What is the recommended method to backup the router?

[LouieLouie]

disclaimer:  amateur with freebsd/opnsense/firewalls.

Would you please recommend a method and scheme to implement automated backups?

Background:  I tried to gpart and resize the freebsd-ufs partition without os backups, and while online/operational.  I recognize how stupid that was, now, especially as I type this.  I recovered opensense using a new image and a backup of the opnsense config.  Time consuming, manual, and not graceful.  I decided to implement a full hard drive backup and an incremental synced backup workflow.  I would like it to be automated.  I searched for installed ports:  none.  /usr/local/ports is missing.  I searched installed pkgs for anything like rsync, not found.  I searched the forum for related issues:  nothing relevant found.

I can implement a hacked solution, but I'm concerned that it will be consistent with my skillset and not be as secure as the philosophical and functional model of opnsense.  Accordingly, I'm hoping to ask for the advice of the more experienced for an appropriate solution.

Thanks in advance,

LouieLouie

[FingerlessGloves]

Hey, why not use the cloud backup option?

https://wiki.opnsense.org/manual/how-tos/cloud_backup.html?highlight=backup

[LouieLouie]

Hi Jonny,

That's a good method for the opnsense config file (especially if it's encrypted).  Unfortunately, the idiocy I executed created a partition level error on the hard drive, and it wouldn't boot.  I need to make the system 'me proof'.  I suspect that self control is part of that, but until that personal growth happens I'd like to back up the entire drive instead of just the opnsense configuration.

Regardless, thank you for offering a suggestion.

[bartjsmit]

The config is all you need to back up. The rest of OPNsense is stateless. If you muck it up, install, flatten the drive, restore config.

Bart...