Backup and restore procedures

1. Backing Up Pi-hole Settings

Using the Web Interface

1. Navigate to Settings > Teleporter
2. Click "Backup" to download a .tar.gz file containing:
   • Blocklists
   • Whitelists and blacklists
   • Custom DNS entries
   • DHCP settings (if enabled)

Using the Command Line

Run the following command:

pihole -a -t

This will generate a downloadable backup file.

2. Restoring Pi-hole Settings

Using the Web Interface

1. Navigate to Settings > Teleporter
2. Click "Restore" and upload your previously backed-up .tar.gz file

Manual Restore via Command Line

1. Transfer the backup file to your Pi-hole server
2. Extract the backup: bash tar -xvzf <backup_file>.tar.gz -C /etc/pihole/
3. Restart Pi-hole services: bash sudo service pihole-FTL restart

3. Full System Backup (Optional)

To create a complete backup of the Pi-hole server using tar:

sudo tar -czvf pihole_backup.tar.gz /etc/pihole /etc/dnsmasq.d

Restoring a Full System Backup

sudo tar -xzvf pihole_backup.tar.gz -C /
sudo service pihole-FTL restart

Best Practices

1. Automate regular backups using a cron job:

   echo "0 3 * * * pihole -a -t" | crontab -
   

   This schedules a backup every day at 3 AM.

2. Store backups in a separate location, such as cloud storage or external media.

3. Periodically test your backup restores on a secondary system to ensure they work correctly.