How to restore any Linux system from Cloud-PBS

Restore any amd64 Linux host from Cloud-PBS with the Proxmox Backup Client: list snapshots, restore a full archive or browse and pull individual files.

Last updated: July 22, 2026

The Proxmox Backup Client (proxmox-backup-client) restores what it backed up: any amd64 Linux host, from your Cloud-PBS datastore. You can restore a whole archive or pick individual files. The client must be installed on the host first, see Installing the Proxmox Backup Client.

Two ways to restore

On the command line

proxmox-backup-client restores directly from a terminal. In short:

  1. Point the client at your datastore (the repository and API token from your dashboard).
  2. List the available snapshots to find the one you want.
  3. Restore the archive to a target directory, or mount the backup and copy out just the files you need.

The official Proxmox documentation describes the exact syntax, including for encrypted backups (you provide the same key used at backup time).

Cloud-PBS TUI makes restoring a Linux host much simpler. It lists your snapshots by host and lets you restore a full snapshot or browse and pull individual files, invoking proxmox-backup-client for you. See Browsing and restoring.

Encrypted backups

If the backup was encrypted client-side, you need the same encryption key to restore it. Keep it safe: without it, the data cannot be recovered. See enable backup encryption.