Choose how to install the console
| Way | Best for | Needs |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ready-made VM image | Import, start, sign in — in a few minutes | VMware, Proxmox/KVM or Hyper-V; no internet access |
| 2. Appliance ISO | A new VM or a physical server, unattended | Internet access during installation |
| 3. Install script | An existing Debian, Ubuntu, AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux server | Root and internet access |
| 4. Packages by hand | Your own PostgreSQL, configuration management, offline servers | The server package from the release |
The console needs 2 vCPU, 2–4 GB RAM and a 16–20 GB disk. Agents must reach it on TCP 8443, and reach the storage directly.
1. Ready-made VM image
VMware ESXi, Workstation, VirtualBox
ESXi Host Client: Create / Register VM → Deploy a virtual machine from an OVF or OVA file. vSphere: Deploy OVF Template.
Proxmox VE and KVM
Create a VM without a disk (2 vCPU, 2–4 GB RAM, VirtIO network), import the disk, attach it as SCSI boot disk and enable the QEMU guest agent.
Hyper-V (generation 1)
Unzip, create a generation 1 VM with 2–4 GB RAM and choose the VHDX as its disk.
On Proxmox VE, after copying the image to the node:
qm importdisk <vmid> backupzit-appliance.qcow2 local-lvmStart the VM: its screen shows the address of the web console and the initial password of the user admin. Open https://<address>:8443, accept the self-signed certificate once, sign in and change the password. The appliance gets its address by DHCP; on the VM's screen, sign in as bzadmin to set a static address, the server name, the time zone and SSH.
2. Appliance ISO
backupzit-appliance.iso — boot a VM or server (16 GB disk or larger) from it. After 5 seconds the unattended installation starts: it erases the first disk, installs Debian, PostgreSQL and the console in 10–20 minutes, and then shows the console's address and initial password.
3. Install script
On Debian 12+, Ubuntu 22.04+, AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux 9+ (x86-64), as root:
curl -fsSL https://github.com/Max-Zit/backupzit/releases/latest/download/install.sh | sudo shThe script installs PostgreSQL, downloads the newest release and verifies its signature and checksum, creates the database with a random password, turns on automatic security updates, opens port 8443 and prints the console's address and initial password. To read it first:
curl -fsSLO https://github.com/Max-Zit/backupzit/releases/latest/download/install.sh
less install.sh
sudo sh install.shOptions go after sh -s --: --version X.Y.Z, --db postgres://… for an existing database, --hosts for the certificate names, --no-auto-updates. Running the script again updates BackupZit and keeps configuration and data.
4. Packages and agents
These files carry the version in their name, so they are listed on the release page:
| File | What |
|---|---|
backupzit-agent-X.Y.Z-x64.msi | Windows agent — Windows 10, 11, Server 2016 and newer |
backupzit-agent-X.Y.Z-x64-legacy.msi | Windows agent for Windows 7 SP1, Server 2008 R2 SP1 and 2012 R2 |
backupzit-agent_X.Y.Z_amd64.deb, .rpm | Linux agent — Debian, Ubuntu, Proxmox VE, AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux |
backupzit-server_X.Y.Z_amd64.deb, .rpm | The console, for installation by hand |
backupzit-repo_X.Y.Z_amd64.deb, .rpm | Hardened repository server (immutable storage) |
| backupzit-recovery-linux.iso | Linux recovery ISO for bare-metal restore |
| build-winpe.ps1 | Builds the Windows recovery ISO from the Windows ADK |
| SHA256SUMS | Checksums of the images and ISOs |
| SOURCE-CODE.txt | Where to get the source code of everything in the images |
Install an agent
On the console's Agents page, Create enrollment token shows an enrollment code (BZ1-…), valid for 7 days and for any number of machines. Windows — run the MSI and paste the code, or silently:
msiexec /i backupzit-agent-<version>-x64.msi /qn ENROLLCODE="BZ1-..."Linux:
apt install ./backupzit-agent_*.deb # or: dnf install ./backupzit-agent-*.rpm
backupzit-agent enroll --code "BZ1-..."
systemctl enable --now backupzit-agentThe console can also install agents itself over SSH or WinRM (Agents → Install on a machine from here). Nothing is installed on VMware ESXi hosts.
Verify a download
sha256sum -c SHA256SUMS --ignore-missingConsoles and agents verify the Ed25519 signature of every update before installing it; see Security.
Updating
The console checks the official releases every day; Settings → Updates → Install backs up the database, installs the signed release and rolls back automatically if the new version does not start. Agents are updated from the console without interrupting running backups. Offline consoles accept the release files by upload on the same page.