What is ente-backups?

ente-backups automates local and remote backups of a photo library stored in Ente, a photo storage service. It runs as a Docker Compose setup meant for a headless server that has enough free storage for a full photo library, such as a Raspberry Pi connected to an external drive. By default it syncs from Ente every hour using the Ente command line tool, and once a day it can also push an encrypted backup of everything to an S3 storage bucket using a tool called restic, though both the schedule and the S3 step can be adjusted. Setting it up starts with copying an example environment file and filling in Ente account details, then building and starting the Docker container. The first time it runs, a person logs into their Ente account from inside the container and points it at an export directory, which needs to match the path configured in the environment file. The first full sync can take hours for a large library, but it can run in the background without needing to stay connected to the terminal. The S3 backup step through restic is optional. If someone wants it, they create an S3 bucket, an access key with permission to read and write to it, and fill those details into the environment file before initializing the restic repository. Leaving those settings empty simply skips the daily backup step rather than causing an error. There is also an optional notification feature using a free service called ntfy.sh, which can send a push notification to a phone or desktop when a sync or backup succeeds or fails. To avoid too many notifications, successful syncs are batched into one daily summary rather than sent every hour, while failures and restic backup results are sent immediately. This feature is also optional and simply stays off if no topic name is configured.