How to Install UrBackup on Ubuntu

UrBackup helps one Ubuntu server collect file and image backups from multiple machines instead of leaving each device with its own separate backup routine. To install UrBackup on Ubuntu, use the project maintainer’s Launchpad PPA for the server package, then manage backup jobs from the web interface on port 55414.

The same PPA currently publishes UrBackup Server for Ubuntu 26.04 LTS (Resolute Raccoon), Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat), and Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish). This guide focuses on the Ubuntu server package. UrBackup client deployment, Windows Group Policy rollout, and Docker deployments are separate workflows because they use different packages, policies, and storage layouts.

Install UrBackup Server on Ubuntu

UrBackup Server is not packaged in Ubuntu’s default repositories. The maintained Ubuntu path is the uroni/urbackup Launchpad PPA, which provides APT-managed server updates. The official UrBackup download page also lists direct downloads, but the PPA is the cleaner option when you want normal Ubuntu package updates.

Method	Package Source	Current Package	Updates	Best For
Launchpad PPA	uroni/urbackup	Checked PPA build: 2.5.37	APT	Ubuntu servers that should receive packaged UrBackup updates

This guide covers Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, and Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. The same PPA publishes packages for these releases, and release-specific differences are called out where they matter.

Update Ubuntu Before Installation

Start by refreshing APT metadata and applying available package updates. This reduces dependency conflicts before adding the UrBackup PPA.

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

If this is a new Ubuntu system and your account cannot use sudo, configure administrative access with the Ubuntu sudoers guide before continuing.

Install the Repository Helper

Install software-properties-common if your system does not already have add-apt-repository. Minimal Ubuntu installs often need this package before adding PPAs.

sudo apt install software-properties-common

Add the UrBackup Launchpad PPA

Add the UrBackup PPA with add-apt-repository. On Ubuntu 26.04 and 24.04, the tool writes a DEB822 .sources file. On Ubuntu 22.04, it writes a legacy .list file and manages the matching trusted key.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:uroni/urbackup -y

After the command finishes, confirm that APT sees the UrBackup server package from the PPA:

apt-cache policy urbackup-server

On Ubuntu 26.04, the candidate line should show the Resolute package. Ubuntu 24.04 and 22.04 show the same upstream server version with noble or jammy in the package suffix.

urbackup-server:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 2.5.37.0-1ubuntu1~resolute
  Version table:
     2.5.37.0-1ubuntu1~resolute 500
        500 https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/uroni/urbackup/ubuntu resolute/main amd64 Packages

Install UrBackup Server

Install the server package from the PPA:

sudo apt install urbackup-server

During installation, the package asks where UrBackup should store backup data. The default path is /var/urbackup. Use a larger mounted disk or storage path, such as /mnt/backups, if your server has a dedicated backup volume.

The standard install can also pull image-backup helpers such as libguestfs-tools and qemu-utils through package recommendations. Keep them installed if you plan to use UrBackup image backup features.

Verify the Installed Server Version

Check the installed UrBackup server binary before moving to configuration:

urbackupsrv --version

UrBackup Server v2.5.37.0

Configure the UrBackup Service

The Ubuntu package starts urbackupsrv automatically and enables it at boot. Confirm both states with systemctl:

systemctl is-enabled urbackupsrv
systemctl is-active urbackupsrv

enabled
active

For a fuller status view, use the service status command:

systemctl status urbackupsrv --no-pager

urbackupsrv.service - LSB: Server for doing backups
     Loaded: loaded (/etc/init.d/urbackupsrv; generated)
     Active: active (running)

The package uses a generated systemd unit from the bundled SysV init script. That is normal for this PPA package.

Review UrBackup Listening Ports

UrBackup listens on several TCP ports after installation. Review them before opening firewall access beyond the server itself. The UrBackup administration manual also lists an outgoing UDP discovery broadcast that does not usually need an inbound UFW rule.

sudo ss -tlnp | grep urbackup

The output should include TCP listeners for ports 55413, 55414, and 55415. Process IDs and file descriptors vary by system, so use the port list below as the stable reference.

Port	Protocol	Purpose	Firewall Guidance
55414	TCP	HTTP web interface	Restrict to localhost, VPN, or trusted LAN clients
55415	TCP	Internet client connections	Open only if remote clients must reach this server
55413	TCP	FastCGI web interface	Usually keep local unless your proxy design uses FastCGI
35623	UDP	Server discovery broadcast	Outgoing discovery traffic; no inbound UFW rule in typical setups

Configure UFW Firewall Access

If you use UFW on Ubuntu, open only the ports your deployment needs. For a LAN-only server, restrict both the web interface and client access to the trusted subnet.

sudo ufw allow from 192.168.1.0/24 to any port 55414 proto tcp comment "UrBackup Web UI"
sudo ufw allow from 192.168.1.0/24 to any port 55415 proto tcp comment "UrBackup LAN Clients"

Replace 192.168.1.0/24 with the trusted subnet that should administer UrBackup and connect local clients. If remote internet clients need to reach this server, add a separate rule for port 55415 after configuring UrBackup’s internet client settings.

sudo ufw allow 55415/tcp comment "UrBackup Internet Clients"

Do not expose port 55414 to the public internet unless it is protected by a reverse proxy, TLS, and access controls.

Review the resulting rules:

sudo ufw status numbered

The rule list should show your trusted subnet for LAN rules. Rule numbers and ordering vary depending on existing UFW configuration.

Access the UrBackup Web Interface

UrBackup’s default web interface listens on port 55414. On the server, use http://127.0.0.1:55414/. From another trusted LAN machine, use http://server-ip:55414/ and replace server-ip with the Ubuntu server’s address.

Set an Administrator Login

Set an administrator account in the web interface before exposing the dashboard beyond the server or a trusted LAN. A fresh install listens on all interfaces, so firewall restrictions and an admin login should be in place before remote access is allowed.

Review Initial Backup Settings

After the first login, review these settings before adding production clients:

• Backup storage path: Confirm the storage location points to a disk with enough capacity for retained backups.
• File backup interval: Set how often UrBackup checks protected paths for file changes.
• Image backup interval: Configure full image backup timing if clients support image backups.
• Client paths: If a client reports that no backup directories are configured, add default backup paths in the client settings or through the server-side client configuration.
• Email notifications: Configure SMTP alerts so failed backups are visible before a restore is needed.

Add Client Machines

The Ubuntu package installed in this guide is the server. Machines that need protection still require an UrBackup client. Local clients can often discover the server on the LAN, while remote clients usually need the server address and port 55415 configured explicitly.

Windows Group Policy deployment is a client rollout task, not a server installation step. Use the client installer and your domain software-deployment policy if you need centralized Windows deployment.

Optional Reverse Proxy with Apache or Nginx

A reverse proxy is useful when you want a normal hostname, HTTPS certificates, and web-server access controls in front of the UrBackup dashboard. Keep direct access to port 55414 limited to localhost or a trusted network when proxying the interface.

Apache Reverse Proxy Configuration

Install Apache on Ubuntu if it is not already installed, then enable the proxy modules:

sudo apt install apache2
sudo a2enmod proxy proxy_http headers ssl

Create a virtual host for the UrBackup interface:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/urbackup.conf

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName urbackup.example.com

    ProxyPreserveHost On
    ProxyPass / http://127.0.0.1:55414/
    ProxyPassReverse / http://127.0.0.1:55414/

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/urbackup_error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/urbackup_access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Enable the site, test the Apache configuration, and reload the service:

sudo a2ensite urbackup.conf
sudo apache2ctl configtest
sudo systemctl reload apache2

Syntax OK

Nginx Reverse Proxy Configuration

Install Nginx on Ubuntu if needed, then create a server block for UrBackup:

sudo apt install nginx
sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/urbackup

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name urbackup.example.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:55414/;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
    }
}

Enable the server block, test the Nginx configuration, and reload the service:

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/urbackup /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx

nginx: the configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf syntax is ok
nginx: configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf test is successful

For broader proxy patterns, see the Nginx reverse proxy guide.

Add HTTPS with Certbot

Keep the first virtual host on http:// until Certbot issues a certificate. After DNS points to the Ubuntu server, install Certbot for the web server you use:

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-apache
sudo certbot --apache -d urbackup.example.com

For Nginx, install the Nginx plugin instead:

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx
sudo certbot --nginx -d urbackup.example.com

If you use Nginx, the Let’s Encrypt Nginx guide for Ubuntu covers the full certificate workflow and renewal checks.

After Certbot issues the certificate, test renewal before relying on automatic renewals:

sudo certbot renew --dry-run

Update UrBackup Server on Ubuntu

Because the server package comes from APT, normal package updates include UrBackup updates from the PPA. To update only UrBackup Server after refreshing package metadata, use --only-upgrade:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install --only-upgrade urbackup-server

After updating, recheck the installed version and service state:

urbackupsrv --version
systemctl is-active urbackupsrv

Troubleshoot UrBackup Server Issues

Service Fails to Start

If the service does not start, inspect recent journal entries first:

sudo journalctl -u urbackupsrv -n 50 --no-pager

Then check for port conflicts on the UrBackup listening ports:

sudo ss -tlnp | grep ':55413\|:55414\|:55415'

If the backup directory has ownership problems after moving storage, restore ownership to the UrBackup service account:

sudo chown -R urbackup:urbackup /var/urbackup

For storage problems, check free space on the backup filesystem:

df -h /var/urbackup

Web Interface Is Unreachable

If the dashboard does not open, confirm the server is listening on port 55414:

sudo ss -tlnp | grep ':55414'

If the listener exists, check UFW, cloud security groups, router rules, and the URL format. The local URL is http://127.0.0.1:55414/; the LAN URL is http://server-ip:55414/.

Clients Do Not Connect

If clients do not connect, verify that the server accepts client connections on port 55415:

sudo ss -tlnp | grep ':55415'

Then confirm the client has the correct server address, that firewalls allow TCP port 55415, and that backup paths are configured on the client or through server-side client settings.

Remove UrBackup from Ubuntu

Removing the package stops the server software, but it does not automatically delete your backup data. Review storage paths before deleting anything under the backup directory.

These steps remove the Ubuntu server package installed in this guide. UrBackup clients on protected machines must be removed separately on those client systems.

Stop and Remove the Package

Stop the service, then purge the server package and package configuration files:

sudo systemctl stop urbackupsrv
sudo apt remove --purge urbackup-server

Review autoremovable packages before deleting them. This matters on reused servers because apt autoremove can include unrelated packages that were already marked as automatic.

sudo apt autoremove --dry-run

If the preview only lists UrBackup-related dependencies and other packages you no longer need, run the real cleanup:

sudo apt autoremove

Remove the PPA

Remove the Launchpad PPA so the system no longer receives packages from that source:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:uroni/urbackup -y
sudo apt update

Remove Backup Data

Warning: The next command permanently deletes UrBackup data from the default storage path. Copy any backups you need to keep before removing the directory.

Remove the default backup storage directory only after confirming the data is no longer needed:

sudo rm -rf /var/urbackup

If you selected a custom path during installation, remove that custom directory instead of /var/urbackup.

Conclusion

With UrBackup Server installed from the maintained Launchpad PPA, the service is ready for client backups through the web interface on port 55414. Before relying on the server, create an administrator login, confirm backup paths, and test a restore from at least one client machine.