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WebDAV

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The WebDAV integration enables backup and restoration of WebDAV remotes. Any WebDAV-compatible service can be used as a source or destination, including Nextcloud, ownCloud, and self-hosted WebDAV servers.

The WebDAV integration provides two connectors:

Connector type Description
Source connector Back up a WebDAV remote into a Kloset store.
Destination connector Restore a snapshot from a Kloset store to a WebDAV remote.

Installation

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The WebDAV package can be installed using pre-built binaries or compiled from source.

Pre-compiled packages are available for common platforms and provide the simplest installation method.

Logging In

Pre-built packages require Plakar authentication. See Logging in to Plakar for details.

Install the WebDAV package:

$ plakar pkg add webdav

Verify installation:

$ plakar pkg list

Source builds are useful when pre-built packages are unavailable or when customization is required.

Prerequisites:

  • Go toolchain compatible with your Plakar version

Build the package:

$ plakar pkg build webdav

A package archive will be created in the current directory (e.g., webdav_v1.0.0_darwin_arm64.ptar).

Install the package:

$ plakar pkg add ./webdav_v1.0.0_darwin_arm64.ptar

Verify installation:

$ plakar pkg list

To list, upgrade, or remove the package, see managing packages guide.

Configuration

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Protocols

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The integration supports two protocols:

  • davs:// — TLS-encrypted WebDAV. Recommended for all remote connections.
  • dav:// — Unencrypted WebDAV. Requires insecure=true to be explicitly set.
Warning

Only use dav:// on trusted local networks. For any connection over the internet, use davs:// to protect credentials and data in transit.

Configuration options

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These options apply to both connectors.

Option Description
username Optional. Username for basic authentication.
password Optional. Password for basic authentication. Only used if username is set.
insecure Set to true to allow the unencrypted dav:// protocol.

Source connector

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The source connector retrieves files from a WebDAV remote and stores them in a Kloset store with encryption and deduplication.

flowchart LR

subgraph Source["WebDAV Remote"]
  FS["Files"]
end

subgraph Plakar["Plakar"]
  Connector["Retrieve files via
WebDAV"]
  Transform["Encrypt & deduplicate"]
  Connector --> Transform
end

Source --> Connector

Store["Kloset Store"]
Transform --> Store

Register the source and run a backup:

$ plakar source add my-webdav \
  davs://<webdav-host>/path/to/files \
  username=<YOUR_USERNAME> \
  password=<YOUR_PASSWORD>

$ plakar at /var/backups backup "@my-webdav"

To back up a specific path:

$ plakar at /var/backups backup "@my-webdav:subpath"

Example: Nextcloud

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$ plakar source add nextcloud \
  davs://<nextcloud-url>/remote.php/dav/files/<your-user> \
  username=<YOUR_USERNAME> \
  password=<YOUR_PASSWORD>

$ plakar at /var/backups backup "@nextcloud"

Destination connector

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Restores files from a Kloset store back to a WebDAV remote.

flowchart LR

Store["Kloset Store"]

subgraph Plakar["Plakar"]
  Transform["Decrypt & reconstruct"]
  Connector["Restore via
WebDAV"]
  Transform --> Connector
end

Store --> Transform

subgraph Destination["WebDAV Remote"]
  FS["Files"]
end

Connector --> Destination

Register the destination and restore a snapshot:

$ plakar destination add my-webdav-restore \
  davs://<webdav-host>/path/to/files \
  username=<YOUR_USERNAME> \
  password=<YOUR_PASSWORD>

$ plakar at /var/backups restore -to "@my-webdav-restore" <snapshot_id>

Notes

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  • WebDAV does not preserve all filesystem metadata such as Unix permissions and symlinks. Only file content, directory structure, modification times, and basic attributes are captured.
  • Empty directories are preserved.
  • When using dav://, the insecure=true option must be explicitly set.

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