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The restore operation recovers files and directories from snapshots in the repository.

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restore_repository()

Restores files from a snapshot to a local destination. 
pub fn restore_repository<S: IndexedTree>(
    file_infos: RestorePlan,
    repo: &Repository<S>,
    opts: RestoreOptions,
    node_streamer: impl Iterator<Item = RusticResult<(PathBuf, Node)>>,
    dest: &LocalDestination,
) -> RusticResult<()>

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Parameters

  • file_infos: The restore plan containing information about what to restore
  • repo: The repository to restore from
  • opts: Restore options
  • node_streamer: Iterator providing file/directory nodes
  • dest: Destination directory for restored files

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Errors

  • If the restore operation fails

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RestoreOptions

Configuration options for the restore operation.
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delete
bool
default:false
Remove all files/dirs in destination which are not contained in snapshot.
Use with care! Consider using with --dry-run first.
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numeric_id
bool
default:false
Use numeric IDs instead of user/group names when restoring uid/gid.
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no_ownership
bool
default:false
Don’t restore ownership (user/group). Conflicts with numeric_id.
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verify_existing
bool
default:false
Always read and verify existing files. Don’t trust correct modification time and file size.

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RestorePlan

Contains information about what will be restored. 
pub struct RestorePlan {
    pub restore_size: u64,
    pub matched_size: u64,
    pub stats: RestoreStats,
}

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Fields

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restore_size
u64
Total size of data to restore.
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matched_size
u64
Total size of matched content (already exists, no restore needed).
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stats
RestoreStats
Detailed statistics about the restore operation.

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Methods

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to_packs()

Get a list of all pack files needed to perform the restore. 
pub fn to_packs(&self) -> Vec<PackId>
Useful for warming up pack files before doing the actual restore.

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RestoreStats

Statistics about files and directories in a restore operation. 
pub struct RestoreStats {
    pub files: FileDirStats,
    pub dirs: FileDirStats,
}

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FileDirStats

Statistics for files or directories.
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restore
u64
Number of items to restore.
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unchanged
u64
Number of items which are unchanged (determined by date, but not verified).
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verified
u64
Number of items which are verified and unchanged.
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modify
u64
Number of items which are modified.
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additional
u64
Number of additional entries in destination.

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LocalDestination

Represents a local filesystem destination for restore operations. Provides methods for:
  • Creating directories
  • Writing file contents
  • Setting file metadata (permissions, ownership, timestamps)
  • Reading existing files for verification

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Example

use rustic_core::{
    LocalDestination,
    RestoreOptions,
    Repository,
};

// Configure restore options
let opts = RestoreOptions {
    delete: false,
    numeric_id: false,
    no_ownership: false,
    verify_existing: false,
};

// Set up destination
let dest = LocalDestination::new("/restore/target")?;

// Get snapshot to restore
let snapshot_id = "abc123";
let snapshot = repo.get_snapshot(snapshot_id)?;

// Create restore plan
let node_streamer = repo.get_node_streamer(snapshot.tree)?;
let restore_plan = collect_and_prepare(
    &repo,
    opts,
    node_streamer.clone(),
    &dest,
    false, // dry_run
)?;

println!("Restore size: {} bytes", restore_plan.restore_size);
println!("Files to restore: {}", restore_plan.stats.files.restore);

// Perform restore
restore_repository(restore_plan, &repo, opts, node_streamer, &dest)?;
println!("Restore completed!");

​
Notes

  • Restore uses the modification time and file size to detect unchanged files
  • Use verify_existing to always verify file contents (slower but more thorough)
  • The delete option removes files from destination that aren’t in the snapshot
  • Restore operations are optimized to skip files that haven’t changed
  • Multiple reader threads (up to 20) are used for parallel restore

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