Install and Configure Duplicati on Ubuntu 24.04

In this tutorial, how to install and configure Duplicati on Ubuntu 24.04.

When we manage servers or self-hosted infrastructure, reliable backups are non-negotiable. Duplicati gives us encrypted backups, a clean Web UI, scheduling, cloud-storage support, and lightweight performance. Ubuntu 24.04 runs great with Duplicati, and the setup process is straightforward if we follow the correct steps.

What Is Duplicati?

Duplicati is an open-source backup tool designed for encrypted, incremental, and versioned backups across local storage, cloud storage, and remote servers. It includes a built-in Web UI accessible via browser, allowing you to schedule automated backups without relying on complex CLI tools.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, ensure we have the following:

• An Ubuntu 24.04 on dedicated server or KVM VPS.
• Basic Linux Command Line Knowledge.
• A domain name pointing A record to server IP.

Below is the complete installation and configuration workflow.

How to Install and Configure Duplicati on Ubuntu 24.04

Step 1: Update System Packages

Keeping packages updated prevents dependency conflicts and improves stability.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install Required Dependencies

Duplicati relies on Mono. Ubuntu 24.04 already includes updated Mono runtime packages.

sudo apt install -y mono-runtime

If we want full Mono support:

sudo apt install -y mono-complete

Step 3: Download the Latest Duplicati Release

Duplicati provides a .deb package for Linux.

wget https://updates.duplicati.com/stable/duplicati-2.2.0.1_stable_2025-11-09-linux-x64-gui.deb

Install it:

sudo dpkg -i duplicati-2.2.0.1_stable_2025-11-09-linux-x64-gui.deb
sudo apt --fix-broken install -y

Step 4: Start Duplicati Manually (First Run)

First, we need open 8200 port in firewall.

sudo ufw allow 8200/tcp

Duplicati runs on port 8200 by default.

duplicati-server

You will get a url looks like:

http://localhost:8200/signin.html?token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJ0eXAiOiJTaWduaW5Ub2tlbiIsInNpZCI6InNlcnZlci1jbGkiLCJuYmYiOjE3NjM1MzI3NjIsImV4cCI6MTc2MzUzMzA2MiwiaXNzIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9kdXBsaWNhdGkiLCJhdWQiOiJodHRwczovL2R1cGxpY2F0aSJ9.fa5QKdkDpENxeM-MKo7TsXygpcPnSEec4mNBxjX1jro

Copy it and open the Web UI in our browser:

http://SERVER-IP:8200/signin.html?token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJ0eXAiOiJTaWduaW5Ub2tlbiIsInNpZCI6InNlcnZlci1jbGkiLCJuYmYiOjE3NjM1MzI3NjIsImV4cCI6MTc2MzUzMzA2MiwiaXNzIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9kdXBsaWNhdGkiLCJhdWQiOiJodHRwczovL2R1cGxpY2F0aSJ9.fa5QKdkDpENxeM-MKo7TsXygpcPnSEec4mNBxjX1jro

You will see the set password window like:

Once you set the password, back to terminal and we can stop it with Ctrl + C.

Step 5: Create a systemd Service for Automatic Startup

Running Duplicati manually is fine for local tests, but production setups must run as a service.

Create service file:

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/duplicati.service

Add this:

[Unit]
Description=Duplicati Backup Service
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=root
Environment="SETTINGS_ENCRYPTION_KEY=7c86fe3b7ad64895f7d0c01c6bb1cc06ff1421c2f5efa7924ef2dafe5bf9d256"
ExecStart=/usr/bin/duplicati-server --webservice-interface=any --webservice-port=8200
Restart=on-failure

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Save and exit.

Reload systemd:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload

Enable and start:

sudo systemctl enable --now duplicati

Check status:

sudo systemctl status duplicati

Step 6: Access the Duplicati Web UI

Visit:

http://SERVER-IP:8200

On first launch, set an admin password to secure the dashboard.

Step 7: Configure Backup Storage

Duplicati supports:

• Local directories
• S3-compatible storage
• Backblaze B2
• Google Drive
• OneDrive
• FTP / SFTP
• WebDAV
• Rclone remote backends

Inside the Web UI:

Add backup → Configure → Destination

Choose storage type and authentication.

Useful local example:

Local folder path:

/var/backups/server/

Create it:

sudo mkdir -p /var/backups/server
sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /var/backups/server

Step 8: Set Up Backup Encryption

Duplicati includes AES-256 encryption.

In the backup wizard:

Encryption → AES-256 → Create password

We store this password safely because it cannot be recovered.

Step 9: Select Folders to Back Up

Pick:

• Website files
• Databases
• Configs
• /etc
• Application data

Duplicati supports excludes, filters and versioning for clean backups.

Examples of smart exclusions:

**/cache/
*.log
tmp/

Step 10: Configure Backup Schedule

Under Schedule:

• Run daily or weekly
• Set notification/email alerts
• Enable auto retention policies

A clean retention setup:

• Keep 7 daily backups  
• Keep 4 weekly backups  
• Keep 12 monthly backups

Step 11: Test the Backup

Always test the first run:

sudo systemctl restart duplicati

Trigger backup manually from Web UI:

Backup → Run now

Check logs:

/root/.config/Duplicati

Or via systemctl:

journalctl -u duplicati -f

Step 12: Configure Automatic Restore (Optional)

Duplicati supports disaster recovery export.

Export backup configuration:

Backup → Export → Encryption included

This helps when we migrate servers.

Final Thoughts

Duplicati remains one of the most flexible, lightweight and encrypted backup tools available for Ubuntu 24.04. With its Web UI, cloud support and smart scheduling, we can maintain a reliable backup strategy for servers, websites and self-hosted infrastructure.

This setup gives us a clean installation, automated startup, encrypted backup paths, and long-term stability for production-grade environments.

If we follow the steps above, our Ubuntu 24.04 server will be ready with a secure and automated Duplicati backup system that survives crashes, power failures and accidental human mistakes.