---
name: "backupninja.conf"
section: "5"
platform: "linux"
package: "backupninja"
version: "1.2.2-1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/backupninja.conf"
---

# backupninja.conf(5)

Configuration file(s) for backupninja (1).

## NAME

BACKUPNINJA.CONF - Configuration file(s) for **backupninja (1)**.

## SYNOPSIS

**/etc/backupninja.conf** \

## DESCRIPTION

**backupninja.conf** is the general configuration file. In this file you can set the log level and change the default directory locations.  You can force a different general configuration file with "backupninja -f /path/to/conf".

## OPTIONS

- **loglevel**

  How verbose to make the logs.\
   5 = Debugging messages\
   4 = Informational messages\
   3 = Warnings\
   2 = Errors\
   1 = Fatal errors

- **reportprom**

  Produce prometheus metrics of backup status. Requires \`prometheus-node-exporter\` to be installed.

- **reportemail**

  Send a summary of the backup status to this email address.

- **reportsuccess**

  If set to 'yes', a report email will be generated even if all modules reported success.

- **reportinfo**

  If set to 'yes', info messages from handlers will be sent into the email.

- **reportwarning**

  If set to 'yes', a report email will be generated even if there was no error.

- **reportspace**

  If set to 'yes', disk space usage will be included in the backup email report.

- **reporthost**

  Where to rsync the backupninja.log to be aggregated in a ninjareport.

- **reportuser**

  What user to connect to reporthost to sync the backupninja.log

- **reportdirectory**

  Where on the reporthost should the report go.

- **reportwrap**

  Number of columns the email report body should wrap to.

- **logfile**

  The path of the logfile.

- **configdirectory**

  The directory where all the backup action configuration files live.

- **admingroup**

  Administration user group that is allowed to read/write configuration files in **configdirectory.**

- **scriptdirectory**

  **Where backupninja handler scripts are found.**

- **usecolors**

  **If set to 'yes', use colors in the log file and debug output.**

- **when**

  **When to process each configuration file. The value used here will** **be applied for each configuration file. It is possible to override** **this "when" in each configuration file, see also section** **"Scheduling" in [backup.d(5)](/backup.d/5.md).**

  **For example:**

    **when = sundays at 02:00**\
     **when = 30th at 22**\
     **when = 30 at 22:00**\
     **when = everyday at 01            \<-- the default**\
     **when = Tuesday at 05:00**

  **These values for 'when' are equivalent:**

    **when = tuesday at 05:30**\
     **when = TUESDAYS at 05**

  **These values for 'when' are invalid:**

    **when = tuesday at 2am**\
     **when = tuesday at 2**\
     **when = tues at 02**

- **loglevel = 4**

  ## DEFAULTS

**reportemail = root**\
 **reportsuccess = yes**\
 **reportinfo = no**\
 **reportspace = no**\
 **reporthost =**\
 **reportuser = ninja**\
 **reportdirectory = /var/lib/backupninja/reports**\
 **reportwrap = 1000**\
 **logfile = /var/log/backupninja.log**\
 **configdirectory = /etc/backup.d**\
 **admingroup = root**\
 **scriptdirectory = /usr/share/backupninja**\
 **usecolors = yes**\
 **when = everyday at 01:00**

## SEE ALSO

[**backupninja**(1)](/backupninja/1.md), [**ninjahelper**(1)](/ninjahelper/1.md), [**backup.d**(5)](/backup.d/5.md),\

## AUTHOR

**BACKUPNINJA was written by the riseup.net collective.**