borg-repo-compress(1)

💖 borg-repo-compress(1) — the borg backup tool's "glow up ur repo" era ✨

okay bestie, welcome to borg-repo-compress 💅 this is the page where your repository gets a whole new lewk. it lives in the borg backup tool family, obvi.

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🌸 Name 🌸

borg-repo-compress — Repository (re-)compression. like, giving ur chunks a makeover. periodt.

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🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

borg [common options] repo-compress [options]

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

Repository (re-)compression (and/or re-obfuscation). yes queen, both at once if u want.

So here's the vibe: it reads all repository objects and recompresses the ones that are not already using the compression type/level and obfuscation level given via --compression. and if u don't pass --compression at all? then it uses the repository's default compression (see borg repo-create), else lz4. that's just how it is, no cap.

The repository is processed one pack file at a time — a pack gets read as a whole, and if it holds objects that need recompression, it gets rewritten as a whole. objects that already use the desired compression are copied into the rewritten pack unchanged, so no unnecessary drama. and a pack whose objects all already use the desired compression? not touched at all. it's giving "if it's not broke don't fix it" ✨

please note that the outcome of recompressing a chunk might not always be the desired compression type/level — if no compression gives a shorter output, that might be chosen; such chunks are kept as they are. lowkey it's doing its best, ok?? 😭

borg repo-compress does not rewrite packs that borg check recorded as corrupt, and it warns about them. borg check --repair --verify-data deletes the corrupt chunks by rewriting their packs. It does not remove damage outside any chunk (e.g. bytes appended to a pack): a pack with such damage and no corrupt chunk stays recorded corrupt and is not rewritten, a pack that also has a corrupt chunk is rewritten with that damage copied into the new pack (refs #10026). like, we are NOT the cleanup crew for everything, that's above our pay grade bestie 🙈

Rewriting a pack invalidates every client's cached chunk index, so the next borg operation of each client will re-fetch the chunk index from the repository. just letting u know so ur not confused later 💖

This command needs free space in the repository for the rewritten pack files (roughly one pack file size while running). so check ur disk before u get too ambitious 💀

If the borg repo-compress process receives a SIGINT signal (Ctrl+C), it stops at the next pack boundary, leaving the repository and its chunk index in a consistent state; running it again later processes the remaining packs. iconic behavior honestly, it cleans up after itself 👑

Both --progress and --stats are recommended when borg repo-compress is used interactively. fr fr, u wanna watch the numbers go brrr 📈

You do not need to run borg compact after borg repo-compress. best news u'll hear all day 💅

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✨ OPTIONS ✨

See borg-common(1) for common options of Borg commands.

🌈 options 🌈

• -C COMPRESSION, --compression COMPRESSION — select compression algorithm, see the output of the borg help compression command for details. Default: the repository default (see borg repo-create), else lz4.
• -s, --stats — print statistics. the receipts, bestie 🧾

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💜 EXAMPLES 💜

# Recompress repository contents
$ borg repo-compress --progress --compression=zstd,3

# Recompress and obfuscate repository contents
$ borg repo-compress --progress --compression=obfuscate,1,zstd,3

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🫶 SEE ALSO 🫶

• borg-common(1)

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👑 Author 👑

The Borg Collective. the whole squad, together 💖

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and that's a wrap bestie!! this page came from the borg backup tool, dated 2026-10-07 — keep slaying out there, and remember: ur repo deserves the glow up 💅✨🦋