  • configurable pruning (remove old backups)
  • built-in SSH key generation
  • filenames / paths exclusion patterns

I wrote more about Vorta and BorgBackup in this article on Linux Uprising. It also includes a getting started guide for Vorta.

Vorta starts hidden, running in the system tray. If you use Gnome Shell, you may want to install the AppIndicator support extension to access the Vorta system tray menu (not required on Ubuntu since this extension is installed by default). If the Vorta tray icon doesn't match your panel color, change it to a light or dark icon from the Vorta settings (on the Misc tab).

You may also launch the Vorta GUI (when installed from Flatpak) and open its main window by using:

flatpak run com.borgbase.Vorta -f

Install Vorta (BorgBackup GUI) On Linux From Flathub


To install Vorta from Flathub, you'll need to install Flatpak and add the Flathub repository. You can find instructions for how to do this on the Flathub quick setup page.

You only need to setup Flatpak and Flathub once. After that you'll be able to take advantage of the large application database it offers for installation with minor effort.

After setting up Flatpak and Flathub, head to the Vorta Flathub page and click the install button. If you're a Gnome user, you can also search for it on Gnome Software / Ubuntu Software and install it from there. This also works on Linux Mint 19.* with its Software Manager.

You may also install Vorta from Flathub on Linux by using this command:

flatpak install flathub com.borgbase.Vorta

It's worth noting that you'll need to have BorgBackup installed on the system on which you'll be storing the backups.

Other backup-related articles on Linux Uprising: