Can I keep running my backups on manual crontabs?

Yes. Agent mode is the recommended setup, but nothing forces you to use it — if you prefer to keep Snaper out of your crontab and run backups from your own cron entries, that is entirely supported.

If Snaper does not manage your scheduling (neither through the agent nor through manage_crontab), Datashelter cannot know when a backup was supposed to run. You will not receive email alerts when an expected backup is missing, only when one actively fails. This is a meaningful downgrade of your monitoring — make sure it is what you want.

If you are on the fence, see:

Still unsure? Reach out to support@datashelter.tech and we’ll help you pick the right setup for your server.