LockBox CLI documentation

Quick start

Put LockBox.Cli.exe in a folder included in PATH, or call it by full path. The --cli marker is accepted for compatibility but is not required in the CLI-only build.

.\LockBox.Cli.exe --help
.\LockBox.Cli.exe device-id
.\LockBox.Cli.exe algorithms
.\LockBox.Cli.exe keygen --count 3

Minimal create and open workflow:

$env:LBX_MASTER = "use-a-long-master-password"
$env:LBX_L1 = "layer-1-key"

.\LockBox.Cli.exe create `
  --source "D:\Data" `
  --output "E:\Backups\data.lbx" `
  --master-env LBX_MASTER `
  --layer-env AES-128-GCM=LBX_L1

.\LockBox.Cli.exe open `
  --container "E:\Backups\data.lbx" `
  --output "D:\Restore" `
  --master-env LBX_MASTER `
  --key-env LBX_L1

Linux uses the same commands with slash paths and a binary without the .exe suffix:

chmod +x ./LockBox.Cli
./LockBox.Cli --help
./LockBox.Cli device-id
./LockBox.Cli create \
  --source "/srv/data" \
  --output "/backup/data.lbx" \
  --master-env LBX_MASTER \
  --layer-env AES-128-GCM=LBX_L1

Install and verify the CLI

Extract the ZIP for your operating system and CPU. The executable includes .NET. Compare the package hash with SHA256SUMS.txt. The following recipes assume the executable has been placed at the absolute path shown in the next section; check help and license under the account that will run backups.

Linux also needs the distribution's native dependencies, including ICU and OpenSSL; bundled .NET does not supply them. On Windows, PowerShell scripts must be allowed by the effective execution policy.

.NET / Linux · PowerShell / ExecutionPolicy

Expand-Archive -LiteralPath '.\LockBox-Cli-win-x64.zip' -DestinationPath 'C:\Tools\LockBox'
& 'C:\Tools\LockBox\LockBox.Cli.exe' --help
& 'C:\Tools\LockBox\LockBox.Cli.exe' license
Get-FileHash -LiteralPath '.\LockBox-Cli-win-x64.zip' -Algorithm SHA256

uname -m
unzip LockBox-Cli-linux-x64.zip -d ./lockbox-cli
chmod +x ./lockbox-cli/LockBox.Cli
./lockbox-cli/LockBox.Cli --help
./lockbox-cli/LockBox.Cli license
sha256sum LockBox-Cli-linux-x64.zip

SHA256SUMS.txt

Windows x64   -> LockBox-Cli-win-x64.zip
Windows x86   -> LockBox-Cli-win-x86.zip
Windows ARM64 -> LockBox-Cli-win-arm64.zip
Linux x86_64  -> LockBox-Cli-linux-x64.zip
Linux aarch64 -> LockBox-Cli-linux-arm64.zip
Linux armv7l  -> LockBox-Cli-linux-arm.zip

Folders, paths and storage

Replace the example paths with your own. The source must be a nonempty folder; the container must be outside it. Reusing an output name replaces the previous container and its parts. Reserve space for temporary files beside the container, plus a source copy for scheduled jobs. Size units use powers of 1024; padding adds bytes, not a target total size.

C:\Tools\LockBox\LockBox.Cli.exe     /opt/lockbox/LockBox.Cli
C:\LockBox\secrets\master.txt       /srv/lockbox/secrets/master.txt
C:\LockBox\secrets\layer1.txt       /srv/lockbox/secrets/layer1.txt
C:\LockBox\backup.ps1               /srv/lockbox/backup.sh
D:\Data\report.csv                 /srv/data/report.csv
E:\Backups\20260910-020000\data.lbx  /backup/20260910-020000/data.lbx
D:\Restore\Data\report.csv         /restore/data/report.csv

& 'C:\Tools\LockBox\LockBox.Cli.exe' create --source 'D:\Data' --output 'E:\Backups\data.lbx' --master-file 'C:\LockBox\secrets\master.txt' --layer-file 'AES-128-GCM=C:\LockBox\secrets\layer1.txt'

/opt/lockbox/LockBox.Cli create --source /srv/data --output /backup/data.lbx --master-file /srv/lockbox/secrets/master.txt --layer-file AES-128-GCM=/srv/lockbox/secrets/layer1.txt

Prepare reusable secret files

Generate secrets once, keep a protected backup and restrict file access to the backup account. These examples refuse to replace existing keys. Secret files use UTF-8; trailing line breaks are removed, spaces are preserved. Never regenerate keys before opening older backups.

$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
$cli = 'C:\Tools\LockBox\LockBox.Cli.exe'
$secretDir = 'C:\LockBox\secrets'
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path $secretDir | Out-Null
$files = @('master.txt', 'layer1.txt')
foreach ($name in $files) {
    if (Test-Path -LiteralPath (Join-Path $secretDir $name)) {
        throw "Secret already exists: $name"
    }
}
foreach ($name in $files) {
    $key = & $cli keygen --count 1
    if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw 'Key generation failed' }
    [IO.File]::WriteAllText((Join-Path $secretDir $name), [string]$key, [Text.UTF8Encoding]::new($false))
}

set -eu
umask 077
mkdir -p /srv/lockbox/secrets
test ! -e /srv/lockbox/secrets/master.txt
test ! -e /srv/lockbox/secrets/layer1.txt
set -C
/opt/lockbox/LockBox.Cli keygen --count 1 > /srv/lockbox/secrets/master.txt
/opt/lockbox/LockBox.Cli keygen --count 1 > /srv/lockbox/secrets/layer1.txt

Activation and license status

The license key is bound to the device ID printed by the same CLI build. If a license is copied to another PC, LockBox rejects it and falls back to Free.

Windows checks the existing LockBox application data locations. Linux stores activation in $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/lockbox/.lockbox.license, then ~/.config/lockbox/.lockbox.license, with ~/.lockbox/.lockbox.license as a fallback.

.\LockBox.Cli.exe device-id

.\LockBox.Cli.exe license

Activate from a license file

.\LockBox.Cli.exe activate --license-file "C:\Licenses\lockbox-license.txt"

Activate from an environment variable

$env:LBX_LICENSE = "LBX-LIC-..."
.\LockBox.Cli.exe activate --license-env LBX_LICENSE

Activate inline

Inline activation works, but it can leak through shell history or process logs.

.\LockBox.Cli.exe activate --license "LBX-LIC-..."

Linux activation

export LBX_LICENSE="LBX-LIC-..."
./LockBox.Cli activate --license-env LBX_LICENSE
./LockBox.Cli license

Secret handling

Prefer environment variables or files. Inline secrets are useful for testing only. Master passwords and layer keys must be preserved: without them the container cannot be opened.

File-based secrets

Set-Content -Path ".\master.txt" -Value "master-password" -Encoding UTF8
Set-Content -Path ".\layer1.txt" -Value "layer-key-1" -Encoding UTF8

.\LockBox.Cli.exe create `
  -s "D:\Data" `
  -o "E:\Backups\data.lbx" `
  --master-file ".\master.txt" `
  --layer-file AES-128-GCM=.\layer1.txt

Algorithms and key generation

Use algorithms to see all supported profiles and minimum editions. Use keygen for layer keys.

.\LockBox.Cli.exe algorithms
.\LockBox.Cli.exe keygen
.\LockBox.Cli.exe keygen --count 9
.\LockBox.Cli.exe generate-keys -n 20

Supported command aliases:

algorithms
list-algorithms
profiles

keygen
generate-key
generate-keys

Create containers

create packs a source folder, applies optional compression and padding, encrypts the payload through one or more layers, and writes a .lbx container.

Required options

• --source or -s: source folder.
• --output or -o: output .lbx path.
• --master, --master-env, or --master-file.
• At least one layer: --layer, --layer-env, or --layer-file.

Minimal AES container

.\LockBox.Cli.exe create `
  -s "D:\Data" `
  -o "E:\Backups\data.lbx" `
  --master-env LBX_MASTER `
  --layer-env AES-128-GCM=LBX_L1

Compressed container

.\LockBox.Cli.exe create `
  --source "D:\Exports" `
  --output "E:\Backups\exports.lbx" `
  --master-env LBX_MASTER `
  --layer-env AES-256-GCM=LBX_L1 `
  --compress

Crypto padding

.\LockBox.Cli.exe create `
  -s "D:\Contracts" `
  -o "E:\Backups\contracts.lbx" `
  --master-env LBX_MASTER `
  --layer-env AES-256-GCM=LBX_L1 `
  --padding 2GB

Split container into parts

.\LockBox.Cli.exe create `
  -s "D:\Media" `
  -o "E:\Backups\media.lbx" `
  --master-env LBX_MASTER `
  --layer-env AES-256-GCM=LBX_L1 `
  --split 700MB

The first part keeps .lbx. Additional parts use .lbx1, .lbx2, and so on. Keep all parts in the same folder.

Nine-layer Max example

$env:LBX_MASTER = "use-a-long-master-password"
$env:LBX_L1 = "layer-1-key"
$env:LBX_L2 = "layer-2-key"
$env:LBX_L3 = "layer-3-key"
$env:LBX_L4 = "layer-4-key"
$env:LBX_L5 = "layer-5-key"
$env:LBX_L6 = "layer-6-key"
$env:LBX_L7 = "layer-7-key"
$env:LBX_L8 = "layer-8-key"
$env:LBX_L9 = "layer-9-key"

.\LockBox.Cli.exe create `
  --source "D:\Data" `
  --output "E:\Backups\data-max.lbx" `
  --master-env LBX_MASTER `
  --compress `
  --padding 2GB `
  --split 700MB `
  --layer-env AES-256-GCM=LBX_L1 `
  --layer-env CHACHA20-POLY1305=LBX_L2 `
  --layer-env AES-256-CCM=LBX_L3 `
  --layer-env SERPENT-256-CTR-HMACSHA512=LBX_L4 `
  --layer-env TWOFISH-256-CTR-HMACSHA512=LBX_L5 `
  --layer-env CAMELLIA-256-CTR-HMACSHA512=LBX_L6 `
  --layer-env ARIA-256-CTR-HMACSHA512=LBX_L7 `
  --layer-env AES-256-CBC-HMACSHA512=LBX_L8 `
  --layer-env AES-192-OFB-HMACSHA384=LBX_L9

Alternative algorithm/key syntax

.\LockBox.Cli.exe create `
  -s "D:\Data" `
  -o "E:\Backups\data.lbx" `
  --master-env LBX_MASTER `
  --algorithm AES-128-GCM --key-env LBX_L1 `
  --algorithm AES-128-CTR-HMACSHA256 --key-env LBX_L2

Delete source after successful manual creation

.\LockBox.Cli.exe create `
  -s "D:\TempToEncrypt" `
  -o "E:\Backups\temp.lbx" `
  --master-env LBX_MASTER `
  --layer-env AES-256-GCM=LBX_L1 `
  --delete-source

--delete-source deletes the source folder only after the container is created successfully. Scheduler has a different option: --delete-source-contents.

Container destruction password

Max edition can add a separate destruction password to a container. If that password is entered later as the master password, LockBox immediately overwrites the container without confirmation. This is intended for coercion-pressure scenarios. Keep it separate from the real master password.

The command verifies free disk space, encrypts the original container data with a fresh random secret and AES-256-GCM into a temporary file, normalizes the result to the exact original size, replaces the original file, and forgets the random secret. For split containers, every .lbx, .lbx1, .lbx2 part in the same folder is replaced while preserving the original part sizes.

Create with a destruction password

$env:LBX_MASTER = "real-master-password"
$env:LBX_L1 = "layer-key-1"
$env:LBX_DESTROY = "pressure-password"

.\LockBox.Cli.exe create `
  --source "D:\Data" `
  --output "E:\Backups\data.lbx" `
  --master-env LBX_MASTER `
  --layer-env AES-256-GCM=LBX_L1 `
  --destruction-password-env LBX_DESTROY

Trigger destruction without layer keys

.\LockBox.Cli.exe open `
  --container "E:\Backups\data.lbx" `
  --output "D:\Restore" `
  --master-env LBX_DESTROY

Linux trigger

export LBX_DESTROY="pressure-password"
./LockBox.Cli open \
  --container "/backup/data.lbx" \
  --output "/restore" \
  --master-env LBX_DESTROY

After successful destruction the container is no longer a valid LockBox file. The CLI returns exit code 0 because the requested destruction action completed successfully.

Open containers

open extracts a container to the output folder. For normal extraction, layer keys must be passed in the same order used during creation. For a destruction-password workflow, only the container path, output path, and destruction password as the master password are required.

Open a one-layer container

.\LockBox.Cli.exe open `
  --container "E:\Backups\data.lbx" `
  --output "D:\Restore" `
  --master-env LBX_MASTER `
  --key-env LBX_L1

Open a split container

.\LockBox.Cli.exe open `
  -c "E:\Backups\data.lbx" `
  -o "D:\Restore" `
  --master-env LBX_MASTER `
  --key-env LBX_L1

Open a multi-layer container

.\LockBox.Cli.exe open `
  -c "E:\Backups\data-max.lbx" `
  -o "D:\Restore" `
  --master-env LBX_MASTER `
  --key-env LBX_L1 `
  --key-env LBX_L2 `
  --key-env LBX_L3 `
  --key-env LBX_L4 `
  --key-env LBX_L5 `
  --key-env LBX_L6 `
  --key-env LBX_L7 `
  --key-env LBX_L8 `
  --key-env LBX_L9

Aliases

open
decrypt
extract

Verify a backup by restoring it

Create a small source file named report.csv for this example. Restore into a new folder: the original source folder name is preserved inside it. Keep all split parts together. Compare restored files with the unchanged source. Extraction needs writable space beside the container for temporary data; protect the restored plaintext as well.

$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
$cli = 'C:\Tools\LockBox\LockBox.Cli.exe'
$container = 'E:\Backups\data.lbx'
$restore = Join-Path 'D:\RestoreChecks' ([guid]::NewGuid().ToString('N'))
& $cli open --container $container --output $restore --master-file 'C:\LockBox\secrets\master.txt' --key-file 'C:\LockBox\secrets\layer1.txt'
if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { exit $LASTEXITCODE }
$original = (Get-FileHash -LiteralPath 'D:\Data\report.csv' -Algorithm SHA256).Hash
$restored = (Get-FileHash -LiteralPath (Join-Path $restore 'Data\report.csv') -Algorithm SHA256).Hash
if ($original -ne $restored) { throw 'SHA256 mismatch' }
Write-Output $restore

set -eu
umask 077
mkdir -p /restore
restore=$(mktemp -d /restore/check-XXXXXX)
/opt/lockbox/LockBox.Cli open --container /backup/data.lbx --output "$restore" --master-file /srv/lockbox/secrets/master.txt --key-file /srv/lockbox/secrets/layer1.txt
cmp /srv/data/report.csv "$restore/data/report.csv"
sha256sum /srv/data/report.csv "$restore/data/report.csv"

Scheduler

Scheduler commands are available in Max edition. They store full task metadata in an encrypted .lbxjobs file, including source path, output path, passwords, destruction password, layer keys, compression, padding, splitting, and delete-source-contents setting.

Scheduled jobs run only while LockBox.Cli.exe schedule run is running. Use Windows Task Scheduler, Linux systemd, cron, a service wrapper, or a long-running console session if you need the worker to start automatically after reboot.

Frequency values

once
30m
hourly
2h
3h
6h
9h
12h
18h
daily
2d
3d
5d
weekly
2w
monthly
2mo
3mo
6mo
9mo
yearly

Add a daily encrypted backup task

$env:LBX_JOBS_PASSWORD = "jobs-file-password"
$env:LBX_MASTER = "master-password"
$env:LBX_L1 = "layer-key-1"
$env:LBX_DESTROY = "pressure-password"

.\LockBox.Cli.exe schedule add `
  --tasks "E:\Backups\jobs.lbxjobs" `
  --password-env LBX_JOBS_PASSWORD `
  --name "Nightly data backup" `
  --frequency daily `
  --start ((Get-Date).AddDays(1).ToString("o")) `
  --source "D:\Data" `
  --output "E:\Backups\nightly-data.lbx" `
  --master-env LBX_MASTER `
  --layer-env AES-256-GCM=LBX_L1 `
  --destruction-password-env LBX_DESTROY `
  --compress

Add a task that deletes source folder contents after success

.\LockBox.Cli.exe schedule add `
  --tasks "E:\Backups\jobs.lbxjobs" `
  --password-env LBX_JOBS_PASSWORD `
  --name "Encrypt outgoing folder" `
  --frequency 30m `
  --start ((Get-Date).AddDays(1).ToString("o")) `
  --source "D:\Outgoing" `
  --output "E:\Backups\outgoing.lbx" `
  --master-env LBX_MASTER `
  --layer-env AES-256-GCM=LBX_L1 `
  --delete-source-contents

Add a monthly archive with padding and split parts

.\LockBox.Cli.exe schedule add `
  --tasks "E:\Backups\jobs.lbxjobs" `
  --password-env LBX_JOBS_PASSWORD `
  --name "Monthly legal archive" `
  --frequency monthly `
  --start ((Get-Date).AddDays(1).ToString("o")) `
  --source "D:\Legal" `
  --output "E:\Archives\legal-monthly.lbx" `
  --master-env LBX_MASTER `
  --layer-env AES-256-GCM=LBX_L1 `
  --compress `
  --padding 4GB `
  --split 2GB

List saved tasks

.\LockBox.Cli.exe schedule list `
  --tasks "E:\Backups\jobs.lbxjobs" `
  --password-env LBX_JOBS_PASSWORD

Run the scheduler worker

.\LockBox.Cli.exe schedule run `
  --tasks "E:\Backups\jobs.lbxjobs" `
  --password-env LBX_JOBS_PASSWORD `
  --state "E:\Backups\jobs.status.json" `
  --poll-seconds 30

Run due tasks once and exit

.\LockBox.Cli.exe schedule run-once `
  --tasks "E:\Backups\jobs.lbxjobs" `
  --password-env LBX_JOBS_PASSWORD `
  --state "E:\Backups\jobs.status.json"

Show latest runtime status

.\LockBox.Cli.exe schedule status --state "E:\Backups\jobs.status.json"

Status markers are [OK], [RUNNING], and [FAILED]. A failed task includes the reason and tells the user to contact support if the problem repeats.

JSON scripts

Use --script when a workflow has several steps. The script runner supports create, open, keygen, algorithms, device-id, license, and activate.

Create and open in one script

{
  "stopOnError": true,
  "commands": [
    {
      "command": "create",
      "source": "D:\\Data",
      "output": "E:\\Backups\\data.lbx",
      "masterPasswordEnv": "LBX_MASTER",
      "destructionPasswordEnv": "LBX_DESTROY",
      "compression": true,
      "padding": "512MB",
      "split": "700MB",
      "layers": [
        { "algorithm": "AES-256-GCM", "keyEnv": "LBX_L1" },
        { "algorithm": "CHACHA20-POLY1305", "keyEnv": "LBX_L2" }
      ]
    },
    {
      "command": "open",
      "container": "E:\\Backups\\data.lbx",
      "output": "D:\\Restore",
      "masterPasswordEnv": "LBX_MASTER",
      "keyEnvs": [ "LBX_L1", "LBX_L2" ]
    }
  ]
}

.\LockBox.Cli.exe --script ".\backup.lockbox.json"

Continue after a failed step

{
  "stopOnError": false,
  "commands": [
    { "command": "license" },
    { "command": "algorithms" },
    {
      "command": "create",
      "source": "D:\\BuildOutput",
      "output": "E:\\Artifacts\\build.lbx",
      "masterPasswordEnv": "LBX_MASTER",
      "layers": [
        { "algorithm": "AES-128-GCM", "keyEnv": "LBX_L1" }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Activate from script

{
  "commands": [
    {
      "command": "activate",
      "licenseKeyFile": "C:\\Licenses\\lockbox-license.txt"
    },
    { "command": "license" }
  ]
}

JSON fields and execution rules

The table maps create fields and open key arrays to CLI options. Paths are relative to the process working directory, not the JSON file. Variables and timestamps inside strings are not expanded. Use one secret source per field; open keys are collected as keys, then keyEnvs, then keyFiles. Prefer stopOnError: true: with false, a later successful step can mask an earlier failure. Scheduler commands are not supported inside JSON scripts.

{
  "stopOnError": true,
  "commands": [
    {
      "command": "create",
      "source": "/srv/data",
      "output": "/backup/data.lbx",
      "masterPasswordFile": "/srv/lockbox/secrets/master.txt",
      "layers": [
        { "algorithm": "AES-128-GCM", "keyFile": "/srv/lockbox/secrets/layer1.txt" }
      ]
    },
    {
      "command": "open",
      "container": "/backup/data.lbx",
      "output": "/restore/check",
      "masterPasswordFile": "/srv/lockbox/secrets/master.txt",
      "keyFiles": ["/srv/lockbox/secrets/layer1.txt"]
    }
  ]
}

/opt/lockbox/LockBox.Cli --quiet script /srv/lockbox/backup.lockbox.json

Automation recipes

Encrypted database dump backup

$stamp = Get-Date -Format "yyyyMMdd-HHmmss"
$dump = "D:\DbDumps\$stamp"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $dump | Out-Null

Copy-Item "D:\DatabaseExports\*" $dump -Recurse

.\LockBox.Cli.exe create `
  -s $dump `
  -o "E:\Backups\db-$stamp.lbx" `
  --master-env LBX_MASTER `
  --layer-env AES-256-GCM=LBX_L1 `
  --compress `
  --padding 512MB

CI artifact protection

.\LockBox.Cli.exe create `
  --source "$env:BUILD_ARTIFACTSTAGINGDIRECTORY" `
  --output "$env:AGENT_TEMPDIRECTORY\protected-artifacts.lbx" `
  --master-env LBX_MASTER `
  --layer-env AES-128-GCM=LBX_L1

Secure partner transfer

.\LockBox.Cli.exe create `
  -s "D:\PartnerPackage" `
  -o "E:\Transfer\partner-package.lbx" `
  --master-env LBX_MASTER `
  --layer-env AES-256-GCM=LBX_L1 `
  --layer-env CHACHA20-POLY1305=LBX_L2 `
  --compress `
  --split 1GB

Long-term archive

.\LockBox.Cli.exe create `
  -s "D:\Records\2026" `
  -o "E:\ColdStorage\records-2026.lbx" `
  --master-file "C:\Secrets\records-master.txt" `
  --layer-file AES-256-GCM=C:\Secrets\records-layer1.txt `
  --layer-file SERPENT-256-CTR-HMACSHA512=C:\Secrets\records-layer2.txt `
  --compress `
  --padding 8GB `
  --split 4GB

Batch file example

@echo off
set LBX_MASTER=master-password
set LBX_L1=layer-key-1

LockBox.Cli.exe create ^
  --source "D:\Data" ^
  --output "E:\Backups\data.lbx" ^
  --master-env LBX_MASTER ^
  --layer-env AES-128-GCM=LBX_L1

if errorlevel 1 exit /b %errorlevel%
echo OK

Windows: back up several folders

Save the script at the path shown. It creates a separate, uniquely named container and log for each source, stops on failure and preserves the CLI exit code. This AES-128-GCM recipe works in Free; compression and splitting require Pro or Max.

C:\LockBox\backup.ps1

param(
    [string[]]$Source = @('D:\Data'),
    [string]$Destination = 'E:\Backups'
)
$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
$cli = 'C:\Tools\LockBox\LockBox.Cli.exe'
$secretDir = 'C:\LockBox\secrets'
try {
    foreach ($folder in $Source) {
        $sourcePath = (Resolve-Path -LiteralPath $folder).Path
        $stamp = (Get-Date).ToUniversalTime().ToString('yyyyMMdd-HHmmss-fff')
        $runId = [guid]::NewGuid().ToString('N')
        $runDir = Join-Path $Destination "$stamp-$runId"
        New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $runDir | Out-Null
        $container = Join-Path $runDir 'data.lbx'
        $log = Join-Path $runDir 'create.log'
        $cliArgs = @(
            '--quiet', 'create', '--source', $sourcePath, '--output', $container,
            '--master-file', (Join-Path $secretDir 'master.txt'),
            '--layer-file', ('AES-128-GCM=' + (Join-Path $secretDir 'layer1.txt'))
        )
        $ErrorActionPreference = 'Continue'
        & $cli @cliArgs > $log 2>&1
        $result = $LASTEXITCODE
        $ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
        if ($result -ne 0) {
            Get-Content -LiteralPath $log
            exit $result
        }
        if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $container -PathType Leaf)) {
            throw "Container missing: $container"
        }
        Write-Output $container
    }
    exit 0
} catch {
    Write-Error $_ -ErrorAction Continue
    exit 1
}

& 'C:\LockBox\backup.ps1' -Source 'D:\Data', 'D:\Reports' -Destination 'E:\Backups'
# 0 = success; 1 = runtime error; 2 = usage error; 3 = edition restriction
$LASTEXITCODE

Linux: unattended backups

Save the Bash script with LF line endings. Install the CLI and prepare the secret files at the paths shown. Pass source folders as arguments. Each run gets a unique directory; failures leave a log and return a nonzero code. Source files remain in place.

/srv/lockbox/backup.sh

#!/bin/bash
set -eu
umask 077
cli=/opt/lockbox/LockBox.Cli
secret_dir=/srv/lockbox/secrets
backup_root=/backup
mkdir -p "$backup_root"
if [ "$#" -eq 0 ]; then
    set -- /srv/data
fi
for source in "$@"; do
    run_dir=$(mktemp -d "$backup_root/$(date -u +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)-XXXXXX")
    container="$run_dir/data.lbx"
    log="$run_dir/create.log"
    "$cli" --quiet create \
        --source "$source" \
        --output "$container" \
        --master-file "$secret_dir/master.txt" \
        --layer-file "AES-128-GCM=$secret_dir/layer1.txt" > "$log" 2>&1 || {
        result=$?
        cat "$log" >&2
        exit "$result"
    }
    test -s "$container"
    printf '%s\n' "$container"
done

/bin/bash /srv/lockbox/backup.sh /srv/data /srv/reports

Run backups on an OS schedule

These tasks launch the backup scripts above; Max is not required for this use of create. Windows registration below runs only while the selected user is logged in; configure execution while logged out in Task Scheduler if needed. Add the cron entry to the backup user's crontab after checking flock is installed. Both examples run at 02:00 local time and prevent overlapping scheduled instances. Check account permissions and test manually first.

Windows

$action = New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute 'powershell.exe' -Argument '-NoProfile -NonInteractive -File "C:\LockBox\backup.ps1"' -WorkingDirectory 'C:\LockBox'
$trigger = New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -Daily -At '02:00'
$settings = New-ScheduledTaskSettingsSet -StartWhenAvailable -MultipleInstances IgnoreNew -ExecutionTimeLimit ([TimeSpan]::Zero)
$principal = New-ScheduledTaskPrincipal -UserId ([Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]::GetCurrent().Name) -LogonType Interactive
Register-ScheduledTask -TaskName 'LockBox backup' -Action $action -Trigger $trigger -Settings $settings -Principal $principal
Start-ScheduledTask -TaskName 'LockBox backup'
Get-ScheduledTaskInfo -TaskName 'LockBox backup'

New-ScheduledTaskSettingsSet · New-ScheduledTaskPrincipal

Linux: cron

crontab -e

0 2 * * * /usr/bin/flock -n /srv/lockbox/backup.lock /bin/bash /srv/lockbox/backup.sh >> /srv/lockbox/cron.log 2>&1

crontab(5)

Max: operate a scheduler worker

First create the lockbox service account, grant access to the listed paths, activate Max for that account and prepare a separate UTF-8 jobs.txt password file. Add each task once: add appends, it does not update. Keep one worker per task file and restart it after changing definitions. The status JSON is telemetry, not a resume checkpoint: restarting skips overdue recurring occurrences, while an overdue once task can run again. For periodic OS launches use create, not repeated run-once. The built-in scheduler reuses its configured output name.

/opt/lockbox/LockBox.Cli schedule add \
  --tasks /srv/lockbox/jobs.lbxjobs \
  --password-file /srv/lockbox/secrets/jobs.txt \
  --name nightly-data --frequency daily \
  --start "$(date -d 'tomorrow 02:00' --iso-8601=seconds)" \
  --source /srv/data --output /backup/nightly-data.lbx \
  --master-file /srv/lockbox/secrets/master.txt \
  --layer-file AES-128-GCM=/srv/lockbox/secrets/layer1.txt

/opt/lockbox/LockBox.Cli schedule list --tasks /srv/lockbox/jobs.lbxjobs --password-file /srv/lockbox/secrets/jobs.txt

/etc/systemd/system/lockbox-scheduler.service

[Unit]
Description=LockBox scheduler
After=local-fs.target
RequiresMountsFor=/srv/data /srv/lockbox /backup

[Service]
Type=simple
User=lockbox
WorkingDirectory=/srv/lockbox
UMask=0077
ExecStart=/opt/lockbox/LockBox.Cli schedule run --tasks /srv/lockbox/jobs.lbxjobs --password-file /srv/lockbox/secrets/jobs.txt --state /srv/lockbox/jobs.status.json --poll-seconds 30
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=10
KillSignal=SIGINT
TimeoutStopSec=300

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now lockbox-scheduler.service
systemctl status lockbox-scheduler.service
journalctl -u lockbox-scheduler.service -n 50 --no-pager
/opt/lockbox/LockBox.Cli schedule status --state /srv/lockbox/jobs.status.json

systemd.service

Command reference

Create options

Open options

Scheduler options

Use --language or --lang to select the console language and --quiet to suppress routine progress; errors still go to standard error. Ctrl+C requests cancellation and returns code 1. Code 2 means invalid command syntax; code 3 means a creation feature is unavailable in the current edition. Code 0 also covers an intentionally triggered destruction password, so it does not by itself prove that files were extracted. Verify the expected output before subsequent automation steps.

Exit codes and backup monitoring

A zero exit code from schedule run-once does not guarantee task success; schedule status also returns zero for missing status. Check savedAt, lastSuccessAt and lastError. An [OK] marker can mean merely Ready. This monitor expects daily backups, a live worker polling every 30 seconds and a success within 26 hours; adjust thresholds for your schedule. The JSON stores numeric states. With --quiet, successful create/open commands produce no routine output.

$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
try {
    $status = Get-Content -LiteralPath 'E:\Backups\jobs.status.json' -Raw | ConvertFrom-Json
    if (@($status.tasks).Count -eq 0) { throw 'No tasks in status file' }
    if ([DateTimeOffset]$status.savedAt -lt [DateTimeOffset]::Now.AddMinutes(-2)) {
        throw 'Worker status is stale'
    }
    foreach ($task in $status.tasks) {
        if ($task.state -eq 3 -or $task.lastError) { throw "Task failed: $($task.name)" }
        if (-not $task.lastSuccessAt -or [DateTimeOffset]$task.lastSuccessAt -lt [DateTimeOffset]::Now.AddHours(-26)) {
            throw "No recent successful backup: $($task.name)"
        }
    }
    exit 0
} catch {
    Write-Error $_ -ErrorAction Continue
    exit 1
}

0 -> Ready
1 -> Running
2 -> Completed
3 -> Failed

Troubleshooting