Raspberry Pi Time machine How to setup a Raspberry Pi as a Time Machine backup server for your Mac. 6 May 2024 4 minute read By Kevin McAleer Share this article on Table of Contents What is Time Machine?Why use a Raspberry Pi as a Time Machine server?PrerequisitesSetting up the Raspberry PiStep 1: Install RaspbianStep 2: Update the systemStep 3: Install SambaConfiguring SambaStep 1: Create a shared folderStep 2: Configure SambaCreate an SMB account on the PiSetup Avahi (Bonjour) on the Raspberry PiStep 1: Create a new service fileStep 2: Restart SambaSetting up Time Machine on your MacStep 1: Open the System PreferencesStep 2: Add a new backup diskStep 3: Enter your SMB credentialsStep 4: Start the backup Tags: Raspberry Pi Time Machine Backup Mac Difficulty: beginner Category: raspberrypi Home Blog Raspberry pi time machine Raspberry Pi Time machine How to setup a Raspberry Pi as a Time Machine backup server for your Mac. 6 May 2024 | 4 minute read | By Kevin McAleer | Share this article on Video For every project I create, I often make a corresponding YouTube video. Sometimes, there might be more than one video for a single project. You can find these videos in this section. Explore more through this this dedicated video. What is Time Machine? Time Machine is a backup software application distributed with the Apple macOS computer operating system. The software is designed to work with external storage devices such as USB drives, SSDs, or network-attached storage (NAS) devices. Time Machine creates incremental backups of files that can be restored at a later date. The software is designed to be user-friendly and requires minimal configuration to set up. Why use a Raspberry Pi as a Time Machine server? Using a Raspberry Pi as a Time Machine server has several advantages: Cost-effective: Raspberry Pi devices are inexpensive and can be repurposed for various projects. Energy-efficient: Raspberry Pi devices consume very little power compared to traditional computers. Always-on: Raspberry Pi devices can be left running 24/7, allowing for continuous backups. Network-attached storage: Raspberry Pi devices can be connected to your local network, making them accessible to multiple devices. Prerequisites Before you begin, you will need the following: A Raspberry Pi with Raspbian installed An external USB drive, or for Raspberry Pi 5, NVMe SSD (with an NVMe HAT) A Mac computer running macOS A local network connection Setting up the Raspberry Pi Step 1: Install Raspbian If you haven’t already, install Raspbian on your Raspberry Pi. You can download the latest version of Raspbian from the Raspberry Pi website. Step 2: Update the system Once Raspbian is installed, update the system by running the following commands: sudo apt update sudo apt upgrade Step 3: Install Samba Samba is a software suite that provides file and print services for Windows, macOS, and Linux systems. Install Samba on your Raspberry Pi by running the following command: sudo apt install samba samba-common Configuring Samba Step 1: Create a shared folder Create a folder on your Raspberry Pi to store the Time Machine backups. You can create the folder using the following command: sudo mkdir /mnt/timemachine sudo chmod 777 -R /mnt/timemachine Step 2: Configure Samba Edit the Samba configuration file to allow access to the shared folder. Open the configuration file in a text editor by running the following command: sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf Add the following lines to the end of the file: [timemachine] path = /mnt/timemachine browseable = yes read only = no guest ok = no create mask = 0600 directory mask = 0700 comment = Raspberry Pi Time Capsule writeable = yes valid users = kev # change this to your user account write list = kev # change this to your user account vfs objects = catia fruit streams_xattr fruit:aapl = yes fruit:time machine = yes Save the file and exit the text editor. Note - use CTLR + x, then s to save your file. Create an SMB account on the Pi Create an SMB account on the Raspberry Pi by running the following command: sudo smbpasswd -a kev # change this to your user account Setup Avahi (Bonjour) on the Raspberry Pi Step 1: Create a new service file Create a new service file for Avahi by running the following command: sudo nano /etc/avahi/services/samba.service Add the following lines to the file: # /etc/avahi/services/samba.service <?xml version="1.0" standalone='no'?><!--*-nxml-*--> <!DOCTYPE service-group SYSTEM "avahi-service.dtd"> <service-group> <name replace-wildcards="yes">%h</name> <service> <type>_smb._tcp</type> <port>445</port> </service> <service> <type>_device-info._tcp</type> <port>9</port> <txt-record>model=TimeCapsule8,119</txt-record> </service> <service> <type>_adisk._tcp</type> <port>9</port> <txt-record>dk0=adVN=backups,adVF=0x82</txt-record> <txt-record>sys=adVF=0x100</txt-record> </service> </service-group> Note - use CTLR + x, then s to save your file. Step 2: Restart Samba Restart the Samba service to apply the changes by running the following command: sudo systemctl restart smbd Setting up Time Machine on your Mac Step 1: Open the System Preferences Open the System Preferences on your Mac and search for “Time Machine.” Step 2: Add a new backup disk Click the Plus (+) button to add a new backup disk. The Raspberry Pi should appear in the list of available disks. Select the Raspberry Pi and click “Use Disk.” Step 3: Enter your SMB credentials Enter the SMB credentials you created earlier on the Raspberry Pi. Step 4: Start the backup Click “Back Up Now” to start the backup process. (You can find this in the System menu at the top right of your screen under the Time Machine icon.) The first back up will take several hours, depending on the size of your Mac’s hard drive. Subsequent backups will be much faster as Time Machine only backs up changes. Liked this article? You might like these too. 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Raspberry Pi Time machine How to setup a Raspberry Pi as a Time Machine backup server for your Mac. 6 May 2024 4 minute read By Kevin McAleer Share this article on Table of Contents What is Time Machine?Why use a Raspberry Pi as a Time Machine server?PrerequisitesSetting up the Raspberry PiStep 1: Install RaspbianStep 2: Update the systemStep 3: Install SambaConfiguring SambaStep 1: Create a shared folderStep 2: Configure SambaCreate an SMB account on the PiSetup Avahi (Bonjour) on the Raspberry PiStep 1: Create a new service fileStep 2: Restart SambaSetting up Time Machine on your MacStep 1: Open the System PreferencesStep 2: Add a new backup diskStep 3: Enter your SMB credentialsStep 4: Start the backup Tags: Raspberry Pi Time Machine Backup Mac Difficulty: beginner Category: raspberrypi
What is Time Machine? Time Machine is a backup software application distributed with the Apple macOS computer operating system. The software is designed to work with external storage devices such as USB drives, SSDs, or network-attached storage (NAS) devices. Time Machine creates incremental backups of files that can be restored at a later date. The software is designed to be user-friendly and requires minimal configuration to set up. Why use a Raspberry Pi as a Time Machine server? Using a Raspberry Pi as a Time Machine server has several advantages: Cost-effective: Raspberry Pi devices are inexpensive and can be repurposed for various projects. Energy-efficient: Raspberry Pi devices consume very little power compared to traditional computers. Always-on: Raspberry Pi devices can be left running 24/7, allowing for continuous backups. Network-attached storage: Raspberry Pi devices can be connected to your local network, making them accessible to multiple devices. Prerequisites Before you begin, you will need the following: A Raspberry Pi with Raspbian installed An external USB drive, or for Raspberry Pi 5, NVMe SSD (with an NVMe HAT) A Mac computer running macOS A local network connection Setting up the Raspberry Pi Step 1: Install Raspbian If you haven’t already, install Raspbian on your Raspberry Pi. You can download the latest version of Raspbian from the Raspberry Pi website. Step 2: Update the system Once Raspbian is installed, update the system by running the following commands: sudo apt update sudo apt upgrade Step 3: Install Samba Samba is a software suite that provides file and print services for Windows, macOS, and Linux systems. Install Samba on your Raspberry Pi by running the following command: sudo apt install samba samba-common Configuring Samba Step 1: Create a shared folder Create a folder on your Raspberry Pi to store the Time Machine backups. You can create the folder using the following command: sudo mkdir /mnt/timemachine sudo chmod 777 -R /mnt/timemachine Step 2: Configure Samba Edit the Samba configuration file to allow access to the shared folder. Open the configuration file in a text editor by running the following command: sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf Add the following lines to the end of the file: [timemachine] path = /mnt/timemachine browseable = yes read only = no guest ok = no create mask = 0600 directory mask = 0700 comment = Raspberry Pi Time Capsule writeable = yes valid users = kev # change this to your user account write list = kev # change this to your user account vfs objects = catia fruit streams_xattr fruit:aapl = yes fruit:time machine = yes Save the file and exit the text editor. Note - use CTLR + x, then s to save your file. Create an SMB account on the Pi Create an SMB account on the Raspberry Pi by running the following command: sudo smbpasswd -a kev # change this to your user account Setup Avahi (Bonjour) on the Raspberry Pi Step 1: Create a new service file Create a new service file for Avahi by running the following command: sudo nano /etc/avahi/services/samba.service Add the following lines to the file: # /etc/avahi/services/samba.service <?xml version="1.0" standalone='no'?><!--*-nxml-*--> <!DOCTYPE service-group SYSTEM "avahi-service.dtd"> <service-group> <name replace-wildcards="yes">%h</name> <service> <type>_smb._tcp</type> <port>445</port> </service> <service> <type>_device-info._tcp</type> <port>9</port> <txt-record>model=TimeCapsule8,119</txt-record> </service> <service> <type>_adisk._tcp</type> <port>9</port> <txt-record>dk0=adVN=backups,adVF=0x82</txt-record> <txt-record>sys=adVF=0x100</txt-record> </service> </service-group> Note - use CTLR + x, then s to save your file. Step 2: Restart Samba Restart the Samba service to apply the changes by running the following command: sudo systemctl restart smbd Setting up Time Machine on your Mac Step 1: Open the System Preferences Open the System Preferences on your Mac and search for “Time Machine.” Step 2: Add a new backup disk Click the Plus (+) button to add a new backup disk. The Raspberry Pi should appear in the list of available disks. Select the Raspberry Pi and click “Use Disk.” Step 3: Enter your SMB credentials Enter the SMB credentials you created earlier on the Raspberry Pi. Step 4: Start the backup Click “Back Up Now” to start the backup process. (You can find this in the System menu at the top right of your screen under the Time Machine icon.) The first back up will take several hours, depending on the size of your Mac’s hard drive. Subsequent backups will be much faster as Time Machine only backs up changes.