Update: No need to compile MinIO yourself anymore — MinIO is available on SynoCommunity.
I use Arq to backup my computer to Dropbox (off-site backup) and a Synology NAS (on-site backup). The most obvious approach is to use a folder stored on your NAS. I previously explained how using Autofs can make this easier, but I’ve still found it unreliable and slow.
Arq calculates checksums when performing a backup to verify uploads, and when validating backup data every 60 days. When using the folder approach, Arq needs to download the data to calculate a checksum. S3-compatible storage, however, can calculate the checksum, allowing this work to be offloaded to the NAS making backups and validation faster.
Arq supports S3-compatible storage including MinIO, which can be run on a Synology NAS using Docker. Unfortunately, only Synology devices with an x64 CPU can run Docker. My DS216play has an ARMv7 CPU, so I can’t use the Docker package.
Here’s how you can compile MinIO to run natively on an ARMv7 Synology NAS without Docker. 🎉
Compile MinIO
Before you begin, you need Git and Docker to be installed.
Clone the MinioSPK repository, which contains build scripts for creating a Synology MinIO package.
# Clone the project
git clone https://github.com/darkmuggle/MinioSPK.git
# Change directory
cd MinioSPK
Two commands are needed to compile MinIO.
# Download the MinIO source and logos
make init
# Build the MinIO package for Synology
make arm7
Install MinIO on our Synology NAS
With our newly built package, we are ready to install MinIO.
From Synology DiskStation, the web interface for managing your Synology NAS, open Package Center.
Next, from the Installed section (top left), select Manual Install (top right) to launch the installation and upgrade wizard.
Click Browse to locate the package you compiled, likely similar to minio-2020.04.04-arm-7.spk. Then click Next.
After a short while you’ll be shown a warning because package hasn’t been signed. You will need to click Yes to proceed.
The wizard will prompt you to set the MINIO_ACCESS_KEY and MINIO_SECRET_KEY, and then install MinIO. Once installed you will be able to open MinIO from Package Center. Use the access key and secret key you set during the installation to login.
Configure Arq
Now that you’ve installed MinIO, you can use the guide on the Arq blog Backup to Synology NAS using Minio and Arq.