Backing Up Data in Rescue Mode
If your server's operating system will not boot, the Linux Rescue System lets you access your files and copy them to a safe external location using rsync over SSH.
Prerequisites: Your server must be booted into the Linux Rescue System and you need a second reachable server or storage location to copy data to. → Starting rescue mode
Step 1: Mount the Server's Filesystem
Identify your main partition using lsblk, then mount it to /mnt:
Mount the partition — replace /dev/sda3 with your actual partition name:
Your server's files are now accessible under /mnt.
Step 2: Understand the rsync Command
The basic structure of the rsync command is:
For a full backup, use the following flags:
| Flag | Purpose |
|---|---|
| -a | Archive mode — preserves permissions, ownership, symlinks, and timestamps. |
| -v | Verbose — shows which files are being transferred. |
| -z | Compress — reduces bandwidth usage during transfer. |
| --progress | Shows a progress indicator for each file being transferred. |
Step 3: Run the Backup
This command copies everything under /mnt (your server's drive) to a /backup folder on the destination server — adjust the IP address, username, and destination path accordingly:
You will be prompted for the SSH password of the user on the destination server. Transfer time depends on the amount of data and your network speed.
Step 4: Next Steps
Once the rsync process completes, your data is safely stored on the destination server. You can now either attempt to repair the server from within rescue mode, or cancel rescue mode and proceed with a fresh OS installation.
Further Documentation
For the full reference of all rsync options, refer to the official rsync documentation.