---
name: "cyr_backup"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "cyrus-common"
version: "3.10.2-1+deb13u2"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/cyr_backup"
---

# cyr\_backup(8)

Cyrus IMAP documentation Inspect contents of Cyrus backups.

## NAME

cyr\_backup - Cyrus IMAP documentation

Inspect contents of Cyrus backups.

## SYNOPSIS

```
cyr_backup [OPTIONS] [MODE] backup list chunks
cyr_backup [OPTIONS] [MODE] backup list mailboxes
cyr_backup [OPTIONS] [MODE] backup list messages
cyr_backup [OPTIONS] [MODE] backup list all
cyr_backup [OPTIONS] [MODE] backup show mailboxes [ mboxname | uniqueid ]...
cyr_backup [OPTIONS] [MODE] backup show messages guid...
cyr_backup [OPTIONS] [MODE] backup dump chunk id
cyr_backup [OPTIONS] [MODE] backup dump message guid
cyr_backup [OPTIONS] [MODE] backup json chunks
cyr_backup [OPTIONS] [MODE] backup json mailboxes
cyr_backup [OPTIONS] [MODE] backup json messages
cyr_backup [OPTIONS] [MODE] backup json headers guid...
```

## DESCRIPTION

**NOTE:**

*Cyrus Backups are experimental, incomplete, and deprecated as of 3.10.*

**cyr\_backup** *is a tool for inspecting the contents of a Cyrus backup.*

**cyr\_backup** *reads its configuration options out of the [imapd.conf(5)](/imapd.conf/5.md) file unless specified otherwise by* **-C***.*

*In all invocations, backup is interpreted according to the specified MODE.* *See Modes below.*

**cyr\_backup** *provides the following sub-commands:*

- **list**

  ```
  cyr_backup [OPTIONS] [MODE] backup list chunks
  cyr_backup [OPTIONS] [MODE] backup list mailboxes
  cyr_backup [OPTIONS] [MODE] backup list messages
  cyr_backup [OPTIONS] [MODE] backup list all
  ```

  *List chunks, mailboxes, or messages contained in backup.*

- **show**

  ```
  cyr_backup [OPTIONS] [MODE] backup show mailboxes [ mboxname | uniqueid ]...
  cyr_backup [OPTIONS] [MODE] backup show messages guid...
  ```

  **show mailboxes** *shows the contents (i.e. the contained messages) of* *mailboxes matching each given mboxname or uniqueid in the named* *backup.  The uid, expunged time, and guid of each message are shown.*

  **show messages** *shows details of messages matching each given guid in* *the named backup.  The guid, containing mailboxes, and MIME headers of* *each message are shown.*

- **dump**

  ```
  cyr_backup [OPTIONS] [MODE] backup dump chunk id
  cyr_backup [OPTIONS] [MODE] backup dump message guid
  ```

  *Dump the contents of the specified chunk or message contained in the named* *backup to standard out.  Chunks are output as uncompressed backup data* *format (which is a replication protocol stream).  Messages are output in* *their on-disk format (typically MIME).*

  **dump chunk** *is mainly useful for diagnostic purposes.*

  **dump message** *may be useful as part of a manual message restoration* *process, when the restoration destination does not support the* *[restore(8)](/restore/8.md) command.*

- **json**

  ```
  cyr_backup [OPTIONS] [MODE] backup json chunks
  cyr_backup [OPTIONS] [MODE] backup json mailboxes
  cyr_backup [OPTIONS] [MODE] backup json messages
  cyr_backup [OPTIONS] [MODE] backup json headers guid...
  ```

  *Dump information about the chunks, mailboxes or messages contained in the* *named backup to standard out, in JSON format.*

## OPTIONS

- **-C config-file**

  *Use the specified configuration file config-file rather than the default [imapd.conf(5)](/imapd.conf/5.md).*

- **-v, --verbose**

  *Increase the verbosity.  Can be specified multiple times.*

## MODES

- **-f, --filename**

  *backup is interpreted as a filename.  The named file does not need to be* *known about in the backups database.*

- **-m, --mailbox**

  *backup is interpreted as a mailbox name.  There must be a known backup* *for the user whose mailbox this is.*

  *Known backups are recorded in the database specified by the* **backup\_db** *and* **backup\_db\_path** *configuration options.*

- **-u, --userid**

  *backup is interpreted as a userid.  There must be a known backup for* *the specified user.*

  *This is the default if no mode is specified.*

## EXAMPLES

## HISTORY

## FILES

## SEE ALSO

*[restore(8)](/restore/8.md)*

## AUTHOR

*The Cyrus Team*

## COPYRIGHT

*1993–2025, The Cyrus Team*