Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

In the previous post we saw how the MOD Dwarf is much more than a simple multi-effect: is a real Linux audio server. HE, come me, you've spent hours poking around in your browser to create the perfect signal chain, the last thing you want is to lose everything due to a system error or factory reset.

Today we see how to automate pedalboard backup, presets and plugins using the power of SSH and a simple Bash script. No slow graphical interfaces: command line only.

1. Requirements and Access

First, connect the Dwarf to the PC via USB. As we know, the default IP is 192.168.51.1. Make sure you have an SSH client installed on your distro (but on Linux it's practically a given).

ssh root@192.168.51.1

Note: The default password is “mod“. Available in the official MOD Audio documentation. It may vary, depending on the firmware version.

2. Where the data is located?

On the Dwarf, the data we are interested in resides mainly in /data/. In particular:

• Pedalboards: /data/pedalboards/
• User Plugins: /data/plugins/
• Banks: /data/banks/

3. The Automatic Backup Script

Instead of copying files by hand every time, I wrote this little Bash script that creates a compressed archive with the timestamp of the day and downloads it directly to the PC. This script limits writes to the Dwarf's flash memory to a minimum, preserving their life.

#!/bin/bash

# Configurazione
DWARF_IP="192.168.51.1"
BACKUP_DIR="$HOME/Documenti/Backup_MOD_Dwarf"
DATE=$(date +%Y-%m-%d_%H%M)
FILENAME="dwarf_backup_$DATE.tar.gz"

# Creazione cartella locale se non esiste
mkdir -p "$BACKUP_DIR"

echo "Avvio backup del MOD Dwarf..."

# Comando remoto via SSH per creare l'archivio e scaricarlo via pipe
ssh $USER@$DWARF_IP "tar -cz -C /data pedalboards banks user-files 2>/dev/null" > "$BACKUP_DIR/$FILENAME"

if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
    echo "Successo! Backup salvato in: $BACKUP_DIR/$FILENAME"
else
    echo "Errore durante il backup. Controlla la connessione USB."
fi

4. Automation (Optional)

We can also make the script executable with chmod +x backup_dwarf.sh and add it to a alias in yours .bashrc the .zshrc, so just type dwarf-backup in the terminal every time we return from a live show or rehearsals.

Why do it via SSH?

The MOD Dwarf web interface is fantastic for creating sounds, but the terminal always wins on file management. Via SSH it is possible:

• Make selective backups.
• Restore previous configurations in seconds with scp.
• Verify the integrity of the manually installed LV2 files.

Have you customized the script or found different paths for your audio samples (samples)? Let me know in the comments!

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Advise: Remember that Dwarf uses flash memory. Avoid writing scripts that perform backups every 5 minutes to avoid unnecessarily stressing the physical support. Do this when you make any changes, or on a monthly basis.