All folders get their original modification time back on a restore

The backup records the time of the folders with something in them, packed in the meta record,
so an older version still reads the snapshot. A restore through Nextcloud leaves a folder that
was already there alone. The round trip checks what Nextcloud shows, not only the disk.

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -11,6 +11,62 @@ Each heading starts with that `<version>`, once: the app store shows a release t
 whose heading starts with its `x.y.z` and ignores anything after it, so `## [1.0.0-rc.6]` would be
 shown under 1.0.0. The git tag of a release candidate goes after the date.
 
+## [Unreleased]
+
+### Added
+- Pin a restore point, on the restore page or with `occ backup:pin`: the retention policy leaves it
+  alone, for example the one from before an upgrade. Unpinning notifies all administrators.
+- A note on a restore point that you can change afterwards, on the restore page or with
+  `occ backup:note`. Pins and notes are stored encrypted on the location, so a new server sees them.
+  An older version of NG Backup can still read the location, but drops them when it writes to it.
+- A schedule per location: off, once a day, or every N hours from a given time, on the page under
+  Backups or with `occ backup:target:schedule`. After the update every location keeps the time that
+  held for all of them; a new location starts with the schedule of the first one.
+- All folders get their original modification time back on a restore, not only the empty ones, from
+  the first backup made with this version. An older version of NG Backup can still read new restore
+  points. A restore through Nextcloud into a folder that is already there leaves its time alone.
+
+### Changed
+- Locations are backed up one after the other: a backup that has to wait shows as queued. A restore
+  point has the time its backup really began, not the time it was queued.
+- Choosing a time no longer starts a backup right away when that time has already passed today.
+- A location without a schedule no longer gets the notification that it has had no recent backup.
+  Instead, all administrators are told when a schedule is turned off, and reminded once a week while
+  another location is still backed up, or every day when none is.
+- A file or folder that is left out because of its name now gets a notification of its own, in the
+  log and in `occ backup:run`. It says the item is missing from the backup, gives example paths and
+  asks to rename it; before, it was reported as unreadable, with advice about permissions.
+
+## [1.0.3] - 2026-11-06
+
+### Fixed
+- Empty folders are backed up and restored (#27), in `occ backup:restore`, `occ backup:restore:full`
+  and the restore page, where they are shown too. They come back from the first backup made with
+  this version; older restore points do not contain them. An older version of NG Backup can still
+  read new restore points, and then only leaves the empty folders out.
+- A full disk during a restore no longer looks like a damaged backup. The restore now stops with a
+  message about the disk, also with `--salvage`, and does not point at `--salvage` any more. The same
+  goes for other trouble writing to the restore directory, such as permissions.
+- A file or folder whose name a snapshot cannot hold (a backslash, a control character, not UTF-8) is
+  left out and reported as unreadable. Before, a backslash or control character could make the whole
+  restore point unreadable, and a name that is not UTF-8 made the backup fail.
+- A restore that goes on after a stop also removes the temporary files in folders where every file
+  is already in place, and checks that those folders are inside the restore directory before it
+  leaves their files alone.
+- After a restore that was killed and then ran again, a backup no longer has to wait up to two hours
+  for the locks of the killed run.
+- A restore only removes read-ahead folders of its own (`.ngb-restore-spool-` with 8 hex digits).
+- A restore keeps its lock on the location during a long row of files that are already in place.
+- A database restore that fails no longer leaves behind tables it created, which could stop the
+  installation of that app later. When only NG Backup's own settings cannot be put back after the
+  database was restored, `--salvage` no longer says the database is still the fresh one.
+- A connection that breaks while opening a pack on the location (seen with SMB) is retried once and
+  is handled by `--salvage`, instead of stopping the restore with the error of the storage.
+- Without a system cron, several running backups take turns while the page is open.
+- The Bin tab shows how far it is while it reads the removed restore points, which can take a while.
+  It also shows when it cannot read a location, instead of an empty bin, and refreshes when a run
+  ends.
+
 ## [1.0.2] - 2026-11-06
 
 ### Added
@@ -55,6 +111,9 @@ shown under 1.0.0. The git tag of a release candidate goes after the date.
 
 ### Known issues
 - Empty folders are not backed up or restored; to be fixed in 1.0.3 (#27).
+- A full disk during a restore looks like a damaged backup ("Size mismatch"), and with `--salvage`
+  the restore goes on and lists the remaining files. The backup itself is fine: make room and run
+  the restore again. To be fixed in 1.0.3.
 
 ## [1.0.1] - 2026-11-01
 

PLAN.md

@@ -437,7 +437,47 @@ in README "Known limitations":
   met vertraging is nog niet gemeten); Bin-tabblad; schatting `target:add`; nieuwe screenshots
   (1–3 vervangen, 4-bin erbij; in `info.xml` bij de release naar tag v1.0.2 laten wijzen en
   4-bin toevoegen). Getest: unit (208), psalm, integratie NC35 sqlite/pgsql, S3/SFTP/FTP/SMB,
-  volledige restore met `--salvage`. Nog te doen: DR-test, release.
+  volledige restore met `--salvage`. **1.0.2 uitgebracht 2026-11-06** (tag `v1.0.2`, PR #28).
+- **Naar 1.0.3, uit de reviews van 1.0.2 (achteraf gedraaid, 2026-11-06):**
+  1. Lege mappen (#27).
+  2. Een volle schijf onder `--salvage` telt als beschadigde backup en de restore gaat door; zonder
+     `--salvage` wijst de melding er ten onrechte naar. `fwrite` controleren, schrijffouten stoppen de
+     restore (`Repository::restoreEntries`; ook `RestoreService::writeFile` nakijken). Beide reviews.
+  3. Hervatten: controle op de doelmap vóór het overslaan, en tijdelijke bestanden ook opruimen in
+     een map waar alles al klopt.
+  4. Alleen `.ngb-restore-spool-<hex>` opruimen.
+  5. Salvage-test: tijdelijke bestanden recursief zoeken; `admin` en `frtest` apart controleren.
+  6. Nog nakijken: lease verversen bij overgeslagen bestanden; fout ná de database-commit
+     (`restoreOwnAppConfig`) en tabellen die na een rollback blijven staan; backups zonder cron
+     via de pagina (eerlijke beurten, stappen die de webtimeout halen); Bin verversen en fouten
+     tonen; SMB-uitzondering bij het openen van een pack onder `--salvage`.
+  Niet doen: bij hervatten de inhoud vergelijken (grootte en mtime is ook het criterium van de backup).
+  **Stand op branch `1.0.3` (2026-11-06):** punten 1-6 gebouwd. Lege mappen staan in het metarecord
+  van de snapshot, niet tussen de bestanden: 1.0.2 en ouder lezen zo'n snapshot gewoon en slaan alleen
+  de lege mappen over. Geen webtimeout-wijziging zonder cron: alleen in de code nagelopen, niet getest
+  (Nextcloud zet de PHP-tijdslimiet ruim, een gestopte stap wordt overgedaan); wel eerlijke beurten.
+  Bin leest in delen met teller en balk (besluit 2026-11-06, ook met oog op meerdere backups per
+  dag). Getest: unit (volle schijf op echte tmpfs), integratie NC35 sqlite/pgsql/mysql, sftp, salvage,
+  salvage-files; Bin in een echte browser met vertraagde verzoeken (1 van 7 t/m 7). Nog: reviews
+  vóór de PR, README-regels bij de versiecommit.
+  **Simulaties (2026-11-06, NC 34.0.4, 2 GB, lokale SFTP, `~/dev-local/ngb-sim/sim.sh`):** normaal
+  (pgsql), stop en hervat (pgsql → MariaDB, restore met kill -9 gestopt), volle schijf met `--salvage`:
+  alle drie geslaagd, alle 3.101 gebruikersbestanden en 7 lege mappen gelijk, share, agenda en WebDAV
+  werken. Vond één fout, opgelost: na een kill bleven vergrendelingen tot 2 uur staan, waardoor de
+  backup van stap 11 werd geweigerd. `files:scan` "Updated" zijn in de gemeten run alleen mappen
+  (mtime van mappen wordt niet teruggezet, dus nieuwe mtime en etag; bestanden ongemoeid). "Removed":
+  o.a. `cache` van een gebruiker, die de backup uitsluit. Waarschijnlijk verklaart dit ook de 50.080
+  "updated" op nc01, niet op nc01 zelf vastgesteld.
+  **Naar 1.1.0 of 1.2.0 (besluit 2026-11-06):** alle mappen krijgen bij een restore hun oorspronkelijke
+  tijd terug. Hoort zo, vooral bij oudere verzamelingen: de maptijd wordt gebruikt om in te schatten
+  wanneer een map is aangemaakt. De backup moet dan de tijd van alle mappen vastleggen en de restore
+  die aan het eind terugzetten; werkt pas vanaf de eerste backup met die versie. Op de roadmap onder 1.1.0.
+  **1.0.3 uitgebracht (2026-11-06)**, ook op nc01 geïnstalleerd.
+- **Branches (besluit 2026-11-06):** werk voor een versie op een branch met die naam (`1.0.3`);
+  `polish` alleen voor kleine cosmetische zaken, per geval bekijken of en wanneer die gemerged
+  worden. SMB staat uit op sub5 en sub6; sub6 is het testaccount, eerst aanzetten voor een SMB-test.
+  Na 1.0.3 gaat het werk naar `1.1.0`. Een spoedfix die niet kan wachten gaat op `1.0.4` vanaf `main`,
+  krijgt een eigen merge en release; daarna `main` in `1.1.0` mergen, zodat daar met de fix getest wordt.
 - **1.0.1** (uitgebracht 2026-11-01): alleen de kleine punten (besluit 2026-10-30): 4, 6–13. Punten 1, 2 en 5 gaan naar
   1.0.2 (README-roadmap aangepast); punt 3 is een test, ingepland voor de week van 2 november,
   niet aangekondigd en los van de release. Voor 1.0.2 ook: nieuwe screenshots (het labelveld bij
@@ -532,7 +572,18 @@ in README "Known limitations":
 - **Polish:** `target:add` toonde bij het eerste indexbestand al "about 642 min left" (S3,
   4.568 bestanden, daarna binnen een minuut klaar): een schatting pas na ~5% of na meer dan
   een paar bestanden.
-- **1.1.0:**
+- **1.1.0** (geen harde datum: een week was een voorzet, langer mag; de releasefrequentie mag omlaag,
+  besluit 2026-11-06):
+  **Betere melding voor namen die een snapshot niet kan bevatten** (backslash, stuurteken, geen UTF-8):
+  een eigen melding in plaats van "unreadable" met het advies over rechten. Zegt dat deze bestanden of
+  mappen in de backup ontbreken, geeft voorbeelden van de paden en vraagt ze te hernoemen; de volgende
+  backup neemt ze mee. Alleen als Nextcloud-melding: de app mailt niet zelf, of meldingen gemaild worden
+  is de keuze van de beheerder (besluit 2026-11-06).
+  **Stand op branch `1.1.0` (2026-11-07):** klaar: betere melding, punten 4, 5, 6 en 8. Pin en notitie staan
+  in de catalogus, met een kopie in de database voor de lijsten. Een moment van vóór het instellen van
+  een schema start niets. Geen schema: geen melding "geen recente backup", wel een melding aan alle
+  beheerders bij het uitzetten en een herinnering, wekelijks zolang een andere locatie een schema heeft,
+  anders dagelijks (besluit 2026-11-07). Nog niet getest: de update vanaf 1.0.3, de pagina in een browser.
   1. `backup:key:import` zonder kit: de sleutel-slots van de locatie (`config`) lezen, met de kit
      als reserve als `config` ontbreekt of niet opent. Vergt een andere volgorde van
      `target:add` en sleutelimport (het gevoeligste pad), daarom niet in rc1. Daarna de
@@ -564,11 +615,10 @@ in README "Known limitations":
      nooit opruimt (bijv. "vóór de upgrade naar NC 35"), in de lijst en met
      `occ backup:pin <snapshot>` / `--unpin`. Op de locatie bewaren (catalogus), zodat de
      opschoning het ziet, ook na een DR; vastgepinde punten tellen niet mee in last/daily/weekly.
-  9. **Feedbackvraag weghalen** in 1.1.0 of 1.2.0 (besluit 2026-10-27): de regel "We would like
+  9. **Feedbackvraag weghalen in 1.2.0** (besluit 2026-11-07, niet in 1.1.0): de regel "We would like
      to hear how NG Backup works for you ... Share your experience" in de beheerpagina blijft tot
-     dan staan (de vermelding "in beta" is er in 1.0.1 al af). Zijn er tegen die
+     dan staan. Er komt weinig feedback bij zo'n 150 downloads per versie; geen bericht is goed
-     tijd geen noemenswaardige meldingen, dan werkt het: mensen melden eerder wat niet werkt dan
+     bericht. Het formulier (`experience.yml`) in de issues blijft.
-     wat gewoon werkt. Het formulier (`experience.yml`) mag blijven voor wie het zelf opzoekt.
 - **Bevindingen DR-test op PVE02 (2026-10-17, snapshot van nc01, 1 TB, AIO → gewone NC 34 met
   PostgreSQL 18)** — voor **1.0.0-rc.2**:
   1. Tabellen van apps die bij de backup **niet aanstonden** (restanten: Deck, ONLYOFFICE,

README.md

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ installations and hosted Nextcloud. (Choosing SMB as a storage backend is the on
 see "Storage backend experiences" below — that requirement comes from files_external, not from
 ng_backup, and applies to any Nextcloud app that writes to an SMB share.)
 
-**Status: 1.0.2, stable.** Disaster recovery has been tested on real installations (see "Tested
+**Status: 1.0.3, stable.** Disaster recovery has been tested on real installations (see "Tested
 disaster recoveries" below). See "Known limitations" below, `PLAN.md` for the design and
 `docs/HOWTO.md` for a step-by-step guide from setup to a tested restore. Server lost? See
 `docs/DISASTER-RECOVERY.md`.
@@ -169,6 +169,7 @@ Full restores onto a fresh server, following only [the guide](docs/DISASTER-RECO
 |---|---|---|---|
 | Production, about 1 TB, 150,000 files (Nextcloud All-in-One) | Hetzner Storage Box (SFTP), Germany → Canada | PostgreSQL → PostgreSQL | 150,622 files restored in about 25 h (13-14 MiB/s), sample identical |
 | The same, 1.0.2 | Hetzner Storage Box (SMB), Germany → Canada | PostgreSQL → PostgreSQL | 150,755 files restored in about 29 h (7-13 MiB/s), going on after a lost connection; sample identical, empty folders not restored ([#27](https://github.com/dillardblom/ng_backup/issues/27)) |
+| 1.0.3, small simulations of 2 GB: as planned, with the restore killed halfway, and with a disk that runs full | Local SFTP server | PostgreSQL → PostgreSQL and MariaDB | all 3,101 user files and all empty folders identical; users, a share and a calendar back |
 | 138 GB simulation: 20 users, calendars, contacts, mail, shares, team folders with an ACL, versions, trash | OVH S3, Warsaw → Canada | MariaDB → PostgreSQL | all 15,772 files and every database count identical |
 | The same | OVH S3 | MariaDB → MariaDB | all 15,772 files and every database count identical |
 | The same | Hetzner Storage Box (SMB), Germany → Canada | MariaDB → SQLite | all 15,772 files and every database count identical (27.6 h, about 1.5 MB/s) |
@@ -265,15 +266,12 @@ What is planned, without dates. Ideas and votes are welcome in the
 [issues](https://github.com/dillardblom/ng_backup/issues); if something you need is listed here,
 a 👍 on its issue helps decide what comes first.
 
-**1.0.3**
-- Empty folders in the backup and the restore
-  ([#27](https://github.com/dillardblom/ng_backup/issues/27)).
-
 **1.1.0**
 - Restore without the recovery kit: the backup key from the location itself, opened with one of
   your passphrases.
 - A schedule per location, also "every N hours".
 - Locations backed up one after the other instead of at the same time.
+- All folders get their original modification time back on a restore, not only the empty ones.
 - A note on a restore point that you can change afterwards.
 - Pinning a restore point, so the retention policy never removes it (for example the one from
   before an upgrade).
@@ -293,9 +291,11 @@ a 👍 on its issue helps decide what comes first.
 
 On the backlog; know them before you rely on NG Backup:
 
-- **Empty folders do not come back.** A backup only records files, so a folder without files is
+- **Empty folders only come back from backups made with 1.0.3 or newer.** Older restore points do
-  not restored. To be fixed in 1.0.3
+  not contain them.
-  ([#27](https://github.com/dillardblom/ng_backup/issues/27)).
+- **Folders with files in them only get their original modification time back from backups made with
+  1.1.0 or newer.** From older restore points they show the time of the restore; the files keep theirs.
+  A restore through Nextcloud into a folder that is already there leaves that folder's time alone.
 - **Only the data directory is backed up.** Object storage as primary storage (`objectstore` in
   `config.php`) is not supported: a backup refuses to start there. Folders mounted through the
   External storage app are not in the data directory and are **not included**, without a warning.
@@ -330,10 +330,12 @@ On the backlog; know them before you rely on NG Backup:
 | `backup:key:init`, `backup:key:kit`, `backup:key:confirm` | create the key, recovery kit, confirmation |
 | `backup:key:slots`, `backup:key:slot:add/replace/remove` | passphrase slots |
 | `backup:target:backends/add/edit/list/remove/append-only` | backup locations |
+| `backup:target:schedule` | when a location is backed up: off, daily, or every N hours |
 | `backup:run`, `backup:status`, `backup:list` | back up, status (runs of the last 7 days; `--all` for all), restore points |
 | `backup:cancel <run>` | stop a running backup |
 | `backup:browse`, `backup:restore` | browse and restore |
 | `backup:retention`, `backup:prune`, `backup:trash`, `backup:trash:restore` | retention, cleanup, trash |
+| `backup:pin`, `backup:note` | keep a restore point, a note you can change later |
 | `backup:verify` | checksum audit of a restore point (`--deep` downloads and decrypts everything) |
 | `backup:restore:full` | whole-server restore onto a fresh installation (after `backup:key:import`) |
 | `backup:key:import` | import a recovery kit on a fresh installation |

appinfo/info.xml

@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ welcome: use the "Share your experience" link on the admin page.
 
 Developed and sponsored by [Ensembia](https://www.ensembia.com). We can offer (paid) assistance if
 you need help with restoring a backup after a crash.]]></description>
-    <version>1.0.2</version>
+    <version>1.0.3</version>
     <licence>agpl</licence>
     <author mail="dillard.blom@ensembia.com">Dillard Blom</author>
     <namespace>NgBackup</namespace>
@@ -56,10 +56,10 @@ you need help with restoring a backup after a crash.]]></description>
     <website>https://github.com/dillardblom/ng_backup</website>
     <bugs>https://github.com/dillardblom/ng_backup/issues</bugs>
     <repository type="git">https://github.com/dillardblom/ng_backup</repository>
-    <screenshot>https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dillardblom/ng_backup/v1.0.2/screenshots/1-backups.png</screenshot>
+    <screenshot>https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dillardblom/ng_backup/v1.0.3/screenshots/1-backups.png</screenshot>
-    <screenshot>https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dillardblom/ng_backup/v1.0.2/screenshots/2-restore.png</screenshot>
+    <screenshot>https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dillardblom/ng_backup/v1.0.3/screenshots/2-restore.png</screenshot>
-    <screenshot>https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dillardblom/ng_backup/v1.0.2/screenshots/3-settings.png</screenshot>
+    <screenshot>https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dillardblom/ng_backup/v1.0.3/screenshots/3-settings.png</screenshot>
-    <screenshot>https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dillardblom/ng_backup/v1.0.2/screenshots/4-bin.png</screenshot>
+    <screenshot>https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dillardblom/ng_backup/v1.0.3/screenshots/4-bin.png</screenshot>
     <dependencies>
         <php min-version="8.1"/>
         <lib>sodium</lib>
@@ -83,11 +83,14 @@ you need help with restoring a backup after a crash.]]></description>
         <command>OCA\NgBackup\Command\ListSnapshots</command>
         <command>OCA\NgBackup\Command\Browse</command>
         <command>OCA\NgBackup\Command\Restore</command>
+        <command>OCA\NgBackup\Command\Pin</command>
+        <command>OCA\NgBackup\Command\Note</command>
         <command>OCA\NgBackup\Command\Prune</command>
         <command>OCA\NgBackup\Command\Retention</command>
         <command>OCA\NgBackup\Command\TargetAppendOnly</command>
         <command>OCA\NgBackup\Command\TargetTrustCurrent</command>
         <command>OCA\NgBackup\Command\TargetLimit</command>
+        <command>OCA\NgBackup\Command\TargetSchedule</command>
         <command>OCA\NgBackup\Command\Trash</command>
         <command>OCA\NgBackup\Command\TrashRestore</command>
         <command>OCA\NgBackup\Command\KeySlots</command>

appinfo/routes.php

@@ -25,8 +25,10 @@ return [
 		['name' => 'AdminApi#setTargetLimit', 'url' => '/api/targets/{id}/limit', 'verb' => 'PUT'],
 		['name' => 'AdminApi#startBackup', 'url' => '/api/backups', 'verb' => 'POST'],
 		['name' => 'AdminApi#tick', 'url' => '/api/tick', 'verb' => 'POST'],
-		['name' => 'AdminApi#setSchedule', 'url' => '/api/schedule', 'verb' => 'PUT'],
+		['name' => 'AdminApi#setTargetSchedule', 'url' => '/api/targets/{id}/schedule', 'verb' => 'PUT'],
 		['name' => 'AdminApi#snapshots', 'url' => '/api/targets/{targetId}/snapshots', 'verb' => 'GET'],
+		['name' => 'AdminApi#setSnapshotNote', 'url' => '/api/targets/{targetId}/snapshots/{snapshotId}/note', 'verb' => 'PUT'],
+		['name' => 'AdminApi#setSnapshotPinned', 'url' => '/api/targets/{targetId}/snapshots/{snapshotId}/pin', 'verb' => 'PUT'],
 		['name' => 'AdminApi#browse', 'url' => '/api/targets/{targetId}/snapshots/{snapshotId}/browse', 'verb' => 'GET'],
 		['name' => 'AdminApi#startRestore', 'url' => '/api/restores', 'verb' => 'POST'],
 	],

docs/DISASTER-RECOVERY.md

@@ -117,7 +117,18 @@ first. If none is better, `--salvage` restores whatever can be read:
 
     occ backup:restore:full offsite <snapshot> --install-apps --salvage
 
+If a restore already stopped halfway, run it as in step 8: maintenance mode off, with `--force` and
+without `--install-apps`:
+
+    occ maintenance:mode --off && occ backup:restore:full offsite <snapshot> --salvage --force
+
 - Files that cannot be read are left out and listed at the end; everything else is restored.
+- A full disk is not damage: the restore stops, also with `--salvage`, and says so. Make room and
+  run the restore again as in step 8.
+- **On version 1.0.2, check the disk first if the reason is "Size mismatch".** There a full disk
+  looks like damaged data: the message points at `--salvage`, and with `--salvage` the restore goes
+  on and lists the remaining files. The backup itself is fine. Update NG Backup, make room and run
+  the restore again as in step 8.
 - If the database cannot be restored (its dump is damaged, or it does not fit this
   installation), the database stays as the fresh installation made it, and the data directory
   and config of the backup go to a folder of their own in the data directory,
@@ -140,9 +151,12 @@ The command then ends with exit code 2 instead of 0. The same option exists for
 - From Nextcloud All-in-One to a regular server: also check the cache settings (`memcache.*`,
   `redis`), which point at AIO's containers.
 - Log in, open a few files, a calendar and a contact.
-- Empty folders do not come back: a backup only records files (to be fixed in 1.0.3, see
+- `occ files:scan` can report many folders as "Updated". That is expected: a restore does not yet put
-  [issue #27](https://github.com/dillardblom/ng_backup/issues/27)). `occ files:scan` then removes
+  back the modification time of folders with files in them, so they show the time of the restore.
-  them from the file cache, so it reports them as removed.
+  The files themselves keep their time and content.
+- Empty folders only come back from backups made with version 1.0.3 or newer. With an older
+  restore point they are gone: `occ files:scan` then removes them from the file cache, so it reports
+  them as removed.
 - Start background jobs again (cron), as in step 2 in reverse.
 
 **10. Point your domain at the new server** and check that clients reconnect.

docs/HOWTO.md

@@ -79,7 +79,9 @@ occ backup:list
 Later runs upload only changed data. An unchanged run uploads (almost) nothing; the output shows
 the number of uploaded bytes, so check that value when you test incremental behaviour.
 
-Schedule `occ backup:run` from system cron (or use the Administration settings, if you prefer).
+Set when each location is backed up in the Administration settings, or with
+`occ backup:target:schedule offsite 02:00` (once a day), `02:00/6` (every 6 hours from 02:00) or `off`.
+Locations are backed up one after the other.
 
 ## 4. Check the backup regularly
 
@@ -173,8 +175,13 @@ occ backup:prune offsite --dry-run   # show first
 occ backup:prune offsite             # apply the policy; forgotten snapshots go to the trash first
 occ backup:trash                  # list the trash
 occ backup:trash:restore offsite <id>
+occ backup:pin offsite <id>          # keep this restore point; --unpin to undo
+occ backup:note offsite <id> "text"  # a note you can change later; without text it is removed
 ```
 
+The retention policy leaves a pinned restore point alone, and a pinned one does not take the place of
+a daily, weekly or monthly one. Pin and note are stored on the location, so a new server sees them too.
+
 Snapshots are kept according to the policy, and their data is deleted only after the deletion delay
 (set with `backup:key:init --delete-delay-days`). `occ backup:prune offsite --dry-run` shows what would be
 removed without changing anything.

lib/Backend/StorageBackend.php

@@ -124,7 +124,13 @@ final class StorageBackend implements IBackend, IReadsAhead {
 			// null: not supported or failing for now; false: not opened, which need not mean
 			// missing. Either way the storage's own stream decides.
 		}
+		try {
 			$fh = $this->storage->fopen($this->abs($path), 'r');
+		} catch (\Exception $e) {
+			// Some storages throw for what is not a missing file (SMB: a connection that broke).
+			// As a BackendException, the caller reads once more and --salvage can go on.
+			throw new BackendException('Cannot read ' . $path . ': ' . $e->getMessage(), 0, $e);
+		}
 		if ($fh === false) {
 			throw new BackendException('Not found: ' . $path);
 		}

lib/BackgroundJob/BackupJob.php

@@ -43,25 +43,27 @@ final class BackupJob extends TimedJob {
 		$this->setTimeSensitivity(IJob::TIME_SENSITIVE);
 	}
 
-	private const MAX_DAILY_ATTEMPTS = 3;
-
 	protected function run($argument): void {
 		$budget = PHP_SAPI === 'cli' ? 240.0 : 20.0;
 		$deadline = microtime(true) + $budget;
 		$this->startScheduled();
-		foreach ($this->runs->findRunning(null, BackupService::KIND_FULL) as $run) {
+		// One after the other: runs that read the same disks at the same time are not faster together.
+		foreach ($this->backups->runsInTurn() as $run) {
 			while (microtime(true) < $deadline && $run->getStatus() === 'running') {
 				$next = $this->backups->step($run, min($deadline, microtime(true) + $budget));
 				if ($next === $run) {
-					break; // step() hands back the same object when another process holds the run's lease
+					break 2; // step() hands back the same object when another process holds the run's lease
 				}
 				$run = $next;
 			}
 		}
 		$this->failStaleRestores();
 		$this->weeklyPrune();
-		foreach ($this->targets->list() as $t) {
+		$targets = $this->targets->list();
+		foreach ($targets as $t) {
 			$this->alerts->checkStale($t);
+			$othersActive = array_filter($targets, static fn ($o) => $o->getId() !== $t->getId() && (string)$o->getSchedule() !== '') !== [];
+			$this->alerts->checkOff($t, $othersActive);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -102,21 +104,18 @@ final class BackupJob extends TimedJob {
 		$this->appConfig->setValueString(Application::APP_ID, 'last_prune_week', $due);
 	}
 
-	/** Daily schedule: "HH:MM" in the schedule's time zone (see Schedule); empty = no schedule. */
+	/** Start the backups the schedules of the locations ask for; they run in turn (see LocationSchedule). */
 	private function startScheduled(): void {
-		$todayAt = $this->schedule->todayAt();
+		$now = time();
-		if ($todayAt === null || time() < $todayAt) {
-			return;
-		}
 		foreach ($this->targets->list() as $t) {
-			$last = $this->runs->lastFinished($t->getId(), BackupService::KIND_FULL);
+			$moment = \OCA\NgBackup\Service\LocationSchedule::lastMoment((string)$t->getSchedule(), $this->schedule->zoneOr($t->getScheduleZone()), $now);
-			if ($this->runs->findRunning($t->getId(), BackupService::KIND_FULL) !== [] || ($last !== null && $last->getStartedAt() >= $todayAt)) {
+			if ($moment === null || $this->runs->findRunning($t->getId(), BackupService::KIND_FULL) !== []) {
 				continue;
 			}
-			// After a failure: retry at most MAX_DAILY_ATTEMPTS times a day, an hour apart, instead
+			$attempts = $this->runs->startedSince($t->getId(), BackupService::KIND_FULL, $moment);
-			// of starting (and notifying about) a new full run every five minutes all day.
+			if (!\OCA\NgBackup\Service\LocationSchedule::isDue($moment, (int)$t->getScheduleSince(),
-			$today = $this->runs->startedSince($t->getId(), BackupService::KIND_FULL, $todayAt);
+				$this->runs->lastFinished($t->getId(), BackupService::KIND_FULL)?->getStartedAt(),
-			if (count($today) >= self::MAX_DAILY_ATTEMPTS || ($today !== [] && time() - (int)$today[0]->getFinishedAt() < 3600)) {
+				count($attempts), ($attempts[0] ?? null)?->getFinishedAt(), $now)) {
 				continue;
 			}
 			try {

lib/Command/ListSnapshots.php

@@ -40,14 +40,14 @@ final class ListSnapshots extends Command {
 		foreach ($targets as $t) {
 			foreach ($this->snapshots->findForTarget($t->getId()) as $s) {
 				$rows[] = [$t->getName(), $s->getSnapshotId(), Format::time($s->getCreatedAt(), $zone), $s->getKind(),
-					$s->getFiles(), sprintf('%.1f GiB', ($s->getBytes() ?? 0) / 1073741824), $s->getLabel() ?? ''];
+					$s->getFiles(), sprintf('%.1f GiB', ($s->getBytes() ?? 0) / 1073741824), $s->getPinned() ? 'yes' : '', $s->getLabel() ?? '', $s->getNote() ?? ''];
 			}
 		}
 		if ($rows === []) {
 			$output->writeln('No snapshots yet (occ backup:run).');
 			return 0;
 		}
-		(new Table($output))->setHeaders(['location', 'snapshot', "date ($zone)", 'kind', 'files', 'size', 'label'])->setRows($rows)->render();
+		(new Table($output))->setHeaders(['location', 'snapshot', "date ($zone)", 'kind', 'files', 'size', 'pinned', 'label', 'note'])->setRows($rows)->render();
 		return 0;
 	}
 }

lib/Command/Note.php

@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 Dillard Blom
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
+
+namespace OCA\NgBackup\Command;
+
+use OCA\NgBackup\Service\PruneService;
+use OCA\NgBackup\Service\TargetService;
+use Symfony\Component\Console\Command\Command;
+use Symfony\Component\Console\Input\InputArgument;
+use Symfony\Component\Console\Input\InputInterface;
+use Symfony\Component\Console\Output\OutputInterface;
+
+final class Note extends Command {
+	public function __construct(
+		private TargetService $targets,
+		private PruneService $prune,
+	) {
+		parent::__construct();
+	}
+
+	protected function configure(): void {
+		$this->setName('backup:note')
+			->setDescription('Set or remove the note on a snapshot')
+			->addArgument('target', InputArgument::REQUIRED, 'Location name or id')
+			->addArgument('snapshot', InputArgument::REQUIRED, 'Snapshot id (see backup:list)')
+			->addArgument('note', InputArgument::OPTIONAL, 'The note, at most ' . PruneService::NOTE_MAX . ' characters; without it the note is removed', '');
+	}
+
+	protected function execute(InputInterface $input, OutputInterface $output): int {
+		$note = (string)$input->getArgument('note');
+		try {
+			$this->prune->setNote($this->targets->get($input->getArgument('target')), $input->getArgument('snapshot'), $note);
+		} catch (\Throwable $e) {
+			$output->writeln('<error>' . $e->getMessage() . '</error>');
+			return 1;
+		}
+		$output->writeln(trim($note) === '' ? 'Note removed.' : 'Note saved.');
+		return 0;
+	}
+}

lib/Command/Pin.php

@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 Dillard Blom
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
+
+namespace OCA\NgBackup\Command;
+
+use OCA\NgBackup\Service\PruneService;
+use OCA\NgBackup\Service\TargetService;
+use Symfony\Component\Console\Command\Command;
+use Symfony\Component\Console\Input\InputArgument;
+use Symfony\Component\Console\Input\InputInterface;
+use Symfony\Component\Console\Input\InputOption;
+use Symfony\Component\Console\Output\OutputInterface;
+
+final class Pin extends Command {
+	public function __construct(
+		private TargetService $targets,
+		private PruneService $prune,
+	) {
+		parent::__construct();
+	}
+
+	protected function configure(): void {
+		$this->setName('backup:pin')
+			->setDescription('Keep a snapshot: the retention policy does not remove a pinned one')
+			->addArgument('target', InputArgument::REQUIRED, 'Location name or id')
+			->addArgument('snapshot', InputArgument::REQUIRED, 'Snapshot id (see backup:list)')
+			->addOption('unpin', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Leave the snapshot to the retention policy again');
+	}
+
+	protected function execute(InputInterface $input, OutputInterface $output): int {
+		$unpin = (bool)$input->getOption('unpin');
+		try {
+			$this->prune->setPinned($this->targets->get($input->getArgument('target')), $input->getArgument('snapshot'), !$unpin);
+		} catch (\Throwable $e) {
+			$output->writeln('<error>' . $e->getMessage() . '</error>');
+			return 1;
+		}
+		$output->writeln($unpin ? 'Snapshot unpinned; the retention policy applies to it again.' : 'Snapshot pinned; the retention policy leaves it alone.');
+		return 0;
+	}
+}

lib/Command/RunBackup.php

@@ -79,6 +79,9 @@ HELP);
 				if (($f['unreadable'] ?? 0) > 0) {
 					$output->writeln(sprintf('<comment>  warning: %d unreadable files or folders are missing from this backup (see the server log)</comment>', $f['unreadable']));
 				}
+				if (($f['badNames'] ?? 0) > 0) {
+					$output->writeln(sprintf('<comment>  warning: %d files or folders are missing from this backup because their name is not supported; rename them and the next backup includes them (see the server log)</comment>', $f['badNames']));
+				}
 				if (($f['changing'] ?? 0) > 0) {
 					$output->writeln(sprintf('<comment>  warning: %d files kept changing and were saved as read (see the server log)</comment>', $f['changing']));
 				}

lib/Command/Status.php

@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ final class Status extends Command {
 		private VerifyService $verify,
 		private Schedule $schedule,
 		private CronHealth $cron,
+		private \OCA\NgBackup\Service\BackupService $backups,
 	) {
 		parent::__construct();
 	}
@@ -61,9 +62,11 @@ final class Status extends Command {
 		$rows = [];
 		$all = (bool)$input->getOption('all');
 		$shown = $this->runs->findShown($all ? null : time() - self::RECENT_DAYS * 86400);
+		$queued = array_map(static fn (\OCA\NgBackup\Db\Run $r): int => $r->getId(), array_slice($this->backups->runsInTurn(), 1));
 		foreach ($shown as $r) {
 			$s = json_decode($r->getStats() ?? '{}', true)['files'] ?? [];
-			$rows[] = [$r->getId(), $names[$r->getTargetId()] ?? '#' . $r->getTargetId(), $r->getKind(), $r->getStatus() === 'running' ? self::runningStatus($r) : $r->getStatus(),
+			$rows[] = [$r->getId(), $names[$r->getTargetId()] ?? '#' . $r->getTargetId(), $r->getKind(),
+				in_array($r->getId(), $queued, true) ? 'queued' : ($r->getStatus() === 'running' ? self::runningStatus($r) : $r->getStatus()),
 				Format::time($r->getStartedAt(), $zone), $r->getFinishedAt() ? Format::duration($r->getFinishedAt() - $r->getStartedAt()) : '',
 				$s['files'] ?? '', isset($s['bytes']) ? self::size((int)$s['bytes']) : '',
 				isset($s['uploaded']) ? self::size((int)$s['uploaded']) : '', mb_strimwidth((string)$r->getError(), 0, 50, '…')];

lib/Command/TargetList.php

@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ final class TargetList extends Base {
 		$rows = [];
 		foreach ($this->targets->list() as $t) {
 			$row = ['id' => $t->getId(), 'name' => $t->getName(), 'backend' => $t->getBackend(), 'path' => $t->getBasePath(),
-				'repository' => $t->getRepositoryId(), 'added' => date('Y-m-d H:i', $t->getCreatedAt())];
+				'repository' => $t->getRepositoryId(), 'added' => date('Y-m-d H:i', $t->getCreatedAt()),
+				'schedule' => (string)$t->getSchedule() !== '' ? $t->getSchedule() : 'off'];
 			if ($input->getOption('test')) {
 				try {
 					$repo = $this->targets->repository($t);

lib/Command/TargetSchedule.php

@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 Dillard Blom
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
+
+namespace OCA\NgBackup\Command;
+
+use OCA\NgBackup\Service\Schedule;
+use OCA\NgBackup\Service\TargetService;
+use Symfony\Component\Console\Command\Command;
+use Symfony\Component\Console\Input\InputArgument;
+use Symfony\Component\Console\Input\InputInterface;
+use Symfony\Component\Console\Input\InputOption;
+use Symfony\Component\Console\Output\OutputInterface;
+
+final class TargetSchedule extends Command {
+	public function __construct(
+		private TargetService $targets,
+		private Schedule $schedule,
+	) {
+		parent::__construct();
+	}
+
+	protected function configure(): void {
+		$this->setName('backup:target:schedule')
+			->setDescription('Show or set when a location is backed up')
+			->addArgument('target', InputArgument::REQUIRED, 'Location name or id')
+			->addArgument('schedule', InputArgument::OPTIONAL, '"off", HH:MM for once a day, or HH:MM/N for every N hours from HH:MM; omit to show the current one')
+			->addOption('timezone', null, InputOption::VALUE_REQUIRED, 'Time zone of the time, e.g. Europe/Amsterdam');
+	}
+
+	protected function execute(InputInterface $input, OutputInterface $output): int {
+		$t = $this->targets->get($input->getArgument('target'));
+		$schedule = $input->getArgument('schedule');
+		$zone = $input->getOption('timezone') ?? $this->schedule->zoneOr($t->getScheduleZone());
+		if ($schedule !== null) {
+			try {
+				$t = $this->targets->setSchedule($t, $schedule, (string)$zone);
+			} catch (\InvalidArgumentException $e) {
+				$output->writeln('<error>' . $e->getMessage() . '</error>');
+				return 1;
+			}
+		}
+		$current = (string)$t->getSchedule();
+		$output->writeln($t->getName() . ': ' . ($current === '' ? 'off' : $current . ' (' . $zone . ')'));
+		return 0;
+	}
+}

lib/Controller/AdminApiController.php

@@ -59,10 +59,12 @@ final class AdminApiController extends Controller {
 		foreach ($this->targets->list() as $t) {
 			$targets[] = ['id' => $t->getId(), 'name' => $t->getName(), 'backend' => $t->getBackend(), 'path' => $t->getBasePath(),
 				'repositoryId' => $t->getRepositoryId(), 'createdAt' => $t->getCreatedAt(), 'appendOnly' => (bool)$t->getAppendOnly(),
-				'maxBytes' => $t->getMaxBytes(), 'storedBytes' => $this->alerts->lastStoredBytes($t)];
+				'maxBytes' => $t->getMaxBytes(), 'storedBytes' => $this->alerts->lastStoredBytes($t),
+				'schedule' => (string)$t->getSchedule(), 'scheduleZone' => $this->schedule->zoneOr($t->getScheduleZone())];
 		}
 		$shown = $this->runs->findShown($allRuns ? null : time() - \OCA\NgBackup\Command\Status::RECENT_DAYS * 86400);
-		$runs = array_map(fn (Run $r) => $this->runJson($r), $shown);
+		$queued = array_flip(array_map(static fn (Run $r): int => $r->getId(), array_slice($this->backups->runsInTurn(), 1)));
+		$runs = array_map(fn (Run $r) => $this->runJson($r) + ['queued' => isset($queued[$r->getId()])], $shown);
 		return new JSONResponse([
 			'key' => ['initialized' => $this->keys->isInitialized(), 'fingerprint' => $this->keys->fingerprint(),
 				'confirmation' => $this->keys->recoveryKitConfirmation(), 'everConfirmed' => $this->keys->isInitialized() && $this->keys->everConfirmed(),
@@ -74,14 +76,14 @@ final class AdminApiController extends Controller {
 			'runs' => $runs,
 			'olderRuns' => $allRuns ? 0 : $this->runs->countAll() - count($shown),
 			'recentDays' => \OCA\NgBackup\Command\Status::RECENT_DAYS,
-			'schedule' => $this->schedule->get()['time'],
-			'scheduleTimezone' => $this->schedule->get()['timezone'],
 			'cron' => $this->cron->check(),
 		]);
 	}
 
 	/** Seconds of backup work one tick() does: well within a normal web request. */
 	public const TICK_SECONDS = 10.0;
+	/** Seconds one request for the Bin reads, before the page shows how far it is and asks for more. */
+	private const TRASH_PAGE_SECONDS = 5.0;
 
 	/**
 	 * Move running backups forward from the open admin page, when background jobs do not run on a
@@ -95,13 +97,16 @@ final class AdminApiController extends Controller {
 		}
 		$deadline = microtime(true) + self::TICK_SECONDS;
 		$stepped = 0;
-		foreach ($this->runs->findRunning(null, BackupService::KIND_FULL) as $run) {
+		foreach ($this->backups->runsInTurn() as $run) {
 			if (microtime(true) >= $deadline) {
 				break;
 			}
 			// step() returns at once when the background job (or another tab) holds the run.
-			$this->backups->step($run, $deadline);
+			$next = $this->backups->step($run, $deadline);
 			$stepped++;
+			if ($next->getStatus() === Run::RUNNING) {
+				break; // not finished: the next one waits for its turn
+			}
 		}
 		return new JSONResponse(['stepped' => $stepped]);
 	}
@@ -174,15 +179,18 @@ final class AdminApiController extends Controller {
 		}
 	}
 
-	public function trash(int $targetId): JSONResponse {
+	public function trash(int $targetId, string $after = ''): JSONResponse {
 		try {
 			$delay = $this->keys->deleteDelayDays() * 86400;
+			$repo = $this->targets->repository($this->targets->get((string)$targetId));
+			// In parts, so that the page can show how far it is (a read per removed restore point).
+			$page = $repo->trashPage($after, microtime(true) + self::TRASH_PAGE_SECONDS);
 			$out = [];
-			foreach ($this->targets->repository($this->targets->get((string)$targetId))->trash() as $id => $info) {
+			foreach ($page['items'] as $id => $info) {
 				$out[] = ['id' => $id, 'label' => $info['label'], 'time' => $info['time'], 'removedAt' => $info['forgottenAt'],
 					'by' => $info['by'], 'deleteAfter' => $info['forgottenAt'] + $delay];
 			}
-			return new JSONResponse($out);
+			return new JSONResponse(['total' => $page['total'], 'items' => $out]);
 		} catch (\Throwable $e) {
 			return new JSONResponse(['error' => $e->getMessage()], Http::STATUS_BAD_REQUEST);
 		}
@@ -270,25 +278,43 @@ final class AdminApiController extends Controller {
 		return new JSONResponse($this->runJson($run));
 	}
 
-	/** @param string $timezone the administrator's zone (the browser's); empty: keep the current one */
+	/** @param string $timezone the administrator's zone (the browser's); empty: the default one */
-	public function setSchedule(string $time, string $timezone = ''): JSONResponse {
+	public function setTargetSchedule(int $id, string $schedule, string $timezone = ''): JSONResponse {
 		try {
-			$this->schedule->set($time, $timezone !== '' ? $timezone : $this->schedule->get()['timezone']);
+			$t = $this->targets->setSchedule($this->targets->get((string)$id), $schedule, $timezone !== '' ? $timezone : $this->schedule->get()['timezone']);
-		} catch (\InvalidArgumentException $e) {
+		} catch (\Throwable $e) {
 			return new JSONResponse(['error' => $e->getMessage()], Http::STATUS_BAD_REQUEST);
 		}
-		return new JSONResponse(['schedule' => $time, 'scheduleTimezone' => $this->schedule->get()['timezone']]);
+		return new JSONResponse(['schedule' => $t->getSchedule(), 'scheduleZone' => $t->getScheduleZone()]);
 	}
 
 	public function snapshots(int $targetId): JSONResponse {
 		$out = [];
 		foreach ($this->snapshots->findForTarget($targetId) as $s) {
 			$out[] = ['id' => $s->getSnapshotId(), 'kind' => $s->getKind(), 'label' => $s->getLabel(), 'createdAt' => $s->getCreatedAt(),
-				'files' => $s->getFiles(), 'bytes' => $s->getBytes()];
+				'files' => $s->getFiles(), 'bytes' => $s->getBytes(), 'note' => $s->getNote(), 'pinned' => (bool)$s->getPinned()];
 		}
 		return new JSONResponse($out);
 	}
 
+	public function setSnapshotNote(int $targetId, string $snapshotId, string $note = ''): JSONResponse {
+		try {
+			$this->prune->setNote($this->targets->get((string)$targetId), $snapshotId, $note);
+		} catch (\Throwable $e) {
+			return new JSONResponse(['error' => $e->getMessage()], Http::STATUS_BAD_REQUEST);
+		}
+		return new JSONResponse(['ok' => true]);
+	}
+
+	public function setSnapshotPinned(int $targetId, string $snapshotId, bool $pinned = true): JSONResponse {
+		try {
+			$this->prune->setPinned($this->targets->get((string)$targetId), $snapshotId, $pinned);
+		} catch (\Throwable $e) {
+			return new JSONResponse(['error' => $e->getMessage()], Http::STATUS_BAD_REQUEST);
+		}
+		return new JSONResponse(['ok' => true]);
+	}
+
 	public function browse(int $targetId, string $snapshotId, string $path = ''): JSONResponse {
 		try {
 			return new JSONResponse($this->restore->browse($this->targets->get((string)$targetId), $snapshotId, $path));
@@ -333,7 +359,7 @@ final class AdminApiController extends Controller {
 		if ($r->getSnapshotId() !== null) {
 			try {
 				$s = $this->snapshots->findOne($r->getTargetId(), $r->getSnapshotId());
-				$snapshot = ['createdAt' => $s->getCreatedAt(), 'label' => $s->getLabel()];
+				$snapshot = ['createdAt' => $s->getCreatedAt(), 'label' => $s->getLabel(), 'note' => $s->getNote(), 'pinned' => (bool)$s->getPinned()];
 			} catch (\Throwable) {
 				// Snapshot already pruned or trashed: the run keeps its id, just not the date.
 			}

lib/Db/DbDumper.php

@@ -157,17 +157,27 @@ final class DbDumper {
 		}
 		// Tables the backup knows the structure of are created first (DDL is not transactional
 		// everywhere); tables it does not know are left out, as asked.
+		try {
 			foreach ($missing as $table) {
 				if (isset($manifest['tables'][$table]['schema'])) {
+					$report['created'][] = $table; // first: creating it can stop halfway (its indexes)
 					$this->db->createSchemaManager()->createTable(self::tableFromStructure($table, $manifest['tables'][$table]['schema'], $this->tableOptions()));
-				$report['created'][] = $table;
 				} else {
 					$report['missing'][] = $table;
 				}
 			}
+		} catch (\Throwable $e) {
+			$this->dropCreatedTables($report);
+			throw $e;
+		}
 		$total = 0;
 		$foreignKeys = [];
+		try {
 			$this->db->beginTransaction();
+		} catch (\Throwable $e) {
+			$this->dropCreatedTables($report);
+			throw $e;
+		}
 		try {
 			$foreignKeys = $this->suspendForeignKeys(); // first: on SQLite it also takes the write lock
 			foreach ($manifest['tables'] as $table => $info) {
@@ -220,9 +230,19 @@ final class DbDumper {
 			$this->restoreSequences($manifest['sequences'] ?? [], $report['missing'], array_merge($report['restored'], $report['skipped']));
 			$this->resumeForeignKeys($foreignKeys);
 			$this->db->commit();
-			// Foreign keys of the tables created above, now their rows are in. Not inside the
+		} catch (\Throwable $e) {
-			// transaction: MySQL commits on DDL. A failure is reported, not fatal: the data is
+			$this->db->rollBack();
-			// restored either way.
+			// PostgreSQL rolls the dropped foreign keys back with the transaction; MySQL's session
+			// switch must be turned on again by hand.
+			if (in_array('SET FOREIGN_KEY_CHECKS = 1', $foreignKeys, true)) {
+				$this->db->executeStatement('SET FOREIGN_KEY_CHECKS = 1');
+			}
+			$this->dropCreatedTables($report);
+			throw $e;
+		}
+		// Committed. Foreign keys of the tables created above, now their rows are in. Not inside the
+		// transaction: MySQL commits on DDL. A failure is reported, not fatal: the data is restored
+		// either way, and the created tables stay.
 		foreach ($report['created'] as $table) {
 			$structure = $manifest['tables'][$table]['schema'] ?? [];
 			foreach ($structure['foreignKeys'] ?? [] as $fk) {
@@ -235,18 +255,26 @@ final class DbDumper {
 				}
 			}
 		}
-		} catch (\Throwable $e) {
-			$this->db->rollBack();
-			// PostgreSQL rolls the dropped foreign keys back with the transaction; MySQL's session
-			// switch must be turned on again by hand.
-			if (in_array('SET FOREIGN_KEY_CHECKS = 1', $foreignKeys, true)) {
-				$this->db->executeStatement('SET FOREIGN_KEY_CHECKS = 1');
-			}
-			throw $e;
-		}
 		return $total;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * The restore did not go through: a rollback does not undo CREATE TABLE everywhere. Left behind,
+	 * the empty tables of an app would stop that app's installation later ("table already exists").
+	 *
+	 * @param array{created: list<string>, ...} $report
+	 */
+	private function dropCreatedTables(array &$report): void {
+		foreach ($report['created'] as $table) {
+			try {
+				$this->db->createSchemaManager()->dropTable($table);
+			} catch (\Throwable) {
+				// the error that brought us here is the one to report; a run again uses the table
+			}
+		}
+		$report['created'] = [];
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * The table prefix of the instance the dump was made on (from its appconfig table), or null
 	 * when the dump has none.

lib/Db/Snapshot.php

@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@ use OCP\AppFramework\Db\Entity;
  * @method void setFiles(?int $v)
  * @method int|null getBytes()
  * @method void setBytes(?int $v)
+ * @method string|null getNote()
+ * @method void setNote(?string $v)
+ * @method bool|null getPinned()
+ * @method void setPinned(?bool $v)
  */
 final class Snapshot extends Entity {
 	protected int $targetId = 0;
@@ -33,8 +37,11 @@ final class Snapshot extends Entity {
 	protected int $createdAt = 0;
 	protected ?int $files = null;
 	protected ?int $bytes = null;
+	protected ?string $note = null;
+	protected ?bool $pinned = null;
 
 	public function __construct() {
+		$this->addType('pinned', 'boolean');
 		$this->addType('targetId', 'integer');
 		$this->addType('createdAt', 'integer');
 		$this->addType('files', 'integer');

lib/Db/Target.php

@@ -28,6 +28,12 @@ use OCP\AppFramework\Db\Entity;
  * @method void setMaxBytes(?int $v)
  * @method int getCreatedAt()
  * @method void setCreatedAt(int $v)
+ * @method string|null getSchedule()
+ * @method void setSchedule(?string $v)
+ * @method string|null getScheduleZone()
+ * @method void setScheduleZone(?string $v)
+ * @method int|null getScheduleSince()
+ * @method void setScheduleSince(?int $v)
  */
 final class Target extends Entity {
 	protected string $name = '';
@@ -39,8 +45,12 @@ final class Target extends Entity {
 	protected int $createdAt = 0;
 	protected ?bool $appendOnly = null;
 	protected ?int $maxBytes = null;
+	protected ?string $schedule = null;
+	protected ?string $scheduleZone = null;
+	protected ?int $scheduleSince = null;
 
 	public function __construct() {
+		$this->addType('scheduleSince', 'integer');
 		$this->addType('createdAt', 'integer');
 		$this->addType('appendOnly', 'boolean');
 		$this->addType('maxBytes', 'integer');

lib/Job/BackupRun.php

@@ -52,12 +52,51 @@ final class BackupRun {
 			$stats = $state['stats'];
 			$walker = new TreeWalker($state['roots'], $state['exclude'], function (string $logical) use (&$state, &$stats): void {
 				self::recordUnreadable($state, $stats, $logical);
-			});
+			}, true);
 			$parent = new ParentCursor($repo, $state['parent'], $state['parentPos']);
 			$lines = [];
+			$emptyDirs = [];
+			$folders = [];
 			$finishedWalk = true;
 
 			foreach ($walker->walk($state['after']) as $logical => $path) {
+				$safe = mb_check_encoding($logical, 'UTF-8') && Repository::isSafePath($logical);
+				if ($walker->atFolderWithContent()) {
+					// Only its time: what is in it is reported by itself, and a bad name in the path of
+					// each of those is what gets reported. The cursor stays for such a name, see below.
+					$mtime = $safe ? @filemtime($path) : false;
+					if ($safe && $mtime !== false) {
+						$folders[] = json_encode([$logical, $mtime], JSON_UNESCAPED_SLASHES | JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR);
+						$state['after'] = $logical;
+						if (microtime(true) >= $deadline) {
+							$finishedWalk = false;
+							break;
+						}
+					}
+					continue;
+				}
+				if (!$safe) {
+					// A name a snapshot cannot hold (a backslash, a control character, not UTF-8). One
+					// such path must not make a backup fail, or the whole snapshot unreadable later.
+					// The cursor stays where it is: the state is JSON, which cannot hold such a name. A
+					// next step meets it again, and it is reported once.
+					self::recordBadName($state, $stats, $logical);
+					continue;
+				}
+				if (is_dir($path)) {
+					$mtime = @filemtime($path);
+					if ($mtime === false) {
+						continue; // removed while walking
+					}
+					$emptyDirs[] = json_encode([$logical, $mtime], JSON_UNESCAPED_SLASHES | JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR);
+					$stats['emptyDirs'] = ($stats['emptyDirs'] ?? 0) + 1;
+					$state['after'] = $logical;
+					if (microtime(true) >= $deadline) {
+						$finishedWalk = false;
+						break;
+					}
+					continue;
+				}
 				$version = Repository::fileVersion($path);
 				if ($version === 'missing') {
 					continue; // deleted while walking
@@ -136,6 +175,16 @@ final class BackupRun {
 				$writer->write(implode("\n", $lines) . "\n");
 				$state['segments'][] = $writer->finish();
 			}
+			if ($emptyDirs !== []) {
+				$writer = $repo->blobWriter($stats);
+				$writer->write(implode("\n", $emptyDirs) . "\n");
+				$state['dirSegments'][] = $writer->finish();
+			}
+			if ($folders !== []) {
+				$writer = $repo->blobWriter($stats);
+				$writer->write(implode("\n", $folders) . "\n");
+				$state['folderSegments'][] = $writer->finish();
+			}
 			$repo->flushPacks();
 			$state['parentPos'] = $parent->position();
 			$state['stats'] = $stats;
@@ -150,10 +199,22 @@ final class BackupRun {
 		if ($state['phase'] === 'finish') {
 			// Every segment ends with a newline, so they read as one stream: fetched together,
 			// several at a time where the location allows it.
+			// Empty folders go in the meta record, not between the files: a version that does not
+			// know them reads the snapshot as before, and only restores no empty folders.
+			$emptyDirs = [];
+			foreach (isset($state['dirSegments']) ? $repo->readLines(array_values(array_merge(...$state['dirSegments']))) : [] as $line) {
+				if ($line !== '') {
+					$emptyDirs[] = json_decode($line, true, 8, JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR);
+				}
+			}
+			// The times of the other folders too, packed: every look at a snapshot's meta record reads
+			// this, and a string of a few hundred KiB costs that far less than tens of thousands of arrays.
+			$folders = isset($state['folderSegments']) ? implode("\n", iterator_to_array($repo->readLines(array_values(array_merge(...$state['folderSegments']))), false)) : '';
 			$repo->putSnapshot($state['snapshot'],
 				['time' => $state['started'], 'parent' => $state['parent'], 'label' => $state['label'],
 					'roots' => array_keys($state['roots']), 'stats' => $state['stats'],
-					'warnings' => self::warnings($state)] + $state['meta'],
+					'warnings' => self::warnings($state)] + ($emptyDirs === [] ? [] : ['emptyDirs' => $emptyDirs])
+					+ ($folders === '' ? [] : ['folderTimes' => base64_encode((string)gzdeflate($folders))]) + $state['meta'],
 				$repo->readLines(array_values(array_merge(...$state['segments']))));
 			$state['phase'] = 'commit';
 		}
@@ -214,10 +275,26 @@ final class BackupRun {
 		$stats['unreadable'] = ($stats['unreadable'] ?? 0) + 1;
 	}
 
-	/** @return array{unreadable: list<string>, changing: list<string>} examples for the report (first 50 each) */
+	/**
+	 * A file or directory left out because of its name. Remembered like an unreadable one, in a form
+	 * that fits the JSON state and is safe to show: control characters and invalid bytes replaced.
+	 */
+	private static function recordBadName(array &$state, array &$stats, string $logical): void {
+		$shown = (string)preg_replace('/[\x00-\x1f\x7f]/', '?', mb_scrub($logical, 'UTF-8'));
+		if (isset($state['badNames'][$shown])) {
+			return;
+		}
+		if (count($state['badNames'] ?? []) < 1000) {
+			$state['badNames'][$shown] = true;
+		}
+		$stats['badNames'] = ($stats['badNames'] ?? 0) + 1;
+	}
+
+	/** @return array{unreadable: list<string>, badNames: list<string>, changing: list<string>} examples for the report (first 50 each) */
 	public static function warnings(array $state): array {
 		return [
 			'unreadable' => array_slice(array_map('strval', array_keys($state['unreadable'] ?? [])), 0, 50),
+			'badNames' => array_slice(array_map('strval', array_keys($state['badNames'] ?? [])), 0, 50),
 			'changing' => array_slice(array_map('strval', array_values($state['changing'] ?? [])), 0, 50),
 		];
 	}

lib/Job/TreeWalker.php

@@ -9,12 +9,16 @@ namespace OCA\NgBackup\Job;
 
 /**
  * Walks one or more source roots in a stable depth-first order (entries of a directory sorted
- * by name, children right after their directory), yielding "<root>/<relative path>" for files.
+ * by name, children right after their directory), yielding "<root>/<relative path>" for files
+ * and for directories with nothing in them to walk (the caller tells them apart with is_dir()).
+ * A root itself without a name is never yielded.
  *
  * The same order is used for comparing paths (compare()), so a walk can resume after a cursor
  * and be merge-joined with the previous snapshot without holding any list in memory.
  */
 final class TreeWalker {
+	private bool $atFolder = false;
+
 	/**
 	 * @param array<string, string> $roots name => absolute directory, walked in this order
 	 * @param list<string> $exclude path prefixes ("<root>/<relative>") that are skipped entirely;
@@ -25,9 +29,16 @@ final class TreeWalker {
 		private array $exclude = [],
 		/** Called with the logical path of a directory that cannot be listed. */
 		private ?\Closure $onUnreadable = null,
+		/** Also yield directories with something in them, right before the first thing in them. */
+		private bool $withFolders = false,
 	) {
 	}
 
+	/** Whether what was just yielded is a directory with something in it (see $withFolders). */
+	public function atFolderWithContent(): bool {
+		return $this->atFolder;
+	}
+
 	/** @return \Generator<string, string> logical path => absolute path, strictly after $after */
 	public function walk(?string $after = null): \Generator {
 		foreach ($this->roots as $name => $dir) {
@@ -66,27 +77,41 @@ final class TreeWalker {
 		}
 		$names = array_values(array_diff($names, ['.', '..']));
 		sort($names, SORT_STRING);
+		$empty = true; // no file or directory below it that is walked, whatever the cursor skips
 		foreach ($names as $name) {
 			$childLogical = $logical === '' ? $name : $logical . '/' . $name;
 			$childAbs = $abs . '/' . $name;
 			if (is_link($childAbs)) {
 				continue; // never follow symlinks out of the data directory
 			}
-			if (is_dir($childAbs)) {
+			$childIsDir = is_dir($childAbs);
+			if (($childIsDir || is_file($childAbs)) && $empty && !$this->isExcluded($childLogical, $childIsDir)
+				&& $this->withFolders && $logical !== '' && ($after === null || self::compare($logical, $after) > 0)) {
+				$this->atFolder = true;
+				yield $logical => $abs;
+				$this->atFolder = false;
+			}
+			if ($childIsDir) {
+				$empty = $empty && $this->isExcluded($childLogical, true);
 				// Skip a directory entirely if everything in it sorts before the cursor.
 				if ($after !== null && self::compare($childLogical, $after) < 0 && !self::isPrefix($childLogical, $after)) {
 					continue;
 				}
 				yield from $this->walkDir($childAbs, $childLogical, $after);
 			} elseif (is_file($childAbs)) {
+				$excluded = $this->isExcluded($childLogical, false);
+				$empty = $empty && $excluded;
 				if ($after !== null && self::compare($childLogical, $after) <= 0) {
 					continue;
 				}
-				if (!$this->isExcluded($childLogical, false)) {
+				if (!$excluded) {
 					yield $childLogical => $childAbs;
 				}
 			}
 		}
+		if ($empty && $logical !== '' && ($after === null || self::compare($logical, $after) > 0)) {
+			yield $logical => $abs;
+		}
 	}
 
 	private function isExcluded(string $logical, bool $isDir): bool {

lib/Migration/Version000007Date20261107000000.php

@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 Dillard Blom
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
+
+namespace OCA\NgBackup\Migration;
+
+use Closure;
+use OCP\DB\ISchemaWrapper;
+use OCP\DB\Types;
+use OCP\Migration\IOutput;
+use OCP\Migration\SimpleMigrationStep;
+
+/** Local copy of what the catalog on the location says about a snapshot: its note and pin. */
+final class Version000007Date20261107000000 extends SimpleMigrationStep {
+	public function changeSchema(IOutput $output, Closure $schemaClosure, array $options): ?ISchemaWrapper {
+		/** @var ISchemaWrapper $schema */
+		$schema = $schemaClosure();
+		$t = $schema->getTable('ngb_snapshots');
+		$changed = false;
+		if (!$t->hasColumn('note')) {
+			$t->addColumn('note', Types::STRING, ['notnull' => false, 'length' => 1000]);
+			$changed = true;
+		}
+		if (!$t->hasColumn('pinned')) {
+			$t->addColumn('pinned', Types::BOOLEAN, ['notnull' => false, 'default' => false]);
+			$changed = true;
+		}
+		return $changed ? $schema : null;
+	}
+}

lib/Migration/Version000008Date20261107010000.php

@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 Dillard Blom
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
+
+namespace OCA\NgBackup\Migration;
+
+use Closure;
+use OCA\NgBackup\Service\LocationSchedule;
+use OCA\NgBackup\Service\Schedule;
+use OCP\DB\ISchemaWrapper;
+use OCP\DB\Types;
+use OCP\IDBConnection;
+use OCP\Migration\IOutput;
+use OCP\Migration\SimpleMigrationStep;
+
+/** A schedule per location. Each existing location gets the daily time that held for all of them. */
+final class Version000008Date20261107010000 extends SimpleMigrationStep {
+	public function __construct(
+		private IDBConnection $db,
+		private Schedule $schedule,
+	) {
+	}
+
+	public function changeSchema(IOutput $output, Closure $schemaClosure, array $options): ?ISchemaWrapper {
+		/** @var ISchemaWrapper $schema */
+		$schema = $schemaClosure();
+		$t = $schema->getTable('ngb_targets');
+		if ($t->hasColumn('schedule')) {
+			return null;
+		}
+		$t->addColumn('schedule', Types::STRING, ['notnull' => false, 'length' => 16]);
+		$t->addColumn('schedule_zone', Types::STRING, ['notnull' => false, 'length' => 64]);
+		$t->addColumn('schedule_since', Types::BIGINT, ['notnull' => false, 'unsigned' => true]);
+		return $schema;
+	}
+
+	public function postSchemaChange(IOutput $output, Closure $schemaClosure, array $options): void {
+		['time' => $time, 'timezone' => $zone] = $this->schedule->get();
+		$qb = $this->db->getQueryBuilder();
+		$qb->update('ngb_targets')
+			->set('schedule', $qb->createNamedParameter(Schedule::validTime($time) ? LocationSchedule::normalize($time) : ''))
+			->set('schedule_zone', $qb->createNamedParameter($zone))
+			->where($qb->expr()->isNull('schedule'));
+		$qb->executeStatement();
+	}
+}

lib/Notification/Notifier.php

@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ final class Notifier implements INotifier {
 				$notification->setParsedSubject($l->t('Backup to %1$s finished with warnings: %2$s unreadable, %3$s changed while being read', [$p['target'], $p['unreadable'], $p['changing']]));
 				$notification->setParsedMessage($l->t('Unreadable files and folders are missing from this backup (check their permissions). Files that kept changing were saved as they were while being read. Examples: %s', [$p['examples'] ?? '']));
 				break;
+			case 'run_bad_names':
+				$notification->setParsedSubject($l->n('Backup to %s finished, but %n item is missing because of its name', 'Backup to %s finished, but %n items are missing because of their names', (int)$p['count'], [$p['target']]));
+				$notification->setParsedMessage($l->t('Names with a backslash or a control character, or that are not valid UTF-8, are not supported, so these files and folders are not in this backup. Rename them; the next backup includes them. Examples: %s', [$p['examples'] ?? '']));
+				break;
 			case 'quota_warning':
 				$notification->setParsedSubject($l->t('Backup location %1$s is at %2$s%% of its limit (%3$s of %4$s)', [$p['target'], $p['percent'], $p['used'], $p['limit']]));
 				$notification->setParsedMessage($l->t('Backups stop when the limit is reached. Raise the limit, or let the retention policy remove older backups.'));
@@ -57,12 +61,19 @@ final class Notifier implements INotifier {
 					: $l->t('No successful backup to %1$s since %2$s', [$p['target'], $p['since']]));
 				$notification->setParsedMessage($l->t('Check the backup settings and the server log.'));
 				break;
+			case 'schedule_off':
+				$notification->setParsedSubject($l->t('Backup location %s has no schedule', [$p['target']]));
+				$notification->setParsedMessage(($p['others'] ?? '') === '1'
+					? $l->t('No backups run to this location until it gets a schedule or someone starts one. If that is what you want, you can ignore this reminder.')
+					: $l->t('No location has a schedule, so no backups run at all unless someone starts one. Set a schedule under Backups.'));
+				break;
 			case 'security_event':
 				$who = (string)($p['actor'] ?? '');
 				$notification->setParsedSubject(match ($p['event'] ?? '') {
 					'kit_downloaded' => $l->t('%s downloaded the backup recovery kit', [$who]),
 					'target_removed' => $l->t('%1$s removed backup location %2$s', [$who, $p['target'] ?? '']),
 					'target_changed' => $l->t('%1$s changed the connection settings of backup location %2$s', [$who, $p['target'] ?? '']),
+					'schedule_off' => $l->t('%1$s turned off the schedule of backup location %2$s', [$who, $p['target'] ?? '']),
 					'append_only_off' =>$l->t('%1$s turned off append-only for backup location %2$s', [$who, $p['target'] ?? '']),
 					'retention_changed' => $l->t('%1$s changed the backup retention to %2$s', [$who, $p['policy'] ?? '']),
 					'snapshots_forgotten' => $l->t('%1$s moved %2$s snapshots of %3$s to the trash; they are deleted permanently after %4$s unless restored', [$who, $p['count'] ?? '', $p['target'] ?? '', $p['until'] ?? '']),

lib/Repository/Catalog.php

@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ final class Catalog {
 	public array $trash = [];
 	/** @var array<string, true> manifest path => true, for a per-user export (users/<uid>/<exportId>) */
 	public array $userExports = [];
+	/** @var array<string, true> snapshots the retention policy leaves alone */
+	public array $pinned = [];
+	/** @var array<string, string> snapshot id => note, also while the snapshot is in the trash */
+	public array $notes = [];
 	public string $hash = '';
 
 	public function __construct(
@@ -82,6 +86,8 @@ final class Catalog {
 		// Catalogs written before user exports existed have no such key: default to empty rather
 		// than adopting the location's current users/ listing (that would skip verification).
 		$this->userExports = array_fill_keys($data['userExports'] ?? [], true);
+		$this->pinned = array_fill_keys($data['pinned'] ?? [], true);
+		$this->notes = $data['notes'] ?? [];
 		$this->anchor?->set($this->repositoryId, $this->gen, $this->hash);
 	}
 
@@ -93,9 +99,12 @@ final class Catalog {
 		if ($this->backend->exists($this->path($next))) {
 			throw new RepositoryException("Catalog generation $next was written by another process at the same time; try again");
 		}
+		// A pin ends when its snapshot leaves the list, a note when the snapshot is gone for good.
+		$this->pinned = array_intersect_key($this->pinned, $this->snapshots);
+		$this->notes = array_intersect_key($this->notes, $this->snapshots + $this->trash);
 		$plain = json_encode(['repository' => $this->repositoryId, 'gen' => $next, 'time' => gmdate('c'), 'prev' => $this->hash,
 			'snapshots' => array_keys($this->snapshots), 'trash' => array_keys($this->trash),
-			'userExports' => array_keys($this->userExports)], JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR);
+			'userExports' => array_keys($this->userExports), 'pinned' => array_keys($this->pinned), 'notes' => $this->notes], JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR);
 		$encrypted = $this->cipher->encryptString($plain, $this->ad($next));
 		$stream = fopen('php://memory', 'w+b');
 		fwrite($stream, $encrypted);

lib/Repository/Repository.php

@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ final class Repository {
 	private ?int $maxBytes = null;
 	private Catalog $catalog;
 	private PackReader $packReader;
+	/** @var array<string, array<string, mixed>> meta record of the snapshot read last */
+	private array $lastMeta = [];
 	/** verify() lists the pack folders from this many packs on (see presentPacks()); tests lower it. */
 	public int $listPacksAbove = 256;
 
@@ -132,6 +134,49 @@ final class Repository {
 		return $this->catalog->gen;
 	}
 
+	/** @return list<string> snapshots the retention policy leaves alone */
+	public function pinnedSnapshots(): array {
+		return array_map('strval', array_keys($this->catalog->pinned));
+	}
+
+	/** @return array<string, string> snapshot id => note */
+	public function snapshotNotes(): array {
+		return $this->catalog->notes;
+	}
+
+	public function setPinned(string $snapshotId, bool $pinned): void {
+		$this->requireSnapshot($snapshotId);
+		if (isset($this->catalog->pinned[$snapshotId]) === $pinned) {
+			return;
+		}
+		if ($pinned) {
+			$this->catalog->pinned[$snapshotId] = true;
+		} else {
+			unset($this->catalog->pinned[$snapshotId]);
+		}
+		$this->catalog->write();
+	}
+
+	/** A note kept in the catalog: unlike the label inside the snapshot, it can change afterwards. */
+	public function setSnapshotNote(string $snapshotId, string $note): void {
+		$this->requireSnapshot($snapshotId);
+		if (($this->catalog->notes[$snapshotId] ?? '') === $note) {
+			return;
+		}
+		if ($note === '') {
+			unset($this->catalog->notes[$snapshotId]);
+		} else {
+			$this->catalog->notes[$snapshotId] = $note;
+		}
+		$this->catalog->write();
+	}
+
+	private function requireSnapshot(string $snapshotId): void {
+		if (!isset($this->catalog->snapshots[$snapshotId])) {
+			throw new \InvalidArgumentException('There is no snapshot ' . $snapshotId . ' on this location');
+		}
+	}
+
 	/** Index files downloaded when this repository was opened (0 when the local cache was complete). */
 	public function indexDownloads(): int {
 		return $this->index->downloaded;
@@ -257,8 +302,8 @@ final class Repository {
 		// that was being written when the process was killed stays (8 MiB, DR test 2026-11-05)
 		$stale = glob(rtrim($target, '/') . '/.ngb-restore-spool-*', GLOB_ONLYDIR);
 		foreach ($stale === false ? [] : $stale as $dir) {
-			if (is_link($dir)) {
+			if (is_link($dir) || preg_match('/^\.ngb-restore-spool-[0-9a-f]{8}$/', basename($dir)) !== 1) {
-				continue;
+				continue; // not a spool of ours, whatever it is called
 			}
 			$files = glob($dir . '/*');
 			foreach ($files === false ? [] : $files as $file) {
@@ -313,40 +358,39 @@ final class Repository {
 			if (!self::underPrefix($entry['p'], $prefix)) {
 				continue;
 			}
+			if ($heartbeat !== null) {
+				$heartbeat(); // also for a long row of files that are skipped or have no data
+			}
 			$dest = self::destination($target, $entry['p'], $prefix, $stripPrefix);
-			if ($keepUnchanged && self::inPlace($dest, $entry)) {
+			$dir = self::directoryInTarget($target, dirname($dest), $entry['p']);
-				// below the target as written by an earlier run of this restore (checked then)
+			if (is_link($dest)) {
-				$count++;
+				throw new RestoreTargetException('Refusing to write outside the restore directory: ' . $entry['p']);
-				continue;
-			}
-			if (!is_dir(dirname($dest))) {
-				mkdir(dirname($dest), 0700, true);
-			}
-			// Defence in depth: the resolved directory must stay below the target (no symlink escapes).
-			$base = realpath($target);
-			$dir = realpath(dirname($dest));
-			if ($base === false || $dir === false || ($dir !== $base && !str_starts_with($dir, $base . '/')) || is_link($dest)) {
-				throw new RepositoryException('Refusing to write outside the restore directory: ' . $entry['p']);
 			}
 			if (!isset($cleaned[$dir])) {
 				self::removeStaleTemporaries($dir);
 				$cleaned[$dir] = true;
 			}
+			if ($keepUnchanged && self::inPlace($dest, $entry)) {
+				$count++;
+				continue;
+			}
 			// Write next to the destination and rename after all blobs verified: at most one file
 			// is ever present twice.
 			$tmp = $dest . '.ngb-restore-' . bin2hex(random_bytes(6));
 			$out = @fopen($tmp, 'xb'); // fails if anything (including a symlink) already exists there
 			if ($out === false) {
-				throw new RepositoryException('Cannot create a temporary file for ' . $entry['p']);
+				throw new RestoreTargetException('Cannot create a temporary file for ' . $entry['p'] . ' (disk full, or no permission?)');
 			}
 			try {
 				foreach ($entry['b'] as $id) {
-					fwrite($out, $this->restoreBlob($id, $plan));
+					self::writeAll($out, $this->restoreBlob($id, $plan), $entry['p']);
 					if ($heartbeat !== null) {
 						$heartbeat();
 					}
 				}
-				fclose($out);
+				if (!@fclose($out)) {
+					throw new RestoreTargetException('Cannot write ' . $entry['p'] . ' to the restore directory (disk full?)');
+				}
 				clearstatcache(true, $tmp);
 				if (filesize($tmp) !== $entry['s']) {
 					throw new RepositoryException('Size mismatch restoring ' . $entry['p']);
@@ -363,19 +407,144 @@ final class Repository {
 				}
 				$skipped[$entry['p']] = $e->getMessage();
 				continue;
+			} catch (\Throwable $e) {
+				if (is_resource($out)) {
+					@fclose($out);
+				}
+				@unlink($tmp);
+				throw $e;
 			}
 			if (!rename($tmp, $dest)) {
 				@unlink($tmp);
-				throw new RepositoryException('Cannot put the restored file in place: ' . $entry['p']);
+				throw new RestoreTargetException('Cannot put the restored file in place: ' . $entry['p']);
 			}
 			if (!touch($dest, $entry['m'])) {
-				throw new RepositoryException('Cannot set the modification time of ' . $entry['p']);
+				throw new RestoreTargetException('Cannot set the modification time of ' . $entry['p']);
 			}
 			$count++;
 		}
+		// Last: a file can only be restored into a folder that exists, and the meta record was
+		// read along with the files, so this asks nothing more of the location.
+		foreach ($this->emptyDirs($snapshotId) as [$path, $mtime]) {
+			if (self::underPrefix($path, $prefix)) {
+				if ($heartbeat !== null) {
+					$heartbeat();
+				}
+				// The prefix itself, stripped, is the target (for a file it is the file's name there).
+				$dest = $stripPrefix && $path === rtrim($prefix, '/') ? rtrim($target, '/') : self::destination($target, $path, $prefix, $stripPrefix);
+				self::restoreEmptyDir($target, $dest, $path, $mtime);
+			}
+		}
+		// Very last, nothing is written in them any more. Also on a run that goes on after a stop, and
+		// the deepest first. The time is not worth stopping for: all the files are there by now.
+		foreach (array_reverse($this->folderTimes($snapshotId)) as [$path, $mtime]) {
+			if (!self::underPrefix($path, $prefix) || ($stripPrefix && $path === rtrim($prefix, '/'))) {
+				continue; // the target itself is not ours to change
+			}
+			if ($heartbeat !== null) {
+				$heartbeat();
+			}
+			$dest = self::destination($target, $path, $prefix, $stripPrefix);
+			@touch(self::directoryInTarget($target, $dest, $path), $mtime);
+		}
 		return $count;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * The folders with something in them that a snapshot recorded, parents before children (none
+	 * before 1.1.0). Damage here is no reason to give up on the files of a restore.
+	 *
+	 * @return list<array{0: string, 1: int}> path, modification time
+	 */
+	public function folderTimes(string $snapshotId): array {
+		$meta = $this->lastMeta[$snapshotId] ?? $this->snapshotMeta($snapshotId);
+		$packed = is_string($meta['folderTimes'] ?? null) ? base64_decode($meta['folderTimes'], true) : false;
+		$plain = $packed === false ? false : @gzinflate($packed);
+		$folders = [];
+		foreach ($plain === false ? [] : explode("\n", $plain) as $line) {
+			$folder = json_decode($line, true);
+			if (is_array($folder) && is_string($folder[0] ?? null) && self::isSafePath($folder[0]) && is_int($folder[1] ?? null)) {
+				$folders[] = [$folder[0], $folder[1]];
+			}
+		}
+		return $folders;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * The folders without anything in them that a snapshot recorded (none before 1.0.3).
+	 *
+	 * @return list<array{0: string, 1: int}> path, modification time
+	 */
+	public function emptyDirs(string $snapshotId): array {
+		$meta = $this->lastMeta[$snapshotId] ?? $this->snapshotMeta($snapshotId);
+		$dirs = [];
+		foreach (is_array($meta['emptyDirs'] ?? null) ? $meta['emptyDirs'] : [] as $dir) {
+			// One folder that makes no sense is no reason to give up on the files of a restore.
+			if (is_array($dir) && is_string($dir[0] ?? null) && self::isSafePath($dir[0]) && is_int($dir[1] ?? null)) {
+				$dirs[] = [$dir[0], $dir[1]];
+			}
+		}
+		return $dirs;
+	}
+
+	private static function restoreEmptyDir(string $target, string $dest, string $path, int $mtime): void {
+		if (is_link($dest)) {
+			throw new RestoreTargetException('Refusing to write outside the restore directory: ' . $path);
+		}
+		$existed = is_dir($dest);
+		self::directoryInTarget($target, $dest, $path);
+		if (!$existed && !@touch($dest, $mtime)) {
+			throw new RestoreTargetException('Cannot set the modification time of ' . $path);
+		}
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Make sure a folder exists below the target, without following a link out of it: what exists
+	 * of the path is checked before anything is created.
+	 *
+	 * @return string the folder's real path
+	 */
+	private static function directoryInTarget(string $target, string $dir, string $path): string {
+		if (!is_dir($target) && !@mkdir($target, 0700, true) && !is_dir($target)) {
+			throw new RestoreTargetException('Cannot create the restore directory ' . $target);
+		}
+		$base = realpath($target);
+		$existing = $dir;
+		while (!file_exists($existing) && !is_link($existing) && dirname($existing) !== $existing) {
+			$existing = dirname($existing);
+		}
+		$real = realpath($existing);
+		if ($base === false || $real === false || ($real !== $base && !str_starts_with($real, $base . '/'))) {
+			throw new RestoreTargetException('Refusing to write outside the restore directory: ' . $path);
+		}
+		if ($existing === $dir) {
+			if (!is_dir($real)) {
+				throw new RestoreTargetException('Cannot create the folder for ' . $path . ': a file is in the way');
+			}
+			return $real;
+		}
+		if (!@mkdir($dir, 0700, true) && !is_dir($dir)) {
+			throw new RestoreTargetException('Cannot create the folder for ' . $path . ' (disk full, no permission, or a file in the way?)');
+		}
+		return (string)realpath($dir);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Write all of $data, or stop: a short write leaves a file that looks damaged only by its size.
+	 * A write may take only part of the data and still be fine; one that takes nothing is not.
+	 *
+	 * @param resource $out
+	 */
+	public static function writeAll($out, string $data, string $path): void {
+		while ($data !== '') {
+			$written = @fwrite($out, $data);
+			if ($written === false || $written === 0) {
+				throw new RestoreTargetException('Cannot write ' . $path . ' to the restore directory (disk full?)');
+			}
+			$data = substr($data, $written);
+		}
+	}
+
 	/** Where restore() writes the snapshot path $path. */
 	private static function destination(string $target, string $path, string $prefix, bool $stripPrefix): string {
 		$relPath = $path;
@@ -722,6 +891,34 @@ final class Repository {
 		return array_keys($doomed);
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Part of trash(), for a page that shows how far it is: each entry is a read of its own on the
+	 * location. Reads the entries with an id after $after, in order, until $deadline
+	 * (microtime(true)), at least one. The id, not a position: a cleanup that changes the trash
+	 * between two parts then makes no entry come twice or be missed.
+	 *
+	 * @return array{total: int, items: array<string, array<string, mixed>>}
+	 */
+	public function trashPage(string $after, float $deadline): array {
+		$ids = array_map('strval', array_keys($this->catalog->trash));
+		sort($ids, SORT_STRING);
+		$items = [];
+		foreach ($ids as $id) {
+			if (strcmp($id, $after) <= 0) {
+				continue;
+			}
+			try {
+				$items[$id] = $this->trashInfo($id);
+			} catch (\Throwable) {
+				throw new RepositoryException("Trash entry $id listed in the catalog is missing on the location (possible tampering)");
+			}
+			if (microtime(true) >= $deadline) {
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+		return ['total' => count($ids), 'items' => $items];
+	}
+
 	private function trashInfo(string $snapshotId): array {
 		return json_decode($this->getObject('trash/info/' . $snapshotId), true, 512, JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR);
 	}
@@ -1281,7 +1478,10 @@ final class Repository {
 		$this->cipher->decrypt($fh, $plain, 'snapshot:' . $snapshotId);
 		fclose($fh);
 		rewind($plain);
-		fgets($plain); // meta line
+		$meta = json_decode((string)fgets($plain), true);
+		if (is_array($meta)) {
+			$this->lastMeta = [$snapshotId => $meta]; // a snapshot never changes
+		}
 		while (($line = fgets($plain)) !== false) {
 			$entry = json_decode($line, true, 512, JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR);
 			if (!is_array($entry) || !is_string($entry['p'] ?? null) || !self::isSafePath($entry['p'])

lib/Repository/RestoreTargetException.php

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 Dillard Blom
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
+
+namespace OCA\NgBackup\Repository;
+
+/**
+ * A restore cannot write to where it restores to (a full disk, permissions, something in the way).
+ * The backup is fine, so this never counts as damaged data: the restore stops, also with --salvage.
+ */
+final class RestoreTargetException extends \RuntimeException {
+}

lib/Service/AlertService.php

@@ -61,6 +61,16 @@ final class AlertService {
 			'examples' => mb_strimwidth(implode(', ', array_merge($examples['unreadable'], $examples['changing'])), 0, 300, '…')]);
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * A backup that finished but left out files or folders because of their name.
+	 *
+	 * @param list<string> $examples
+	 */
+	public function runBadNames(Run $run, string $targetName, int $count, array $examples): void {
+		$this->notifyAdmins('run_bad_names', 'run-' . $run->getId(), ['target' => $targetName, 'count' => (string)$count,
+			'examples' => mb_strimwidth(implode(', ', $examples), 0, 300, '…')]);
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Remember how much is stored on a location (for the settings page) and warn administrators
 	 * once a day when it is at 80% of its limit or more.
@@ -91,8 +101,35 @@ final class AlertService {
 		return $v === '' ? null : (int)$v;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Whether it is time to remind administrators of a location without a schedule: once a week
+	 * while another location is still backed up, every day when none is. An hour of margin, so
+	 * that the moment of the cron run does not push a reminder to the next day.
+	 */
+	public static function offReminderDue(int $last, int $now, bool $othersActive): bool {
+		return $now - $last >= ($othersActive ? 7 * 86400 : 86400) - 3600;
+	}
+
+	public function checkOff(Target $target, bool $othersActive): void {
+		if ((string)$target->getSchedule() !== '') {
+			return;
+		}
+		$key = 'off_notified_' . $target->getId();
+		$now = time();
+		$last = max((int)$target->getScheduleSince(), $this->appConfig->getValueInt(Application::APP_ID, $key, 0));
+		if (!self::offReminderDue($last, $now, $othersActive)) {
+			return;
+		}
+		$this->appConfig->setValueInt(Application::APP_ID, $key, $now);
+		$this->notifyAdmins('schedule_off', 'off-' . $target->getId() . '-' . date('Y-m-d', $now),
+			['target' => $target->getName(), 'others' => $othersActive ? '1' : '0']);
+	}
+
 	/** At most one notification per location per day. */
 	public function checkStale(Target $target): void {
+		if ((string)$target->getSchedule() === '') {
+			return; // no schedule is a choice, as for a location that is only connected now and then
+		}
 		$last =$this->runs->lastFinished($target->getId(), BackupService::KIND_FULL);
 		$lastTime = $last?->getFinishedAt() ?? $target->getCreatedAt();
 		if (time() - $lastTime < self::STALE_AFTER || $this->runs->findRunning($target->getId(), BackupService::KIND_FULL) !== []) {

lib/Service/BackupService.php

@@ -58,6 +58,18 @@ final class BackupService {
 		$this->openedWith = $opened;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * The running backups in the order they get their turn: first come, first served. The first one
+	 * runs, the others are queued; only one at a time reads the disks.
+	 *
+	 * @return list<Run>
+	 */
+	public function runsInTurn(): array {
+		$running = $this->runs->findRunning(null, self::KIND_FULL);
+		usort($running, static fn (Run $a, Run $b): int => [$a->getStartedAt(), $a->getId()] <=> [$b->getStartedAt(), $b->getId()]);
+		return $running;
+	}
+
 	public function start(Target $target, string $label = ''): Run {
 		$label = trim($label);
 		if (mb_strlen($label) > self::LABEL_MAX) {
@@ -79,7 +91,7 @@ final class BackupService {
 		try {
 			return $this->leases->with(PruneService::lockKey($target), LeaseService::EXCLUSIVE, 60, fn () => $this->createRun($target, $label));
 		} catch (LockedException) {
-			throw new \RuntimeException('A cleanup or another start for ' . $target->getName() . ' is running; try again later');
+			throw new \RuntimeException('A cleanup, a restore or another start for ' . $target->getName() . ' is running, or one was stopped by force (that clears by itself within two hours); try again later');
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -210,6 +222,10 @@ final class BackupService {
 			$state = json_decode($run->getState(), true, 512, JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR);
 
 			if ($run->getPhase() === 'db') {
+				if (!isset($state['dump'])) {
+					// It may have been queued for hours: the restore point has the time of its data.
+					$state['files']['started'] = gmdate('c');
+				}
 				$dumper = new DbDumper($this->db->getInner(), $this->config->getSystemValueString('dbtableprefix', 'oc_'));
 				$dbStats = $state['dbStats'] ?? [];
 				// With system cron the whole dump usually fits in one step (one transaction, fully
@@ -253,8 +269,13 @@ final class BackupService {
 					try {
 						$this->alerts->storedBytes($target, $repo->storedBytes());
 						$stats = $state['files']['stats'];
-						if (($stats['unreadable'] ?? 0) > 0 || ($stats['changing'] ?? 0) > 0) {
 						$warnings = BackupRun::warnings($state['files']);
+						if (($stats['badNames'] ?? 0) > 0) {
+							$this->logger->warning(sprintf('NG Backup run %d to %s: %d left out because their name is not supported (rename them): %s',
+								$run->getId(), $target->getName(), $stats['badNames'], implode(', ', $warnings['badNames'])));
+							$this->alerts->runBadNames($run, $target->getName(), (int)$stats['badNames'], $warnings['badNames']);
+						}
+						if (($stats['unreadable'] ?? 0) > 0 || ($stats['changing'] ?? 0) > 0) {
 							$this->logger->warning(sprintf('NG Backup run %d to %s: %d unreadable (missing from the snapshot): %s; %d changed while being read: %s',
 								$run->getId(), $target->getName(), $stats['unreadable'] ?? 0, implode(', ', $warnings['unreadable']),
 								$stats['changing'] ?? 0, implode(', ', $warnings['changing'])));

lib/Service/DatabaseAlreadyRestoredException.php

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 Dillard Blom
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
+
+namespace OCA\NgBackup\Service;
+
+/** A step after the database was committed failed: the database is no longer the fresh one. */
+final class DatabaseAlreadyRestoredException extends \RuntimeException {
+}

lib/Service/LeaseService.php

@@ -76,6 +76,15 @@ final class LeaseService {
 		$qb->executeStatement();
 	}
 
+	/** Remove the shared leases on $name, for a caller that knows their holders were stopped. */
+	public function dropShared(string $name): void {
+		$qb = $this->db->getQueryBuilder();
+		$qb->delete('ngb_leases')
+			->where($qb->expr()->eq('name', $qb->createNamedParameter($name)))
+			->andWhere($qb->expr()->eq('mode', $qb->createNamedParameter(self::SHARED)));
+		$qb->executeStatement();
+	}
+
 	/** Wraps $refresh so calling it often (per file, per row batch) only touches the database every $seconds. */
 	public static function throttled(callable $refresh, int $seconds = 60): \Closure {
 		$last = time();

lib/Service/LocationSchedule.php

@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 Dillard Blom
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
+
+namespace OCA\NgBackup\Service;
+
+/**
+ * When a location is backed up: "" (off), "HH:MM" (daily) or "HH:MM/N" (from HH:MM every N hours,
+ * starting over at HH:MM the next day), in the location's time zone.
+ */
+final class LocationSchedule {
+	/** Attempts per moment after a failure, an hour apart, instead of one every few minutes. */
+	public const MAX_ATTEMPTS = 3;
+	public const RETRY_AFTER = 3600;
+
+	/** @throws \InvalidArgumentException */
+	public static function normalize(string $schedule): string {
+		$schedule = trim($schedule);
+		if ($schedule === '' || strtolower($schedule) === 'off') {
+			return '';
+		}
+		if (preg_match('/^(([01]\d|2[0-3]):[0-5]\d)(?:\/(\d{1,2}))?$/', $schedule, $m) !== 1) {
+			throw new \InvalidArgumentException('Use "off", HH:MM for once a day, or HH:MM/N for every N hours from HH:MM');
+		}
+		$hours = (int)($m[3] ?? 24);
+		if ($hours < 1 || $hours > 24) {
+			throw new \InvalidArgumentException('Every 1 to 24 hours');
+		}
+		return $hours === 24 ? $m[1] : $m[1] . '/' . $hours;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * The most recent scheduled moment at or before $now; null without a schedule.
+	 *
+	 * @param non-empty-string $zone
+	 */
+	public static function lastMoment(string $schedule, string $zone, int $now): ?int {
+		if ($schedule === '') {
+			return null;
+		}
+		$tz = new \DateTimeZone($zone);
+		$today = (new \DateTimeImmutable('@' . $now))->setTimezone($tz);
+		$moments = array_merge(self::moments($schedule, $today->modify('-1 day'), $tz), self::moments($schedule, $today, $tz));
+		$last = null;
+		foreach ($moments as $moment) {
+			if ($moment <= $now && ($last === null || $moment > $last)) {
+				$last = $moment;
+			}
+		}
+		return $last;
+	}
+
+	/** @return list<int> the moments of one day */
+	private static function moments(string $schedule, \DateTimeImmutable $day, \DateTimeZone $tz): array {
+		[$time, $every] = array_pad(explode('/', $schedule), 2, '24');
+		[$hour, $minute] = array_map('intval', explode(':', $time));
+		$moments = [];
+		for ($h = $hour; $h < 24; $h += (int)$every) {
+			$moments[] = (new \DateTimeImmutable($day->format('Y-m-d') . sprintf(' %02d:%02d', $h, $minute), $tz))->getTimestamp();
+		}
+		return $moments;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Whether a backup has to start for $moment. One that was made since then is enough, also when
+	 * several moments went by during a long backup. A moment from before the schedule was set does
+	 * not count: choosing a time must not start a backup right away.
+	 */
+	public static function isDue(int $moment, int $since, ?int $lastDoneStarted, int $attempts, ?int $lastAttemptFinished, int $now): bool {
+		if ($moment < $since || ($lastDoneStarted !== null && $lastDoneStarted >= $moment) || $attempts >= self::MAX_ATTEMPTS) {
+			return false;
+		}
+		return $attempts === 0 || $now - (int)$lastAttemptFinished >= self::RETRY_AFTER;
+	}
+}

lib/Service/PruneService.php

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ use OCA\NgBackup\AppInfo\Application;
 use OCA\NgBackup\Db\RunMapper;
 use OCA\NgBackup\Db\SnapshotMapper;
 use OCA\NgBackup\Db\Target;
+use OCA\NgBackup\Repository\Repository;
 use OCP\IAppConfig;
 use OCP\Lock\ILockingProvider;
 use OCP\Lock\LockedException;
@@ -33,6 +34,54 @@ final class PruneService {
 	) {
 	}
 
+	/** Characters of a note on a snapshot (the column holds 1000) */
+	public const NOTE_MAX = 500;
+
+	/** Pin or unpin a snapshot: the retention policy leaves a pinned one alone. */
+	public function setPinned(Target $target, string $snapshotId, bool $pinned): void {
+		$changed = $this->changeCatalog($target, function (Repository $repo) use ($snapshotId, $pinned): bool {
+			$was = in_array($snapshotId, $repo->pinnedSnapshots(), true);
+			$repo->setPinned($snapshotId, $pinned);
+			return $was !== $pinned;
+		});
+		$this->targets->syncSnapshot($target, $snapshotId, pinned: $pinned);
+		if ($changed) {
+			// Unpinning opens the way to removing it, so every administrator hears about that.
+			$this->alerts->securityEvent($pinned ? 'snapshot_pinned' : 'snapshot_unpinned', ['target' => $target->getName(), 'snapshot' => $snapshotId], !$pinned);
+		}
+	}
+
+	public function setNote(Target $target, string $snapshotId, string $note): void {
+		$note = trim((string)preg_replace('/[\x00-\x1f\x7f]+/', ' ', $note));
+		if (!mb_check_encoding($note, 'UTF-8')) {
+			throw new \InvalidArgumentException('A note must be valid UTF-8');
+		}
+		if (mb_strlen($note) > self::NOTE_MAX) {
+			throw new \InvalidArgumentException('A note has at most ' . self::NOTE_MAX . ' characters');
+		}
+		$this->changeCatalog($target, function (Repository $repo) use ($snapshotId, $note): bool {
+			$repo->setSnapshotNote($snapshotId, $note);
+			return true;
+		});
+		$this->targets->syncSnapshot($target, $snapshotId, note: $note);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Write to the catalog next to a running backup or restore, which only takes it for a moment to
+	 * commit. Not during a cleanup, which holds a repository opened earlier and writes from that.
+	 *
+	 * @param callable(Repository): bool $change
+	 */
+	private function changeCatalog(Target $target, callable $change): bool {
+		try {
+			return $this->leases->with(self::lockKey($target), LeaseService::SHARED, 300,
+				fn (): bool => $this->leases->with(self::catalogLockKey($target), LeaseService::EXCLUSIVE, 300,
+					fn (): bool => $change($this->targets->repository($target))));
+		} catch (LockedException) {
+			throw new \RuntimeException('A cleanup of ' . $target->getName() . ' or another change to its restore points is in progress; try again later');
+		}
+	}
+
 	public function untrash(Target $target, string $snapshotId): void {
 		$lease = $this->lockExclusive($target, 300);
 		try {
@@ -87,6 +136,7 @@ final class PruneService {
 		$s->setCreatedAt((int)strtotime((string)($meta['time'] ?? 'now')));
 		$s->setFiles((int)($meta['stats']['files'] ?? 0));
 		$s->setBytes((int)($meta['stats']['bytes'] ?? 0));
+		$s->setNote($repo->snapshotNotes()[$snapshotId] ?? null);
 		try {
 			$this->snapshots->insert($s);
 		} catch (\Throwable) {
@@ -208,7 +258,7 @@ final class PruneService {
 				$meta = $repo->snapshotMeta($id);
 				$times[$id] = (int)strtotime((string)($meta['time'] ?? '@0'));
 			}
-			$keep = $this->policy()->keep($times);
+			$keep = $this->policy()->keepWithPinned($times, $repo->pinnedSnapshots());
 			$forget = array_values(array_diff(array_keys($times), array_keys($keep)));
 			$actor = $scheduled ? 'retention policy' : $this->alerts->actor();
 			$purged = [];

lib/Service/RestoreFullService.php

@@ -151,6 +151,12 @@ final class RestoreFullService {
 			// The database cannot go into this installation; the files can.
 			$check['dbUnreadable'] = 'the database cannot be restored here: ' . $this->describeBlockers($check);
 		}
+		if ($interrupted) {
+			// A restore that was killed leaves its leases, for up to two hours: they would keep
+			// the first backup of the recovered server waiting after this restore completes.
+			// In maintenance mode, on a partly restored instance, nothing else reads the location.
+			$this->leases->dropShared(PruneService::lockKey($target));
+		}
 		$appConfig->setValueInt(\OCA\NgBackup\AppInfo\Application::APP_ID, self::INTERRUPTED_KEY, time());
 		$result = $this->restoreInMaintenance($target, $snapshotId, $skipMissingTables, $check, $salvage);
 		$appConfig->deleteKey(\OCA\NgBackup\AppInfo\Application::APP_ID, self::INTERRUPTED_KEY);
@@ -175,6 +181,8 @@ final class RestoreFullService {
 			if ($dbError === null) {
 				try {
 					$this->restoreDatabase($repo, $meta, $manifest, $dbReport, $beat, $skipMissingTables);
+				} catch (DatabaseAlreadyRestoredException $e) {
+					throw $e;
 				} catch (\Throwable $e) {
 					if (!$salvage) {
 						throw $e;
@@ -201,6 +209,8 @@ final class RestoreFullService {
 			try {
 				/** @var array<string, mixed> $backupConfig */
 				$backupConfig = $this->fetchBackupConfig($target, $snapshotId, $salvage);
+			} catch (\OCA\NgBackup\Repository\RestoreTargetException $e) {
+				throw $e; // nowhere to put it: not a config.php that cannot be read
 			} catch (\Throwable $e) {
 				if (!$salvage) {
 					throw $e;
@@ -259,8 +269,20 @@ final class RestoreFullService {
 		$dumper = new DbDumper($this->db->getInner(), $prefix);
 		try {
 			$dumper->restore($repo, $manifest, $dbReport, $beat, $skipMissingTables);
-		} finally {
+		} catch (\Throwable $e) {
+			try {
 				$this->restoreOwnAppConfig($ownAppConfig);
+			} catch (\Throwable) {
+				// rolled back, so they are still there: the error that brought us here is the one to report
+			}
+			throw $e;
+		}
+		try {
+			$this->restoreOwnAppConfig($ownAppConfig);
+		} catch (\Throwable $e) {
+			// The old server's database is in place by now: not a case for "the database stays as
+			// the fresh installation made it" under --salvage. A run again restores these rows.
+			throw new DatabaseAlreadyRestoredException('The database was restored, but NG Backup could not put back its own settings: ' . $e->getMessage(), 0, $e);
 		}
 	}
 

lib/Service/RestoreService.php

@@ -61,7 +61,8 @@ final class RestoreService {
 		$prefix = trim($path, '/');
 		$prefix = $prefix === '' ? '' : $prefix . '/';
 		$children = [];
-		foreach ($this->targets->repository($target)->entries($snapshotId) as $e) {
+		$repo = $this->targets->repository($target);
+		foreach ($repo->entries($snapshotId) as $e) {
 			if ($prefix !== '' && !str_starts_with($e['p'], $prefix)) {
 				continue;
 			}
@@ -75,6 +76,12 @@ final class RestoreService {
 			}
 			$children[$name] = $c;
 		}
+		foreach ($repo->emptyDirs($snapshotId) as [$dir]) { // read along with the entries
+			if ($prefix === '' || str_starts_with($dir, $prefix)) {
+				$name = explode('/', substr($dir, strlen($prefix)), 2)[0];
+				$children[$name] ??= ['name' => $name, 'type' => 'dir', 'size' => 0, 'mtime' => null, 'files' => 0];
+			}
+		}
 		ksort($children, SORT_STRING);
 		return array_values($children);
 	}
@@ -123,7 +130,17 @@ final class RestoreService {
 				$entries[substr($e['p'], strlen($source) + 1)] = $e;
 			}
 		}
-		if ($entries === []) {
+		// Folders without anything in them, relative to $source ('' when $source itself is one).
+		/** @var array<array-key, int> $emptyDirs modification times; a folder called "2026" is an integer key */
+		$emptyDirs = [];
+		foreach ($single ? [] : $repo->emptyDirs($snapshotId) as [$dir, $mtime]) {
+			if ($dir === $source) {
+				$emptyDirs[''] = $mtime;
+			} elseif (str_starts_with($dir, $source . '/')) {
+				$emptyDirs[substr($dir, strlen($source) + 1)] = $mtime;
+			}
+		}
+		if ($entries === [] && $emptyDirs === []) {
 			throw new NotFoundException("Nothing at $source in snapshot $snapshotId");
 		}
 
@@ -134,9 +151,21 @@ final class RestoreService {
 		} elseif ($mode !== self::MODE_MERGE && $mode !== self::MODE_REPLACE) {
 			throw new \InvalidArgumentException("Unknown mode $mode");
 		}
+		$destExisted = $parentRel === '' || $userFolder->nodeExists($parentRel);
 		$dest = $this->ensureFolder($userFolder, $parentRel);
 		$names = $single ? [basename($rel) => $entries['']] : $entries;
 
+		// The folders with something in them that this restore creates get their time back; one that
+		// was already there keeps its own, as its content changes now. Noted before anything is written.
+		/** @var array<array-key, int> $newFolders a folder called "2026" is an integer key */
+		$newFolders = [];
+		foreach ($single ? [] : $repo->folderTimes($snapshotId) as [$dir, $mtime]) {
+			$relative = $dir === $source ? '' : (str_starts_with($dir, $source . '/') ? substr($dir, strlen($source) + 1) : null);
+			if ($relative !== null && ($relative === '' ? !$destExisted : !$dest->nodeExists($relative))) {
+				$newFolders[$relative] = $mtime;
+			}
+		}
+
 		$this->cleaned = [];
 		$restored = 0;
 		foreach ($names as $relPath => $entry) {
@@ -156,9 +185,28 @@ final class RestoreService {
 			}
 		}
 
+		foreach ($emptyDirs as $dir => $mtime) {
+			$dir = (string)$dir;
+			$existed = $dir === '' ? $destExisted : $dest->nodeExists($dir); // one that is there keeps its own time
+			$folder = $this->ensureFolder($dest, $dir);
+			if (!$existed) {
+				$folder->touch($mtime);
+			}
+			if ($progress !== null) {
+				$progress($restored, count($names), $dir); // keeps the lease alive too
+			}
+		}
+
 		$trashed = 0;
 		if ($mode === self::MODE_REPLACE && !$single) {
-			$trashed = $this->trashExtras($dest, '', array_flip(array_keys($names)));
+			$trashed = $this->trashExtras($dest, '', array_flip(array_keys($names)) + $emptyDirs);
+		}
+		// Last and deepest first: a change in a folder also touches the folders above it.
+		foreach (array_reverse($newFolders, true) as $dir => $mtime) {
+			$this->ensureFolder($dest, (string)$dir)->touch($mtime);
+			if ($progress !== null) {
+				$progress($restored, count($names), (string)$dir); // keeps the lease alive too
+			}
 		}
 		return ['restored' => $restored, 'trashed' => $trashed, 'target' => $uid . ':' . $userFolder->getRelativePath($dest->getPath())];
 	}
@@ -178,7 +226,7 @@ final class RestoreService {
 			throw new \InvalidArgumentException('Invalid path: ' . $prefix);
 		}
 		if (!is_dir($directory) && !mkdir($directory, 0750, true) && !is_dir($directory)) {
-			throw new \RuntimeException("Cannot create $directory");
+			throw new \OCA\NgBackup\Repository\RestoreTargetException("Cannot create $directory (disk full, or no permission?)");
 		}
 		return $this->withSharedLock($target, function (callable $refresh) use ($target, $snapshotId, $prefix, $directory, $stripPrefix, $heartbeat, &$skipped, $keepUnchanged): int {
 			$own = LeaseService::throttled($refresh);
@@ -262,7 +310,7 @@ final class RestoreService {
 		foreach ($folder->getDirectoryListing() as $node) {
 			$rel = $prefix === '' ? $node->getName() : $prefix . '/' . $node->getName();
 			if ($node instanceof Folder) {
-				$hasKept = false;
+				$hasKept = isset($keep[$rel]); // a folder that was empty in the snapshot
 				foreach (array_keys($keep) as $k) {
 					if (str_starts_with((string)$k, $rel . '/')) {
 						$hasKept = true;

lib/Service/RetentionPolicy.php

@@ -28,6 +28,19 @@ final class RetentionPolicy {
 		return ['last' => $this->last, 'daily' => $this->daily, 'weekly' => $this->weekly, 'monthly' => $this->monthly];
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * keep() for the snapshots that are not pinned, plus the pinned ones. A pinned snapshot does not
+	 * take the place of a daily, weekly or monthly one.
+	 *
+	 * @param array<string, int> $snapshots id => unix time
+	 * @param list<string> $pinned
+	 * @return array<string, list<string>>
+	 */
+	public function keepWithPinned(array $snapshots, array $pinned): array {
+		$pins = array_intersect_key($snapshots, array_flip($pinned));
+		return $this->keep(array_diff_key($snapshots, $pins)) + array_fill_keys(array_keys($pins), ['pinned']);
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * @param array<string, int> $snapshots id => unix time
 	 * @return array<string, list<string>> id => reasons it is kept (ids not in the result are removed)

lib/Service/Schedule.php

@@ -13,10 +13,11 @@ use OCP\IConfig;
 use OCP\IGroupManager;
 
 /**
- * The daily backup time: "HH:MM" in a time zone. Nextcloud runs PHP in UTC, so a time without a
+ * The time zone times are shown in, and the daily time from before each location had its own
- * zone meant UTC (issue #19: 03:00 ran at 05:00 in Berlin). A time saved before there was a zone
+ * schedule (see LocationSchedule). Nextcloud runs PHP in UTC, so a time without a zone meant UTC
- * is converted once to the zone of the server or of an administrator, at today's offset: it then
+ * (issue #19: 03:00 ran at 05:00 in Berlin). A time saved before there was a zone is converted once
- * shows as it effectively ran (02:30 UTC becomes 04:30 Europe/Berlin in summer).
+ * to the zone of the server or of an administrator, at today's offset: it then shows as it
+ * effectively ran (02:30 UTC becomes 04:30 Europe/Berlin in summer).
  */
 final class Schedule {
 	public const TIME_KEY = 'schedule_time';
@@ -44,27 +45,9 @@ final class Schedule {
 		return ['time' => $time, 'timezone' => $zone];
 	}
 
-	/** @throws \InvalidArgumentException for a malformed time or an unknown zone */
+	/** @return non-empty-string the zone of a location's schedule, or else this one */
-	public function set(string $time, string $zone): void {
+	public function zoneOr(?string $zone): string {
-		if ($time !== '' && !self::validTime($time)) {
+		return $zone !== null && self::validZone($zone) ? $zone : $this->get()['timezone'];
-			throw new \InvalidArgumentException('Use HH:MM or empty');
-		}
-		if (!self::validZone($zone)) {
-			throw new \InvalidArgumentException('Unknown time zone: ' . $zone);
-		}
-		$this->appConfig->setValueString(Application::APP_ID, self::ZONE_KEY, $zone);
-		$this->appConfig->setValueString(Application::APP_ID, self::TIME_KEY, $time);
-	}
-
-	/** Today's scheduled moment as a Unix time, in the schedule's zone; null without a schedule. */
-	public function todayAt(?int $now = null): ?int {
-		['time' => $time, 'timezone' => $zone] = $this->get();
-		if ($time === '' || !self::validTime($time)) {
-			return null;
-		}
-		$tz = new \DateTimeZone($zone);
-		$day = (new \DateTimeImmutable('@' . ($now ?? time())))->setTimezone($tz)->format('Y-m-d');
-		return (new \DateTimeImmutable($day . ' ' . $time, $tz))->getTimestamp();
 	}
 
 	/**

lib/Service/TargetService.php

@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ final class TargetService {
 		private \OCA\NgBackup\Db\DbIndexCache $indexCache,
 		private \OCA\NgBackup\Db\AppConfigCatalogAnchor $anchor,
 		private SnapshotMapper $snapshots,
+		private AlertService $alerts,
 	) {
 	}
 
@@ -78,6 +79,11 @@ final class TargetService {
 		$target->setBasePath(trim($basePath, '/'));
 		$target->setRepositoryId($repo->id());
 		$target->setCreatedAt(time());
+		// Like the location before it: a backup scheme is usually one scheme.
+		$first = $this->mapper->findAll()[0] ?? null;
+		$target->setSchedule($first?->getSchedule() ?? '');
+		$target->setScheduleZone($first?->getScheduleZone());
+		$target->setScheduleSince(time());
 		$target = $this->mapper->insert($target);
 		if (!$created) {
 			// Disaster recovery: occ backup:list reads this local cache, not the repository
@@ -208,7 +214,25 @@ final class TargetService {
 		return $result;
 	}
 
+	/** Update the local copy of a snapshot's note or pin, if the snapshot is listed here at all. */
+	public function syncSnapshot(Target $target, string $snapshotId, ?string $note = null, ?bool $pinned = null): void {
+		try {
+			$s = $this->snapshots->findOne($target->getId(), $snapshotId);
+		} catch (DoesNotExistException) {
+			return;
+		}
+		if ($note !== null) {
+			$s->setNote($note !== '' ? $note : null);
+		}
+		if ($pinned !== null) {
+			$s->setPinned($pinned);
+		}
+		$this->snapshots->update($s);
+	}
+
 	private function adoptSnapshots(Target $target, Repository $repo): void {
+		$notes = $repo->snapshotNotes();
+		$pinned = array_flip($repo->pinnedSnapshots());
 		foreach ($repo->listSnapshots() as $snapshotId) {
 			try {
 				$this->snapshots->findOne($target->getId(), $snapshotId);
@@ -227,6 +251,8 @@ final class TargetService {
 				$s->setCreatedAt((int)strtotime((string)($meta['time'] ?? 'now')));
 				$s->setFiles((int)($meta['stats']['files'] ?? 0));
 				$s->setBytes((int)($meta['stats']['bytes'] ?? 0));
+				$s->setNote($notes[$snapshotId] ?? null);
+				$s->setPinned(isset($pinned[$snapshotId]));
 				$this->snapshots->insert($s);
 			} catch (\Throwable $e) {
 				Server::get(\Psr\Log\LoggerInterface::class)->warning('NG Backup: snapshot ' . $snapshotId . ' on ' . $target->getName() . ' not listed: ' . $e->getMessage(), ['exception' => $e]);
@@ -248,6 +274,26 @@ final class TargetService {
 	}
 
 	/** Size limit for the data stored on this location (null = none). */
+	/**
+	 * @param string $schedule see LocationSchedule
+	 * @throws \InvalidArgumentException
+	 */
+	public function setSchedule(Target $target, string $schedule, string $zone): Target {
+		if (!Schedule::validZone($zone)) {
+			throw new \InvalidArgumentException('Unknown time zone: ' . $zone);
+		}
+		$new = LocationSchedule::normalize($schedule);
+		$turnedOff = $new === '' && (string)$target->getSchedule() !== '';
+		$target->setSchedule($new);
+		$target->setScheduleZone($zone);
+		$target->setScheduleSince(time());
+		$target = $this->mapper->update($target);
+		if ($turnedOff) {
+			$this->alerts->securityEvent('schedule_off', ['target' => $target->getName()]);
+		}
+		return $target;
+	}
+
 	public function setMaxBytes(Target $target, ?int $maxBytes): Target {
 		$target->setMaxBytes($maxBytes);
 		return $this->mapper->update($target);

psalm-baseline.xml

@@ -186,6 +186,7 @@
       <code><![CDATA[$this->db]]></code>
       <code><![CDATA[$this->db]]></code>
       <code><![CDATA[$this->db]]></code>
+      <code><![CDATA[$this->db]]></code>
       <code><![CDATA[TransactionIsolationLevel]]></code>
       <code><![CDATA[\Doctrine\DBAL\ParameterType]]></code>
       <code><![CDATA[\Doctrine\DBAL\ParameterType]]></code>
@@ -299,6 +300,22 @@
       <code><![CDATA[$t]]></code>
     </UndefinedDocblockClass>
   </file>
+  <file src="lib/Migration/Version000008Date20261107010000.php">
+    <UndefinedDocblockClass>
+      <code><![CDATA[$t]]></code>
+      <code><![CDATA[$t]]></code>
+      <code><![CDATA[$t]]></code>
+      <code><![CDATA[$t]]></code>
+    </UndefinedDocblockClass>
+  </file>
+  <file src="lib/Migration/Version000007Date20261107000000.php">
+    <UndefinedDocblockClass>
+      <code><![CDATA[$t]]></code>
+      <code><![CDATA[$t]]></code>
+      <code><![CDATA[$t]]></code>
+      <code><![CDATA[$t]]></code>
+    </UndefinedDocblockClass>
+  </file>
   <file src="lib/Migration/Version000005Date20261002040000.php">
     <UndefinedDocblockClass>
       <code><![CDATA[$t]]></code>

src/api.js

@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ export default {
 	addSlot: (passphrase, label) => call('post', '/key/slots', { passphrase, label }),
 	replaceSlot: (slot, passphrase, label) => call('put', `/key/slots/${slot}`, { passphrase, label }),
 	removeSlot: (slot) => call('delete', `/key/slots/${slot}`),
-	trash: (targetId) => call('get', `/targets/${targetId}/trash`),
+	trash: (targetId, after = '') => call('get', `/targets/${targetId}/trash`, { after }),
 	untrash: (targetId, snapshotId) => call('post', `/targets/${targetId}/trash/${snapshotId}`),
 	kitUrl: () => url('/key/kit'),
 	confirmKit: (accepted, phrase, code) => call('post', '/key/confirm', { accepted, phrase, code }),
@@ -34,8 +34,10 @@ export default {
 	setTargetLimit: (id, maxGb) => call('put', `/targets/${id}/limit`, { maxGb }),
 	startBackup: (targetId, label) => call('post', '/backups', { targetId, label }),
 	tick: () => call('post', '/tick'),
-	setSchedule: (time, timezone) => call('put', '/schedule', { time, timezone }),
+	setTargetSchedule: (id, schedule, timezone) => call('put', `/targets/${id}/schedule`, { schedule, timezone }),
 	snapshots: (targetId) => call('get', `/targets/${targetId}/snapshots`),
+	setSnapshotNote: (targetId, snapshotId, note) => call('put', `/targets/${targetId}/snapshots/${snapshotId}/note`, { note }),
+	setSnapshotPinned: (targetId, snapshotId, pinned) => call('put', `/targets/${targetId}/snapshots/${snapshotId}/pin`, { pinned }),
 	browse: (targetId, snapshotId, path) => call('get', `/targets/${targetId}/snapshots/${snapshotId}/browse`, { path }),
 	startRestore: (targetId, snapshotId, path, mode) => call('post', '/restores', { targetId, snapshotId, path, mode }),
 }

src/components/Backups.vue

@@ -5,10 +5,7 @@
 <template>
 	<NcSettingsSection :name="t('ng_backup', 'Backups')"
 		:description="t('ng_backup', 'Backups run in the background through Nextcloud\'s cron. Unchanged files are not read again; only new data is uploaded.')">
-		<div class="ngb-row">
+		<LocationScheduleRow v-for="target in status.targets" :key="target.id" :target="target" @changed="emit('changed')" @error="error = $event" />
-			<NcTextField v-model="schedule" class="ngb-time" :label="t('ng_backup', 'Daily at (HH:MM, {zone}, empty = off)', { zone: browserZone })" />
-			<NcButton :disabled="schedule === status.schedule && browserZone === status.scheduleTimezone" @click="saveSchedule">{{ t('ng_backup', 'Save') }}</NcButton>
-		</div>
 		<div class="ngb-row">
 			<NcTextField v-model="label" class="ngb-label" :maxlength="100" :label="t('ng_backup', 'Label (optional)')"
 				:placeholder="t('ng_backup', 'e.g. before the upgrade to Nextcloud 35')" />
@@ -37,7 +34,7 @@
 						<td>{{ formatDateTime(run.startedAt) }}</td>
 						<td>{{ targetName(run.targetId) }}</td>
 						<td>{{ run.kind }}</td>
-						<td>{{ run.snapshot ? formatDateTime(run.snapshot.createdAt) + (run.snapshot.label ? ' – ' + run.snapshot.label : '') : '' }}</td>
+						<td>{{ run.snapshot ? (run.snapshot.pinned ? '📌 ' : '') + formatDateTime(run.snapshot.createdAt) + (run.snapshot.label ? ' – ' + run.snapshot.label : '') + (run.snapshot.note ? ' – ' + run.snapshot.note : '') : '' }}</td>
 						<td :class="'ngb-' + run.status">{{ runStatus(run) }}{{ run.error ? ': ' + run.error : '' }}</td>
 						<td>{{ run.stats?.files?.files ?? run.stats?.restored ?? '' }}</td>
 						<td>{{ run.stats?.files ? formatSize(run.stats.files.bytes) : '' }}</td>
@@ -60,24 +57,19 @@
 </template>
 
 <script setup>
-import { ref, watch } from 'vue'
+import { ref } from 'vue'
 import { n, t } from '@nextcloud/l10n'
 import NcButton from '@nextcloud/vue/components/NcButton'
 import NcNoteCard from '@nextcloud/vue/components/NcNoteCard'
 import NcSettingsSection from '@nextcloud/vue/components/NcSettingsSection'
 import NcTextField from '@nextcloud/vue/components/NcTextField'
+import LocationScheduleRow from './LocationScheduleRow.vue'
 import api from '../api.js'
-import { formatDateTime, formatSize, toZone } from '../format.js'
+import { formatDateTime, formatSize } from '../format.js'
 
 const props = defineProps({ status: { type: Object, required: true }, allRuns: { type: Boolean, default: false } })
 const emit = defineEmits(['changed', 'show-all-runs'])
-// The time is saved in the administrator's own zone (the browser's); a schedule saved in another
-// zone is shown in this one, so it reads as the moment it runs here.
-const browserZone = Intl.DateTimeFormat().resolvedOptions().timeZone || 'UTC'
-const shown = (s) => (s && props.status.scheduleTimezone && props.status.scheduleTimezone !== browserZone) ? toZone(s, props.status.scheduleTimezone, browserZone) : s
-const schedule = ref(shown(props.status.schedule))
 const error = ref('')
-watch(() => [props.status.schedule, props.status.scheduleTimezone], ([s]) => { schedule.value = shown(s) })
 
 const label = ref('')
 
@@ -97,6 +89,9 @@ const runStatus = (run) => {
 	if (run.status !== 'running') {
 		return run.status
 	}
+	if (run.queued) {
+		return t('ng_backup', 'queued, after the backup that is running now')
+	}
 	const detail = run.phase + percent(run)
 	if (run.waitingFor) {
 		return t('ng_backup', 'waiting for background jobs ({detail}, last step {minutes} min ago)', { detail, minutes: Math.floor(run.waitingFor / 60) })
@@ -116,21 +111,10 @@ async function start(target) {
 		error.value = e.message
 	}
 }
-
-async function saveSchedule() {
-	error.value = ''
-	try {
-		await api.setSchedule(schedule.value.trim(), browserZone)
-		emit('changed')
-	} catch (e) {
-		error.value = e.message
-	}
-}
 </script>
 
 <style scoped>
 .ngb-row { display: flex; gap: 8px; align-items: flex-end; flex-wrap: wrap; margin-bottom: 12px; }
-.ngb-time { max-width: 260px; }
 .ngb-label { max-width: 360px; }
 .ngb-table-wrap { overflow-x: auto; }
 .ngb-table { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; }

src/components/Bin.vue

@@ -6,8 +6,18 @@
 	<NcSettingsSection :name="t('ng_backup', 'Bin')"
 		:description="t('ng_backup', 'Restore points that were removed, most of them by the retention policy. They can be brought back until they are deleted permanently.')">
 		<NcNoteCard v-if="error" type="error">{{ error }}</NcNoteCard>
-		<NcLoadingIcon v-if="loading" :size="32" />
+		<div v-if="reading" class="ngb-reading" role="status">
-		<NcNoteCard v-else-if="empty" type="info">{{ t('ng_backup', 'The bin is empty.') }}</NcNoteCard>
+			<template v-if="reading.total === null">
+				<NcLoadingIcon :size="20" />
+				<span>{{ t('ng_backup', 'Connecting to {location} …', { location: reading.name }) }}</span>
+			</template>
+			<template v-else>
+				<span>{{ t('ng_backup', 'Reading removed restore points from {location}: {done} of {total}', { location: reading.name, done: reading.done, total: reading.total }) }}</span>
+				<NcProgressBar :value="reading.total ? Math.round(100 * reading.done / reading.total) : 0" />
+			</template>
+			<p class="ngb-muted">{{ t('ng_backup', 'This can take a while: every removed restore point is read from the location.') }}</p>
+		</div>
+		<NcNoteCard v-else-if="empty && !error" type="info">{{ t('ng_backup', 'The bin is empty.') }}</NcNoteCard>
 
 		<template v-for="target in status.targets" :key="'trash' + target.id">
 			<div v-if="trash[target.id]?.length" class="ngb-trash">
@@ -39,12 +49,13 @@
 </template>
 
 <script setup>
-import { computed, reactive, ref, watch } from 'vue'
+import { computed, onBeforeUnmount, reactive, ref, watch } from 'vue'
 import { n, t } from '@nextcloud/l10n'
 import { confirmPassword } from '@nextcloud/password-confirmation'
 import NcButton from '@nextcloud/vue/components/NcButton'
 import NcLoadingIcon from '@nextcloud/vue/components/NcLoadingIcon'
 import NcNoteCard from '@nextcloud/vue/components/NcNoteCard'
+import NcProgressBar from '@nextcloud/vue/components/NcProgressBar'
 import NcSettingsSection from '@nextcloud/vue/components/NcSettingsSection'
 import api from '../api.js'
 import { formatDate, formatDateTime } from '../format.js'
@@ -56,21 +67,49 @@ const emit = defineEmits(['changed'])
 const RETENTION = 'retention policy'
 const retentionInfo = ref(false)
 const trash = reactive({})
-const loading = ref(true)
+const reading = ref({ name: '', total: null, done: 0 }) // the location being read; null when done
 const error = ref('')
 const empty = computed(() => props.status.targets.every(target => !trash[target.id]?.length))
 
+let current = 0 // the newest load; an older one stops (another took over, or the tab was left)
+onBeforeUnmount(() => { current++ })
+
+async function loadTarget(target, load) {
+	reading.value = { name: target.name, total: null, done: 0 }
+	const items = []
+	for (;;) {
+		const page = await api.trash(target.id, items.length ? items[items.length - 1].id : '')
+		if (load !== current) {
+			return
+		}
+		items.push(...page.items)
+		reading.value = { name: target.name, total: page.total, done: Math.min(items.length, page.total) }
+		if (!page.items.length || items.length >= page.total) {
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	trash[target.id] = items.sort((a, b) => String(b.time ?? '').localeCompare(String(a.time ?? '')))
+}
+
 async function loadTrash() {
+	const load = ++current
+	const failed = []
 	for (const target of props.status.targets) {
 		try {
-			trash[target.id] = await api.trash(target.id)
+			await loadTarget(target, load)
 		} catch (e) {
-			trash[target.id] = []
+			// keep what was shown: a location that cannot be reached does not mean its bin is empty
+			failed.push(target.name + (e?.message ? ': ' + e.message : ''))
+		}
+		if (load !== current) {
+			return
 		}
 	}
-	loading.value = false
+	error.value = failed.length ? t('ng_backup', 'The bin could not be read from {locations}', { locations: failed.join('; ') }) : ''
+	reading.value = null
 }
-watch(() => props.status.targets.map(tg => tg.id).join(','), loadTrash, { immediate: true })
+// Again when a run ends: a cleanup moves restore points here.
+watch(() => props.status.targets.map(tg => tg.id).join(',') + '|' + (props.status.runs ?? []).filter(run => run.status !== 'running').map(run => run.id).join(','), loadTrash, { immediate: true })
 
 async function untrash(target, item) {
 	error.value = ''
@@ -88,6 +127,8 @@ async function untrash(target, item) {
 <style scoped>
 .ngb-info { background: none; border: none; padding: 0 4px; min-height: auto; cursor: pointer; color: var(--color-primary-element); }
 .ngb-muted { color: var(--color-text-maxcontrast); }
+.ngb-reading { margin: 12px 0; display: flex; flex-direction: column; gap: 6px; max-width: 600px; }
+.ngb-reading p { margin: 0; }
 .ngb-trash { margin: 12px 0; }
 .ngb-trash h3 { font-weight: bold; }
 </style>

src/components/LocationScheduleRow.vue

@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+<!--
+  - SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 Dillard Blom
+  - SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
+-->
+<template>
+	<div class="ngb-row">
+		<strong class="ngb-name">{{ target.name }}</strong>
+		<NcSelect v-model="kind" :options="kinds" label="label" :input-label="t('ng_backup', 'Schedule')" :clearable="false" />
+		<NcTextField v-if="kind.id !== 'off'" v-model="time" class="ngb-time" :label="kind.id === 'daily' ? t('ng_backup', 'At (HH:MM, {zone})', { zone: browserZone }) : t('ng_backup', 'From (HH:MM, {zone})', { zone: browserZone })" />
+		<NcTextField v-if="kind.id === 'hours'" v-model="hours" class="ngb-hours" type="number" min="1" max="23" :label="t('ng_backup', 'Every … hours')" />
+		<NcButton :disabled="busy || wanted === current" @click="save">{{ t('ng_backup', 'Save') }}</NcButton>
+	</div>
+</template>
+
+<script setup>
+import { computed, ref, watch } from 'vue'
+import { t } from '@nextcloud/l10n'
+import NcButton from '@nextcloud/vue/components/NcButton'
+import NcSelect from '@nextcloud/vue/components/NcSelect'
+import NcTextField from '@nextcloud/vue/components/NcTextField'
+import api from '../api.js'
+import { toZone } from '../format.js'
+
+const props = defineProps({ target: { type: Object, required: true } })
+const emit = defineEmits(['changed', 'error'])
+
+const kinds = [
+	{ id: 'off', label: t('ng_backup', 'Off') },
+	{ id: 'daily', label: t('ng_backup', 'Once a day') },
+	{ id: 'hours', label: t('ng_backup', 'Every few hours') },
+]
+// The time is saved in the administrator's own zone (the browser's); a schedule saved in another
+// zone is shown in this one, so it reads as the moment it runs here.
+const browserZone = Intl.DateTimeFormat().resolvedOptions().timeZone || 'UTC'
+const kind = ref(kinds[0])
+const time = ref('02:00')
+const hours = ref('6')
+const busy = ref(false)
+
+const current = computed(() => {
+	const [at, every] = props.target.schedule.split('/')
+	return at === '' ? '' : (props.target.scheduleZone !== browserZone ? toZone(at, props.target.scheduleZone, browserZone) : at) + (every ? '/' + every : '')
+})
+const wanted = computed(() => {
+	if (kind.value.id === 'off') {
+		return ''
+	}
+	return time.value.trim() + (kind.value.id === 'hours' ? '/' + String(hours.value).trim() : '')
+})
+
+watch(current, (schedule) => {
+	const [at, every] = schedule.split('/')
+	kind.value = kinds[at === '' ? 0 : (every ? 2 : 1)]
+	time.value = at === '' ? time.value : at
+	hours.value = every ?? hours.value
+}, { immediate: true })
+
+async function save() {
+	busy.value = true
+	emit('error', '')
+	try {
+		await api.setTargetSchedule(props.target.id, wanted.value, browserZone)
+		emit('changed')
+	} catch (e) {
+		emit('error', e.message)
+	} finally {
+		busy.value = false
+	}
+}
+</script>
+
+<style scoped>
+.ngb-row { display: flex; gap: 8px; align-items: flex-end; flex-wrap: wrap; margin-bottom: 12px; }
+.ngb-name { min-width: 120px; align-self: center; }
+.ngb-time { max-width: 220px; }
+.ngb-hours { max-width: 120px; }
+</style>

src/components/RestoreBrowser.vue

@@ -11,6 +11,13 @@
 		</div>
 
 		<template v-if="snapshot">
+			<div class="ngb-row ngb-marks">
+				<NcTextField v-model="note" class="ngb-note" :maxlength="500" :label="t('ng_backup', 'Note (can be changed later)')" />
+				<NcButton :disabled="marking || note.trim() === (snapshot.note ?? '')" @click="saveNote">{{ t('ng_backup', 'Save note') }}</NcButton>
+				<NcCheckboxRadioSwitch :model-value="snapshot.pinned" :disabled="marking" @update:model-value="savePinned">
+					{{ t('ng_backup', 'Pin: the retention policy does not remove this restore point') }}
+				</NcCheckboxRadioSwitch>
+			</div>
 			<div class="ngb-crumbs">
 				<NcButton variant="tertiary" @click="open('data')">data</NcButton>
 				<template v-for="(crumb, i) in crumbs" :key="crumb.path">
@@ -49,6 +56,7 @@ import NcLoadingIcon from '@nextcloud/vue/components/NcLoadingIcon'
 import NcNoteCard from '@nextcloud/vue/components/NcNoteCard'
 import NcSelect from '@nextcloud/vue/components/NcSelect'
 import NcSettingsSection from '@nextcloud/vue/components/NcSettingsSection'
+import NcTextField from '@nextcloud/vue/components/NcTextField'
 import { confirmPassword } from '@nextcloud/password-confirmation'
 import '@nextcloud/password-confirmation/style.css'
 import api from '../api.js'
@@ -74,7 +82,10 @@ const modes = [
 	{ id: 'replace', label: t('ng_backup', 'Into the original place, overwrite and move files that are not in the backup to the trash') },
 ]
 
-const snapshotLabel = (s) => formatDateTime(s.createdAt) + (s.label ? ' – ' + s.label : '')
+const note = ref('')
+const marking = ref(false)
+
+const snapshotLabel = (s) => (s.pinned ? '📌 ' : '') + formatDateTime(s.createdAt) + (s.label ? ' – ' + s.label : '') + (s.note ? ' – ' + s.note : '')
 const join = (name) => path.value + '/' + name
 const restorable = (p) => /^data\/[^/]+\/files(\/.*)?$/.test(p)
 const crumbs = computed(() => {
@@ -88,7 +99,29 @@ watch(target, async (tg) => {
 	snapshots.value = list.map(s => ({ ...s, displayLabel: snapshotLabel(s) }))
 	snapshot.value = snapshots.value[0] ?? null
 }, { immediate: true })
-watch(snapshot, () => { selected.value = ''; open('data') })
+watch(snapshot, (s) => { selected.value = ''; note.value = s?.note ?? ''; open('data') })
+
+// Changes the snapshot in place: choosing another one, which opens its folders again, is not needed
+async function mark(call, change) {
+	const s = snapshot.value
+	marking.value = true
+	error.value = message.value = ''
+	try {
+		await call(target.value.id, s.id)
+		change(s)
+		s.displayLabel = snapshotLabel(s)
+		emit('changed')
+	} catch (e) {
+		error.value = e.message
+	} finally {
+		marking.value = false
+	}
+}
+const saveNote = () => {
+	const text = note.value.trim()
+	return mark((targetId, id) => api.setSnapshotNote(targetId, id, text), (s) => { s.note = text })
+}
+const savePinned = (pinned) => mark((targetId, id) => api.setSnapshotPinned(targetId, id, pinned), (s) => { s.pinned = pinned })
 
 async function open(p) {
 	if (!snapshot.value) {
@@ -125,6 +158,8 @@ async function restore() {
 <style scoped>
 .ngb-row { display: flex; gap: 12px; flex-wrap: wrap; margin-bottom: 12px; }
 .ngb-row :deep(.ngb-snapshot) { min-width: min(360px, 100%); }
+.ngb-marks { align-items: flex-end; }
+.ngb-note { max-width: 360px; }
 .ngb-crumbs { display: flex; align-items: center; flex-wrap: wrap; }
 .ngb-entries li { display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 12px; min-height: 36px; }
 .ngb-entries li.selected { background: var(--color-primary-element-light); border-radius: var(--border-radius); }

tests/Unit/Job/TreeWalkerTest.php

@@ -28,6 +28,28 @@ class TreeWalkerTest extends TestCase {
 		$this->assertSame(['Z', 'a', 'a-b', 'a.txt', 'b', 'skip'], array_values(array_unique(array_map(fn ($p) => explode('/', $p)[0], $paths))));
 	}
 
+	public function testEmptyDirectoriesAreYieldedInOrderAndOnResume(): void {
+		$d = $this->tree();
+		mkdir("$d/a/empty");
+		mkdir("$d/a-hollow/inner", 0700, true);
+		symlink("$d/a.txt", "$d/skip/link");
+		mkdir("$d/only-link");
+		symlink("$d/a.txt", "$d/only-link/link");
+		$w = new TreeWalker(['' => $d]);
+		$all = array_keys(iterator_to_array($w->walk()));
+		$this->assertContains('a/empty', $all);
+		$this->assertContains('a-hollow/inner', $all);
+		$this->assertNotContains('a-hollow', $all, 'only the deepest');
+		$this->assertContains('only-link', $all, 'a link is not walked');
+		$this->assertNotContains('skip', $all);
+		$sorted = $all;
+		usort($sorted, [TreeWalker::class, 'compare']);
+		$this->assertSame($sorted, $all);
+		foreach ($all as $i => $cursor) {
+			$this->assertSame(array_slice($all, $i + 1), array_keys(iterator_to_array($w->walk($cursor))), "after $cursor");
+		}
+	}
+
 	public function testResumeAfterCursorYieldsTheRest(): void {
 		$w = new TreeWalker(['' => $this->tree()]);
 		$all = array_keys(iterator_to_array($w->walk()));

tests/Unit/Repository/CatalogTest.php

@@ -50,6 +50,40 @@ class CatalogTest extends TestCase {
 		$this->assertSame(4, $again->catalogGeneration());
 	}
 
+	public function testTheTrashIsReadInPartsThatTogetherAreAll(): void {
+		$repo = Repository::initWithKey($this->backend, $this->keys, $this->keys->wrap('pw'), $this->anchor);
+		for ($i = 0; $i < 3; $i++) {
+			$repo->forget($repo->backupDirectory($this->src)['snapshot']);
+		}
+		$again = $this->open();
+		$seen = [];
+		// A deadline already past: one entry per request, as on a slow location
+		$after = '';
+		for ($request = 0; count($seen) < 3 && $request < 5; $request++) {
+			$page = $again->trashPage($after, 0.0);
+			$this->assertSame(3, $page['total']);
+			$this->assertCount(1, $page['items']);
+			$seen += $page['items'];
+			$after = (string)array_key_last($page['items']);
+		}
+		$this->assertEqualsCanonicalizing(array_keys($again->trash()), array_keys($seen));
+		$this->assertSame(['total' => 3, 'items' => []], $again->trashPage($after, 0.0));
+		$this->assertCount(3, $again->trashPage('', microtime(true) + 60)['items']);
+	}
+
+	public function testAnEntryThatLeavesTheTrashBetweenPartsMakesNoneComeTwiceOrBeMissed(): void {
+		$repo = Repository::initWithKey($this->backend, $this->keys, $this->keys->wrap('pw'), $this->anchor);
+		for ($i = 0; $i < 3; $i++) {
+			$repo->forget($repo->backupDirectory($this->src)['snapshot']);
+		}
+		$reader = $this->open();
+		$ids = array_keys($reader->trashPage('', microtime(true) + 60)['items']);
+		$first = $reader->trashPage('', 0.0)['items'];
+		$this->assertSame([$ids[0]], array_keys($first));
+		$this->open()->untrash($ids[0]); // another administrator, between two parts
+		$this->assertSame([$ids[1], $ids[2]], array_keys($this->open()->trashPage($ids[0], microtime(true) + 60)['items']));
+	}
+
 	public function testRollbackIsDetected(): void {
 		$repo = Repository::initWithKey($this->backend, $this->keys, $this->keys->wrap('pw'), $this->anchor);
 		$repo->backupDirectory($this->src);

tests/Unit/Repository/EmptyDirsTest.php

@@ -0,0 +1,158 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace OCA\NgBackup\Tests\Unit\Repository;
+
+use OCA\NgBackup\Backend\LocalBackend;
+use OCA\NgBackup\Crypto\KeyRing;
+use OCA\NgBackup\Job\BackupRun;
+use OCA\NgBackup\Repository\Repository;
+use OCA\NgBackup\Tests\Unit\TempDirTrait;
+use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;
+
+/** Folders without files are recorded in the snapshot's meta record and come back on a restore. */
+class EmptyDirsTest extends TestCase {
+	use TempDirTrait;
+
+	private LocalBackend $backend;
+	private KeyRing $keys;
+	private string $src;
+
+	protected function setUp(): void {
+		$this->backend = new LocalBackend($this->tempDir());
+		$this->keys = KeyRing::generate();
+		Repository::initWithKey($this->backend, $this->keys, $this->keys->wrap('pw'));
+		$this->src = $this->tempDir();
+		mkdir("$this->src/data/alice/files/Docs", 0700, true);
+		mkdir("$this->src/data/alice/files/Hollow/Nested", 0700, true);
+		mkdir("$this->src/data/skipped/inner", 0700, true);
+		file_put_contents("$this->src/data/alice/files/Docs/note.txt", "hello\n");
+		touch("$this->src/data/alice/files/Hollow/Nested", 1700000000);
+	}
+
+	private function repo(): Repository {
+		return Repository::openWithKey($this->backend, $this->keys);
+	}
+
+	/** @param list<string> $exclude */
+	private function backup(array $exclude = [], float $seconds = 30.0): string {
+		$state = BackupRun::start(['data' => "$this->src/data"], null, '', $exclude);
+		for ($i = 0; $i < 500 && $state['phase'] !== 'commit'; $i++) {
+			$state = json_decode(json_encode(BackupRun::step($this->repo(), $state, microtime(true) + $seconds)), true);
+		}
+		$this->assertSame('commit', $state['phase']);
+		$this->repo()->recordSnapshot($state['snapshot']);
+		return $state['snapshot'];
+	}
+
+	public function testOnlyTheDeepestEmptyFolderIsRecordedAndFilesStayAsTheyAre(): void {
+		$snapshot = $this->backup();
+		$paths = array_column($this->repo()->emptyDirs($snapshot), 0);
+		$this->assertSame(['data/alice/files/Hollow/Nested', 'data/skipped/inner'], $paths);
+		$this->assertSame(['data/alice/files/Docs/note.txt'], array_column(iterator_to_array($this->repo()->entries($snapshot), false), 'p'));
+		$this->assertSame(2, $this->repo()->snapshotMeta($snapshot)['stats']['emptyDirs']);
+	}
+
+	public function testAFolderWithOnlyExcludedContentCountsAsEmpty(): void {
+		$snapshot = $this->backup(['data/skipped/inner']);
+		$this->assertContains('data/skipped', array_column($this->repo()->emptyDirs($snapshot), 0));
+		$this->assertNotContains('data/skipped/inner', array_column($this->repo()->emptyDirs($snapshot), 0));
+	}
+
+	public function testAResumedWalkRecordsEveryFolderOnce(): void {
+		for ($i = 0; $i < 30; $i++) {
+			mkdir("$this->src/data/many/d$i", 0700, true);
+			file_put_contents("$this->src/data/many/f$i", 'x');
+		}
+		$snapshot = $this->backup([], 0.0); // a step per entry
+		$paths = array_column($this->repo()->emptyDirs($snapshot), 0);
+		$this->assertCount(32, $paths);
+		$this->assertSame(array_unique($paths), $paths);
+	}
+
+	public function testANameASnapshotCannotHoldIsReportedAndTheSnapshotStaysReadable(): void {
+		mkdir("$this->src/data/odd\\folder", 0700, true);
+		mkdir("$this->src/data/alice/files/line\nbreak", 0700, true);
+		file_put_contents("$this->src/data/alice/files/back\\slash.txt", 'x');
+		file_put_contents("$this->src/data/alice/files/\xff.txt", 'x');
+		$state = BackupRun::start(['data' => "$this->src/data"]);
+		for ($i = 0; $i < 50 && $state['phase'] !== 'commit'; $i++) {
+			// A step per entry, state through JSON: as separate processes would
+			$state = json_decode(json_encode(BackupRun::step($this->repo(), $state, 0.0), JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR), true, 512, JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR);
+		}
+		$this->assertSame('commit', $state['phase']);
+		$this->assertSame(4, $state['stats']['badNames'], 'each reported once, over several steps');
+		$this->assertArrayNotHasKey('unreadable', $state['stats'], 'not a problem with permissions');
+		$shown = BackupRun::warnings($state)['badNames'];
+		$this->assertContains('data/alice/files/line?break', $shown, 'no control character in a message');
+		$this->assertSame($shown, array_filter($shown, fn (string $name): bool => mb_check_encoding($name, 'UTF-8')));
+		$this->repo()->recordSnapshot($state['snapshot']);
+
+		$this->assertSame(['data/alice/files/Hollow/Nested', 'data/skipped/inner'], array_column($this->repo()->emptyDirs($state['snapshot']), 0));
+		$target = $this->tempDir();
+		$this->assertSame(1, $this->repo()->restore($state['snapshot'], $target));
+		$this->assertFileExists("$target/data/alice/files/Docs/note.txt");
+	}
+
+	public function testAnEmptyFolderThatIsThePrefixItselfIsTheTarget(): void {
+		$snapshot = $this->backup();
+		$target = $this->tempDir();
+		$this->repo()->restore($snapshot, $target, 'data/skipped/inner/', true);
+		$this->assertSame([], glob("$target/*"), 'not a folder "inner" inside the target');
+	}
+
+	public function testRestoreBringsThemBackWithTheirTime(): void {
+		$snapshot = $this->backup();
+		$target = $this->tempDir();
+		$this->assertSame(1, $this->repo()->restore($snapshot, $target));
+		$this->assertDirectoryExists("$target/data/alice/files/Hollow/Nested");
+		clearstatcache();
+		$this->assertSame(1700000000, filemtime("$target/data/alice/files/Hollow/Nested"));
+		$this->assertDirectoryExists("$target/data/skipped/inner");
+	}
+
+	public function testRestoreOfAPrefixStripsAndLeavesOthersOut(): void {
+		$snapshot = $this->backup();
+		$target = $this->tempDir();
+		$this->repo()->restore($snapshot, $target, 'data/alice/', true);
+		$this->assertDirectoryExists("$target/files/Hollow/Nested");
+		$this->assertDirectoryDoesNotExist("$target/skipped");
+		$this->assertDirectoryDoesNotExist("$target/inner");
+	}
+
+	public function testRunningAgainLeavesAFolderThatIsThereAlone(): void {
+		$snapshot = $this->backup();
+		$target = $this->tempDir();
+		$this->repo()->restore($snapshot, $target);
+		touch("$target/data/alice/files/Hollow/Nested", 1800000000);
+		file_put_contents("$target/data/alice/files/Hollow/Nested/added", 'kept');
+		touch("$target/data/alice/files/Hollow/Nested", 1800000000);
+		$this->repo()->restore($snapshot, $target, keepUnchanged: true);
+		clearstatcache();
+		$this->assertSame(1800000000, filemtime("$target/data/alice/files/Hollow/Nested"));
+		$this->assertFileExists("$target/data/alice/files/Hollow/Nested/added");
+	}
+
+	public function testALinkOutOfTheTargetIsRefused(): void {
+		$snapshot = $this->backup();
+		$target = $this->tempDir();
+		$outside = $this->tempDir();
+		mkdir("$target/data/alice/files", 0700, true);
+		symlink($outside, "$target/data/alice/files/Hollow");
+		try {
+			$this->repo()->restore($snapshot, $target);
+			$this->fail('restored through a link');
+		} catch (\OCA\NgBackup\Repository\RestoreTargetException $e) {
+			$this->assertStringContainsString('outside', $e->getMessage());
+		}
+		$this->assertSame([], glob("$outside/*"));
+	}
+
+	public function testASnapshotWithoutThemHasNone(): void {
+		$src = $this->tempDir();
+		file_put_contents("$src/a", 'x');
+		$snapshot = $this->repo()->backupDirectory($src)['snapshot'];
+		$this->assertSame([], $this->repo()->emptyDirs($snapshot));
+	}
+}

tests/Unit/Repository/FolderTimesTest.php

@@ -0,0 +1,127 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace OCA\NgBackup\Tests\Unit\Repository;
+
+use OCA\NgBackup\Backend\LocalBackend;
+use OCA\NgBackup\Crypto\KeyRing;
+use OCA\NgBackup\Job\BackupRun;
+use OCA\NgBackup\Repository\Repository;
+use OCA\NgBackup\Tests\Unit\TempDirTrait;
+use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;
+
+/** Folders with something in them get their original modification time back on a restore. */
+class FolderTimesTest extends TestCase {
+	use TempDirTrait;
+
+	private const OLD = 1500000000;
+	private const OLDER = 1400000000;
+
+	private LocalBackend $backend;
+	private KeyRing $keys;
+	private string $src;
+
+	protected function setUp(): void {
+		$this->backend = new LocalBackend($this->tempDir());
+		$this->keys = KeyRing::generate();
+		Repository::initWithKey($this->backend, $this->keys, $this->keys->wrap('pw'));
+		$this->src = $this->tempDir();
+		mkdir("$this->src/data/alice/files/Old/Deep", 0700, true);
+		mkdir("$this->src/data/alice/files/2026", 0700, true);
+		file_put_contents("$this->src/data/alice/files/Old/Deep/a.txt", 'a');
+		file_put_contents("$this->src/data/alice/files/Old/b.txt", 'b');
+		file_put_contents("$this->src/data/alice/files/2026/c.txt", 'c');
+		touch("$this->src/data/alice/files/Old/Deep", self::OLDER);
+		touch("$this->src/data/alice/files/Old", self::OLD);
+		touch("$this->src/data/alice/files/2026", self::OLD);
+	}
+
+	private function repo(): Repository {
+		return Repository::openWithKey($this->backend, $this->keys);
+	}
+
+	private function backup(float $seconds = 30.0): string {
+		$state = BackupRun::start(['data' => "$this->src/data"]);
+		for ($i = 0; $i < 500 && $state['phase'] !== 'commit'; $i++) {
+			$state = json_decode(json_encode(BackupRun::step($this->repo(), $state, microtime(true) + $seconds)), true);
+		}
+		$this->assertSame('commit', $state['phase']);
+		$this->repo()->recordSnapshot($state['snapshot']);
+		return $state['snapshot'];
+	}
+
+	private function time(string $path): int {
+		clearstatcache();
+		return (int)filemtime($path);
+	}
+
+	public function testEachFolderIsRecordedOnceAlsoInSmallSteps(): void {
+		$expected = ['data', 'data/alice', 'data/alice/files', 'data/alice/files/2026', 'data/alice/files/Old', 'data/alice/files/Old/Deep'];
+		$this->assertSame($expected, array_column($this->repo()->folderTimes($this->backup()), 0));
+		$this->assertSame($expected, array_column($this->repo()->folderTimes($this->backup(0.0)), 0), 'a step per entry');
+	}
+
+	public function testNoEmptyFolderIsAmongThem(): void {
+		mkdir("$this->src/data/alice/files/Hollow");
+		$snapshot = $this->backup();
+		$this->assertNotContains('data/alice/files/Hollow', array_column($this->repo()->folderTimes($snapshot), 0));
+		$this->assertContains('data/alice/files/Hollow', array_column($this->repo()->emptyDirs($snapshot), 0));
+	}
+
+	public function testARestoreBringsThemBack(): void {
+		$snapshot = $this->backup();
+		$target = $this->tempDir();
+		$this->repo()->restore($snapshot, $target);
+		$this->assertSame(self::OLD, $this->time("$target/data/alice/files/Old"));
+		$this->assertSame(self::OLDER, $this->time("$target/data/alice/files/Old/Deep"));
+		$this->assertSame(self::OLD, $this->time("$target/data/alice/files/2026"));
+	}
+
+	public function testARestoreThatGoesOnAfterAStopToo(): void {
+		$snapshot = $this->backup();
+		$target = $this->tempDir();
+		$this->repo()->restore($snapshot, $target);
+		touch("$target/data/alice/files/Old", 1800000000);
+		$this->repo()->restore($snapshot, $target, keepUnchanged: true);
+		$this->assertSame(self::OLD, $this->time("$target/data/alice/files/Old"));
+	}
+
+	public function testAPrefixLeavesTheTargetAndOthersAlone(): void {
+		$snapshot = $this->backup();
+		$target = $this->tempDir();
+		$this->repo()->restore($snapshot, $target, 'data/alice/files/Old/', true);
+		$this->assertSame(self::OLDER, $this->time("$target/Deep"));
+		$this->assertNotSame(self::OLD, $this->time($target), 'the directory that was chosen is not ours to change');
+		$this->assertDirectoryDoesNotExist("$target/2026");
+	}
+
+	public function testALinkOutOfTheTargetIsRefused(): void {
+		$snapshot = $this->backup();
+		$target = $this->tempDir();
+		$outside = $this->tempDir();
+		touch($outside, 1800000000);
+		mkdir("$target/data/alice/files", 0700, true);
+		symlink($outside, "$target/data/alice/files/Old");
+		$this->expectException(\OCA\NgBackup\Repository\RestoreTargetException::class);
+		$this->repo()->restore($snapshot, $target);
+	}
+
+	public function testAFolderWithABadNameIsLeftOutAndWhatIsInItReported(): void {
+		mkdir("$this->src/data/odd\\folder");
+		file_put_contents("$this->src/data/odd\\folder/x", 'x');
+		$state = BackupRun::start(['data' => "$this->src/data"]);
+		for ($i = 0; $i < 50 && $state['phase'] !== 'commit'; $i++) {
+			$state = json_decode(json_encode(BackupRun::step($this->repo(), $state, 0.0), JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR), true, 512, JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR);
+		}
+		$this->assertSame('commit', $state['phase']);
+		$this->assertSame(1, $state['stats']['badNames']);
+		$this->repo()->recordSnapshot($state['snapshot']);
+		$this->assertNotContains("data/odd\\folder", array_column($this->repo()->folderTimes($state['snapshot']), 0));
+	}
+
+	public function testASnapshotWithoutThemHasNone(): void {
+		$snapshot = $this->repo()->backupDirectory($this->src)['snapshot'];
+		$this->assertSame([], $this->repo()->folderTimes($snapshot));
+	}
+}

tests/Unit/Repository/RestoreTargetTest.php

@@ -0,0 +1,149 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace OCA\NgBackup\Tests\Unit\Repository;
+
+use OCA\NgBackup\Backend\LocalBackend;
+use OCA\NgBackup\Command\Restore;
+use OCA\NgBackup\Crypto\KeyRing;
+use OCA\NgBackup\Repository\Repository;
+use OCA\NgBackup\Repository\RestoreTargetException;
+use OCA\NgBackup\Tests\Unit\TempDirTrait;
+use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;
+
+/** A stream that takes at most 3 bytes per write. */
+class PartialWriteStream {
+	public static string $written = '';
+	/** @var resource|null set by PHP */
+	public $context;
+
+	public function stream_open(string $path, string $mode, int $options, ?string &$opened): bool {
+		self::$written = '';
+		return true;
+	}
+
+	public function stream_write(string $data): int {
+		$part = substr($data, 0, 3);
+		self::$written .= $part;
+		return strlen($part);
+	}
+}
+
+/**
+ * What goes wrong where a restore writes to is not damage in the backup: it stops the restore, also
+ * with --salvage, and the message does not point at --salvage.
+ */
+class RestoreTargetTest extends TestCase {
+	use TempDirTrait;
+
+	private LocalBackend $backend;
+	private KeyRing $keys;
+	private string $snapshot;
+
+	protected function setUp(): void {
+		$this->backend = new LocalBackend($this->tempDir());
+		$this->keys = KeyRing::generate();
+		$src = $this->tempDir();
+		mkdir("$src/dir");
+		file_put_contents("$src/dir/a.bin", random_bytes(6 * 1048576));
+		file_put_contents("$src/dir/b.bin", random_bytes(6 * 1048576));
+		file_put_contents("$src/dir/c.txt", 'small');
+		$this->snapshot = Repository::initWithKey($this->backend, $this->keys, $this->keys->wrap('pw'))->backupDirectory($src)['snapshot'];
+	}
+
+	private function repo(): Repository {
+		return Repository::openWithKey($this->backend, $this->keys);
+	}
+
+	public function testAShortWriteIsATargetError(): void {
+		if (!is_writable('/dev/full')) {
+			$this->markTestSkipped('needs /dev/full');
+		}
+		$out = fopen('/dev/full', 'wb');
+		stream_set_write_buffer($out, 0);
+		$this->expectException(RestoreTargetException::class);
+		Repository::writeAll($out, 'data', 'dir/a.bin');
+	}
+
+	public function testAWriteThatTakesPartOfTheDataGoesOn(): void {
+		stream_wrapper_register('ngbpartial', PartialWriteStream::class);
+		try {
+			$out = fopen('ngbpartial://x', 'wb');
+			Repository::writeAll($out, 'abcdefgh', 'dir/a.bin');
+			fclose($out);
+			$this->assertSame('abcdefgh', PartialWriteStream::$written);
+		} finally {
+			stream_wrapper_unregister('ngbpartial');
+		}
+	}
+
+	public function testATargetErrorDoesNotLookLikeDamage(): void {
+		$this->assertFalse(Restore::backupLooksDamaged(new RestoreTargetException('Cannot write')));
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * A real full disk: run with NGB_TEST_SMALL_DISK set to an empty, writable tmpfs of a few MiB
+	 * (docker run --tmpfs /small:size=8m,uid=...), with and without --salvage.
+	 *
+	 * @dataProvider salvageOrNot
+	 */
+	public function testAFullDiskStopsTheRestoreAndLeavesNoTemporary(bool $salvage): void {
+		$disk = getenv('NGB_TEST_SMALL_DISK');
+		if ($disk === false || $disk === '') {
+			$this->markTestSkipped('needs NGB_TEST_SMALL_DISK');
+		}
+		$target = $disk . '/' . bin2hex(random_bytes(4));
+		$skipped = $salvage ? [] : null;
+		try {
+			$this->repo()->restore($this->snapshot, $target, skipped: $skipped);
+			$this->fail('12 MiB fitted on the small disk');
+		} catch (RestoreTargetException $e) {
+			$this->assertStringContainsString('disk full', $e->getMessage());
+		} finally {
+			$left = glob("$target/dir/*.ngb-restore-*");
+			foreach (glob("$target/dir/*") ?: [] as $f) {
+				unlink($f);
+			}
+			@rmdir("$target/dir");
+			@rmdir($target);
+		}
+		$this->assertSame([], $left);
+		if ($salvage) {
+			$this->assertSame([], $skipped, 'nothing is listed as damaged');
+		}
+	}
+
+	/** @return array<string, array{bool}> */
+	public static function salvageOrNot(): array {
+		return ['without --salvage' => [false], 'with --salvage' => [true]];
+	}
+
+	public function testResumeChecksTheFolderBeforeSkipping(): void {
+		$target = $this->tempDir();
+		$this->repo()->restore($this->snapshot, $target);
+		$outside = $this->tempDir();
+		rename("$target/dir", "$outside/dir");
+		symlink("$outside/dir", "$target/dir");
+		$this->expectException(RestoreTargetException::class);
+		$this->repo()->restore($this->snapshot, $target, keepUnchanged: true);
+	}
+
+	public function testResumeRemovesTemporariesWhereEverythingIsInPlace(): void {
+		$target = $this->tempDir();
+		$this->repo()->restore($this->snapshot, $target);
+		file_put_contents("$target/dir/a.bin.ngb-restore-0123456789ab", 'left by a stopped restore');
+		$this->repo()->restore($this->snapshot, $target, keepUnchanged: true);
+		$this->assertFileDoesNotExist("$target/dir/a.bin.ngb-restore-0123456789ab");
+	}
+
+	public function testHeartbeatRunsForFilesThatAreSkipped(): void {
+		$target = $this->tempDir();
+		$this->repo()->restore($this->snapshot, $target);
+		$beats = 0;
+		$this->repo()->restore($this->snapshot, $target, '', false, function () use (&$beats): void {
+			$beats++;
+		}, keepUnchanged: true);
+		$this->assertSame(3, $beats);
+	}
+}

tests/Unit/Repository/SnapshotMarksTest.php

@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace OCA\NgBackup\Tests\Unit\Repository;
+
+use OCA\NgBackup\Backend\LocalBackend;
+use OCA\NgBackup\Crypto\KeyRing;
+use OCA\NgBackup\Repository\Repository;
+use OCA\NgBackup\Tests\Unit\TempDirTrait;
+use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;
+
+/** A pin and a note on a snapshot live in the catalog on the location, so a new server sees them too. */
+class SnapshotMarksTest extends TestCase {
+	use TempDirTrait;
+
+	private LocalBackend $backend;
+	private KeyRing $keys;
+	private string $snapshot;
+
+	protected function setUp(): void {
+		$this->backend = new LocalBackend($this->tempDir());
+		$this->keys = KeyRing::generate();
+		$src = $this->tempDir();
+		file_put_contents("$src/a", 'x');
+		$this->snapshot = Repository::initWithKey($this->backend, $this->keys, $this->keys->wrap('pw'))->backupDirectory($src)['snapshot'];
+	}
+
+	private function repo(): Repository {
+		return Repository::openWithKey($this->backend, $this->keys);
+	}
+
+	public function testTheyAreThereAfterOpeningAgain(): void {
+		$this->repo()->setPinned($this->snapshot, true);
+		$this->repo()->setSnapshotNote($this->snapshot, 'before the upgrade');
+		$this->assertSame([$this->snapshot], $this->repo()->pinnedSnapshots());
+		$this->assertSame([$this->snapshot => 'before the upgrade'], $this->repo()->snapshotNotes());
+	}
+
+	public function testTheyCanBeTakenOffAgain(): void {
+		$this->repo()->setPinned($this->snapshot, true);
+		$this->repo()->setSnapshotNote($this->snapshot, 'x');
+		$this->repo()->setPinned($this->snapshot, false);
+		$this->repo()->setSnapshotNote($this->snapshot, '');
+		$this->assertSame([], $this->repo()->pinnedSnapshots());
+		$this->assertSame([], $this->repo()->snapshotNotes());
+	}
+
+	public function testNoChangeWritesNoCatalog(): void {
+		$repo = $this->repo();
+		$repo->setPinned($this->snapshot, true);
+		$generation = $repo->catalogGeneration();
+		$repo->setPinned($this->snapshot, true);
+		$repo->setSnapshotNote($this->snapshot, '');
+		$this->assertSame($generation, $repo->catalogGeneration());
+	}
+
+	public function testASnapshotThatIsNotThereIsRefused(): void {
+		$this->expectException(\InvalidArgumentException::class);
+		$this->repo()->setPinned('0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef', true);
+	}
+
+	public function testATrashedSnapshotLosesItsPinAndKeepsItsNote(): void {
+		$repo = $this->repo();
+		$repo->setPinned($this->snapshot, true);
+		$repo->setSnapshotNote($this->snapshot, 'kept');
+		$repo->forget($this->snapshot);
+		$this->assertSame([], $this->repo()->pinnedSnapshots());
+		$this->assertSame([$this->snapshot => 'kept'], $this->repo()->snapshotNotes());
+
+		$repo = $this->repo();
+		$repo->untrash($this->snapshot);
+		$this->assertSame([], $this->repo()->pinnedSnapshots(), 'back in the list, as a normal one');
+		$this->assertSame([$this->snapshot => 'kept'], $this->repo()->snapshotNotes());
+	}
+
+	public function testThePurgeTakesTheNoteAlong(): void {
+		$repo = $this->repo();
+		$repo->setSnapshotNote($this->snapshot, 'kept');
+		$repo->forget($this->snapshot);
+		$repo->purgeTrash(0);
+		$this->assertSame([], $this->repo()->snapshotNotes());
+	}
+
+	public function testACatalogFromBeforeThisVersionReadsAsNone(): void {
+		$this->assertSame([], $this->repo()->pinnedSnapshots());
+		$this->assertSame([], $this->repo()->snapshotNotes());
+	}
+}

tests/Unit/Service/LocationScheduleTest.php

@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace OCA\NgBackup\Tests\Unit\Service;
+
+use OCA\NgBackup\Service\LocationSchedule as S;
+use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;
+
+class LocationScheduleTest extends TestCase {
+	private const BERLIN = 'Europe/Berlin';
+
+	private static function at(string $time): int {
+		return (int)strtotime($time);
+	}
+
+	public function testWhatCanBeSaved(): void {
+		$this->assertSame('', S::normalize('off'));
+		$this->assertSame('', S::normalize(' '));
+		$this->assertSame('02:30', S::normalize('02:30'));
+		$this->assertSame('02:30', S::normalize('02:30/24'));
+		$this->assertSame('00:00/6', S::normalize('00:00/6'));
+		foreach (['2:30', '24:00', '02:30/0', '02:30/25', 'daily', '02:30/x'] as $bad) {
+			try {
+				S::normalize($bad);
+				$this->fail("$bad accepted");
+			} catch (\InvalidArgumentException) {
+				$this->addToAssertionCount(1);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	public function testOffHasNoMoment(): void {
+		$this->assertNull(S::lastMoment('', self::BERLIN, self::at('2026-11-10 12:00 UTC')));
+	}
+
+	public function testDailyIsInTheZoneOfTheLocation(): void {
+		$this->assertSame(self::at('2026-11-10 02:00 UTC'), S::lastMoment('03:00', self::BERLIN, self::at('2026-11-10 12:00 UTC')));
+		$this->assertSame(self::at('2026-11-09 02:00 UTC'), S::lastMoment('03:00', self::BERLIN, self::at('2026-11-10 01:00 UTC')), 'not yet today');
+	}
+
+	public function testEveryNHoursStartsOverTheNextDay(): void {
+		$zone = 'UTC';
+		$this->assertSame(self::at('2026-11-10 12:00 UTC'), S::lastMoment('02:00/5', $zone, self::at('2026-11-10 13:00 UTC')));
+		$this->assertSame(self::at('2026-11-09 22:00 UTC'), S::lastMoment('02:00/5', $zone, self::at('2026-11-10 01:59 UTC')), '02, 07, 12, 17, 22, then 02 again');
+		$this->assertSame(self::at('2026-11-10 02:00 UTC'), S::lastMoment('02:00/5', $zone, self::at('2026-11-10 02:00 UTC')), 'at the moment itself');
+	}
+
+	public function testAClockChangeInTheNightStillGivesOneMoment(): void {
+		$this->assertSame(self::at('2026-03-29 01:30 UTC'), S::lastMoment('02:30', self::BERLIN, self::at('2026-03-29 12:00 UTC')), '02:30 does not exist that night');
+		$this->assertNotNull(S::lastMoment('02:30', self::BERLIN, self::at('2026-10-25 12:00 UTC')));
+	}
+
+	public function testChoosingATimeDoesNotStartABackup(): void {
+		$moment = self::at('2026-11-10 02:00 UTC');
+		$this->assertFalse(S::isDue($moment, $moment + 1, null, 0, null, $moment + 3600));
+		$this->assertTrue(S::isDue($moment, $moment - 1, null, 0, null, $moment + 3600));
+		$this->assertTrue(S::isDue($moment, 0, null, 0, null, $moment), 'a location from before schedules per location');
+	}
+
+	public function testABackupSinceTheMomentIsEnough(): void {
+		$moment = 1000000;
+		$this->assertFalse(S::isDue($moment, 0, $moment, 1, $moment + 10, $moment + 20));
+		$this->assertTrue(S::isDue($moment, 0, $moment - 1, 0, null, $moment + 20), 'it started before this moment: one more');
+	}
+
+	public function testAfterAFailureOnlyAFewAttemptsAnHourApart(): void {
+		$moment = 1000000;
+		$finished = $moment + 60;
+		$this->assertFalse(S::isDue($moment, 0, null, 1, $finished, $finished + S::RETRY_AFTER - 1));
+		$this->assertTrue(S::isDue($moment, 0, null, 1, $finished, $finished + S::RETRY_AFTER));
+		$this->assertFalse(S::isDue($moment, 0, null, S::MAX_ATTEMPTS, $finished, $finished + 86400));
+	}
+}

tests/Unit/Service/RetentionPolicyTest.php

@@ -25,6 +25,17 @@ class RetentionPolicyTest extends TestCase {
 		$this->assertCount(3, $months);
 	}
 
+	public function testAPinnedSnapshotStaysAndDoesNotCount(): void {
+		$policy = new RetentionPolicy(1, 0, 0, 0);
+		$snaps = ['old' => 100, 'pinned' => 300, 'new' => 200];
+		$this->assertSame(['pinned'], array_keys($policy->keep($snaps)), 'without the pin it would take the place of "last"');
+		$keep = $policy->keepWithPinned($snaps, ['pinned', 'gone-already']);
+		$this->assertSame(['pinned'], $keep['pinned']);
+		$this->assertSame(['last'], $keep['new'], 'the newest one that is not pinned');
+		$this->assertArrayNotHasKey('old', $keep);
+		$this->assertArrayNotHasKey('gone-already', $keep);
+	}
+
 	public function testKeepsEverythingWhenFewSnapshots(): void {
 		$keep = (new RetentionPolicy())->keep(['a' => 100, 'b' => 200]);
 		$this->assertSame(['a', 'b'], array_values(array_intersect(['a', 'b'], array_keys($keep))));

tests/Unit/Service/ScheduleOffReminderTest.php

@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace OCA\NgBackup\Tests\Unit\Service;
+
+use OCA\NgBackup\Service\AlertService;
+use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;
+
+/** A location without a schedule: a weekly reminder while another is backed up, else a daily one. */
+class ScheduleOffReminderTest extends TestCase {
+	public function testOnceAWeekWhileAnotherLocationIsActive(): void {
+		$this->assertFalse(AlertService::offReminderDue(0, 6 * 86400, true));
+		$this->assertTrue(AlertService::offReminderDue(0, 7 * 86400, true));
+	}
+
+	public function testEveryDayWhenNoLocationIsActive(): void {
+		$this->assertFalse(AlertService::offReminderDue(0, 3600, false));
+		$this->assertTrue(AlertService::offReminderDue(0, 86400, false));
+		$this->assertTrue(AlertService::offReminderDue(0, 86400 - 60, false), 'a cron run a minute earlier than yesterday');
+	}
+}

tests/Unit/Service/ScheduleTest.php

@@ -57,15 +57,4 @@ class ScheduleTest extends TestCase {
 		$this->assertSame(['time' => '02:30', 'timezone' => 'UTC'], $this->schedule()->get());
 	}
 
-	public function testTodayAtIsTheMomentInTheSchedulesZone(): void {
-		$this->values = [Schedule::TIME_KEY => '03:00', Schedule::ZONE_KEY => 'Europe/Berlin'];
-		$at = $this->schedule()->todayAt(strtotime('2026-10-22 12:00 UTC'));
-		$this->assertSame(strtotime('2026-10-22 01:00 UTC'), $at, '03:00 in Berlin (summer time) is 01:00 UTC');
-	}
-
-	public function testAnUnknownZoneOrABadTimeIsRefused(): void {
-		$s = $this->schedule();
-		$this->expectException(\InvalidArgumentException::class);
-		$s->set('03:00', 'Mars/Olympus');
-	}
 }

tests/integration/full-restore-roundtrip.sh

@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ ok "key, kit and location on the origin"
 
 NC_PASS=$(openssl rand -hex 16)
 docker exec -u www-data -e OC_PASS="$NC_PASS" ngb-frt-origin php occ user:add --password-from-env frtest >/dev/null
-docker exec ngb-frt-origin sh -c "mkdir -p /var/www/html/data/frtest/files/Docs && head -c 200000 /dev/urandom > /var/www/html/data/frtest/files/Docs/report.bin && echo 'hello disaster recovery' > /var/www/html/data/frtest/files/Docs/note.txt && chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/data/frtest"
+docker exec ngb-frt-origin sh -c "mkdir -p /var/www/html/data/frtest/files/Docs /var/www/html/data/frtest/files/Empty/Nested && head -c 200000 /dev/urandom > /var/www/html/data/frtest/files/Docs/report.bin && echo 'hello disaster recovery' > /var/www/html/data/frtest/files/Docs/note.txt && chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/data/frtest"
 if [ "$MODE" = sftp ]; then
 	# about three packs of 32 MiB
 	docker exec ngb-frt-origin sh -c "head -c 90000000 /dev/urandom > /var/www/html/data/frtest/files/Docs/large.bin && chown www-data:www-data /var/www/html/data/frtest/files/Docs/large.bin"
@@ -214,6 +214,7 @@ if [ "$MODE" = salvage ]; then
 	printf '%s\n' "$OUT" | grep "$SALVAGE" >/dev/null || { printf '%s\n' "$OUT" | tail -30; fail "the output does not name the salvage folder"; }
 	[ "$(docker exec ngb-frt-restore cat "$SALVAGE/data/frtest/files/Docs/note.txt")" = "hello disaster recovery" ] || fail "the user's file is not in the salvage folder"
 	docker exec ngb-frt-restore test -f "$SALVAGE/config/config.php" || fail "config.php is not in the salvage folder"
+	docker exec ngb-frt-restore test -d "$SALVAGE/data/frtest/files/Empty/Nested" || fail "the empty folder is not in the salvage folder"
 	run_on ngb-frt-restore user:list | grep frtest >/dev/null && fail "the fresh database was changed (the backed-up user is there)"
 	run_on ngb-frt-restore status 2>&1 | grep "maintenance: false" >/dev/null || fail "maintenance mode is still on after the salvage"
 	run_on ngb-frt-restore backup:status >/dev/null || fail "backup:status fails after the salvage"
@@ -254,8 +255,8 @@ if [ "$MODE" = salvage-files ]; then
 			if (!file_exists($root . $p)) { $bad[] = "not listed and not there: $p"; continue; }
 			hash_file("sha256", $root . $p) === $sum ? $same++ : $bad[] = "different: $p";
 		}
-		$temps = glob($root . "*/*.ngb-restore-*") ?: [];
+		$walk = new RecursiveIteratorIterator(new RecursiveDirectoryIterator("/var/www/html/data", FilesystemIterator::SKIP_DOTS), RecursiveIteratorIterator::SELF_FIRST);
-		foreach ($temps as $t) { $bad[] = "temporary left: $t"; }
+		foreach ($walk as $f) { if (str_contains($f->getFilename(), ".ngb-restore-")) { $bad[] = "temporary left: " . $f->getPathname(); } }
 		echo "same=$same gone=$gone bad=", count($bad), "\n", implode("\n", array_slice($bad, 0, 10)), "\n";
 		echo "reasons: ", implode(" | ", array_unique(array_map(fn ($r) => substr(preg_replace("#[0-9a-f]{16,}#", "<id>", $r), 0, 70), $reasons))), "\n";')
 	printf '%s\n' "$CHECK"
@@ -265,6 +266,8 @@ if [ "$MODE" = salvage-files ]; then
 	ok "with --salvage: every file listed and absent, or there and identical"
 	run_on ngb-frt-restore status 2>&1 | grep "maintenance: false" >/dev/null || fail "maintenance mode is still on after the salvage"
 	run_on ngb-frt-restore user:list | grep frtest >/dev/null || fail "the backed-up user is missing: the database was not restored"
+	run_on ngb-frt-restore user:list | grep admin >/dev/null || fail "the admin is missing: the database was not restored"
+	docker exec ngb-frt-restore test -d /var/www/html/data/frtest/files/Empty/Nested || fail "the empty folder did not come back with --salvage"
 	[ "$(docker exec ngb-frt-restore cat /var/www/html/data/frtest/files/Docs/note.txt 2>/dev/null)" = "hello disaster recovery" ] \
 		|| printf '%s\n' "$OUT" | grep "Docs/note.txt" >/dev/null || fail "note.txt is neither restored nor listed"
 	run_on ngb-frt-restore backup:status >/dev/null || fail "backup:status fails after the salvage"
@@ -323,7 +326,16 @@ run_on ngb-frt-restore backup:status >/dev/null || fail "backup:status fails aft
 run_on ngb-frt-restore user:list | grep frtest >/dev/null || fail "the backed-up user is missing from the restored database"
 docker exec ngb-frt-restore test -f /var/www/html/data/frtest/files/Docs/note.txt || fail "restored file is missing"
 [ "$(docker exec ngb-frt-restore cat /var/www/html/data/frtest/files/Docs/note.txt)" = "hello disaster recovery" ] || fail "restored file content differs"
+if [ "$LEGACY" = legacy ]; then
+	# Backups made before 1.0.3 do not record empty folders
+	docker exec ngb-frt-restore test -e /var/www/html/data/frtest/files/Empty/Nested && fail "an empty folder came back from a backup that does not record them"
 	run_on ngb-frt-restore files:scan frtest >/dev/null || fail "files:scan fails after restore"
+else
+	docker exec ngb-frt-restore test -d /var/www/html/data/frtest/files/Empty/Nested || fail "the empty folder did not come back"
+	run_on ngb-frt-restore files:scan frtest >/dev/null || fail "files:scan fails after restore"
+	docker exec ngb-frt-restore test -d /var/www/html/data/frtest/files/Empty/Nested || fail "files:scan removed the empty folder"
+	ok "the empty folder came back and stays after files:scan"
+fi
 # New rows after the restore: a new file (file cache) and a new user must not collide with
 # restored rows (ID counters after the data).
 docker exec ngb-frt-restore sh -c "echo new > /var/www/html/data/frtest/files/Docs/after-restore.txt && chown www-data /var/www/html/data/frtest/files/Docs/after-restore.txt"

tests/integration/roundtrip.sh

@@ -23,12 +23,15 @@ ok "key, kit code and confirmation"
 occ backup:target:add ci $TARGET_ARGS --path=repo >/dev/null || fail "target add"
 ok "location added"
 
-# Test data: a user with files.
+# Test data: a user with files. No skeleton files on the first login, below, in the middle of the checks.
+occ config:system:set skeletondirectory --value='' >/dev/null
+occ config:system:set templatedirectory --value='' >/dev/null
 $X sh -c "OC_PASS='Roundtrip-pw-2026' php occ user:add --password-from-env $U >/dev/null"
 # large.bin (40 MB) fills more than one pack: a restore to a directory reads ahead over several ranges
-$X sh -c "mkdir -p $DATA/$U/files/Docs/Sub && for i in 1 2 3 4 5; do head -c 300000 /dev/urandom > $DATA/$U/files/Docs/f\$i.bin; done; echo hello > $DATA/$U/files/Docs/Sub/note.txt; head -c 6000000 /dev/urandom > $DATA/$U/files/big.bin; head -c 40000000 /dev/urandom > $DATA/$U/files/large.bin"
+$X sh -c "mkdir -p $DATA/$U/files/Docs/Sub $DATA/$U/files/Docs/Empty/Nested $DATA/$U/files/Hollow && touch -d @1700000000 $DATA/$U/files/Hollow && for i in 1 2 3 4 5; do head -c 300000 /dev/urandom > $DATA/$U/files/Docs/f\$i.bin; done; echo hello > $DATA/$U/files/Docs/Sub/note.txt; head -c 6000000 /dev/urandom > $DATA/$U/files/big.bin; head -c 40000000 /dev/urandom > $DATA/$U/files/large.bin"
+$X sh -c "touch -d @1600000000 $DATA/$U/files/Docs/Sub $DATA/$U/files/Docs"
 occ files:scan "$U" >/dev/null
-SUM_BEFORE=$($X sh -c "cd $DATA/$U/files && find . -type f -print0 | sort -z | xargs -0 md5sum | md5sum")
+SUM_BEFORE=$($X sh -c "cd $DATA/$U/files && find . -type f -print0 | sort -z | xargs -0 md5sum")
 
 occ backup:run ci -l first >/dev/null || fail "first backup"
 SECOND=$(occ backup:run ci -l second)
@@ -39,14 +42,29 @@ SNAP=$(occ backup:list ci | awk -F'|' '!f && / second /{gsub(/ /,"",$3); print $
 [ -n "$SNAP" ] || fail "snapshot not listed"
 
 # Damage, then restore in each mode.
-$X sh -c "cd $DATA/$U/files && rm Docs/Sub/note.txt && echo broken > Docs/f1.bin && echo extra > Docs/extra.txt"
+$X sh -c "cd $DATA/$U/files && rm Docs/Sub/note.txt && echo broken > Docs/f1.bin && echo extra > Docs/extra.txt && rm -r Docs/Empty && rmdir Hollow"
 occ files:scan "$U" >/dev/null
 occ backup:restore ci "$SNAP" "data/$U/files/Docs" -m new-folder >/dev/null || fail "restore new-folder"
 $X sh -c "ls $DATA/$U/files | grep -q '^Restored '" || fail "no Restored folder"
+$X sh -c "test -d $DATA/$U/files/Restored\ */Docs/Empty/Nested" || fail "the empty folder is not in the Restored folder"
+# Folders with files: on disk and in what Nextcloud shows, the parent as well as the child.
+RDIR=$($X sh -c "cd $DATA/$U/files && ls -d Restored\ *")
+[ "$($X sh -c "stat -c %Y $DATA/$U/files/Restored\ */Docs/Sub")" = 1600000000 ] || fail "a folder with files did not get its time back"
+[ "$($X sh -c "stat -c %Y $DATA/$U/files/Restored\ */Docs")" = 1600000000 ] || fail "the parent folder did not get its time back"
+DAV=$($X curl -sf -u "$U:Roundtrip-pw-2026" -X PROPFIND -H 'Depth: 1' "http://localhost/remote.php/dav/files/$U/$(php -r 'echo rawurlencode($argv[1]);' "$RDIR")/Docs/") || fail "PROPFIND"
+[ "$(echo "$DAV" | grep -o 'Sun, 13 Sep 2020 12:26:40 GMT' | wc -l)" = 2 ] || fail "Nextcloud does not show the time of the folders: $(echo "$DAV" | grep -o '<d:getlastmodified>[^<]*' | sort | uniq -c)"
+occ backup:restore ci "$SNAP" "data/$U/files/Docs/Sub" -m merge >/dev/null || fail "restore into a folder that is there"
+[ "$($X stat -c %Y "$DATA/$U/files/Docs/Sub")" != 1600000000 ] || fail "a folder that was already there got the old time"
+occ backup:browse ci "$SNAP" "data/$U/files" | grep Hollow >/dev/null || fail "an empty folder is not shown when browsing the snapshot"
+occ backup:restore ci "$SNAP" "data/$U/files/Hollow" -m merge >/dev/null || fail "restore of a folder that was empty"
+$X sh -c "test -d $DATA/$U/files/Hollow" || fail "the empty folder did not come back by itself"
+[ "$($X stat -c %Y "$DATA/$U/files/Hollow")" = 1700000000 ] || fail "the empty folder did not get its time back"
 occ backup:restore ci "$SNAP" "data/$U/files/Docs" -m replace >/dev/null || fail "restore replace"
+$X sh -c "test -d $DATA/$U/files/Docs/Empty/Nested" || fail "replace did not bring back the empty folder, or moved it to the trash"
+ok "empty folders: restored in each mode, by themselves and shown when browsing"
 $X sh -c "rm -rf '$DATA/$U/files/Restored '*" ; occ files:scan "$U" >/dev/null
-SUM_AFTER=$($X sh -c "cd $DATA/$U/files && find . -type f -print0 | sort -z | xargs -0 md5sum | md5sum")
+SUM_AFTER=$($X sh -c "cd $DATA/$U/files && find . -type f -print0 | sort -z | xargs -0 md5sum")
-[ "$SUM_BEFORE" = "$SUM_AFTER" ] || fail "files differ after restore"
+[ "$SUM_BEFORE" = "$SUM_AFTER" ] || fail "files differ after restore: $(diff <(echo "$SUM_BEFORE") <(echo "$SUM_AFTER") | cut -c1-120)"
 $X sh -c "ls $DATA/$U/files_trashbin/files/ | grep -q '^extra.txt'" || fail "extra file not in trash"
 ok "restore new-folder and replace: files identical, extra file in the trash"
 
@@ -60,9 +78,10 @@ ok "restore of one file to a directory; the temporary of a stopped restore remov
 
 # All of the user's files to a directory: over S3 and SFTP the packs are read ahead
 occ backup:restore ci "$SNAP" "data/$U/files" -d /tmp/ngb-rt-dir >/dev/null || fail "restore of a folder to a directory"
-SUM_DIR=$($X sh -c "cd /tmp/ngb-rt-dir/data/$U/files && find . -type f -print0 | sort -z | xargs -0 md5sum | md5sum")
+SUM_DIR=$($X sh -c "cd /tmp/ngb-rt-dir/data/$U/files && find . -type f -print0 | sort -z | xargs -0 md5sum")
 [ "$SUM_BEFORE" = "$SUM_DIR" ] || fail "the files restored to a directory differ"
 $X sh -c "ls -A /tmp/ngb-rt-dir | grep -q ngb-restore-spool" && fail "the read-ahead spool was left in the directory"
+$X sh -c "test -d /tmp/ngb-rt-dir/data/$U/files/Docs/Empty/Nested" || fail "the empty folder is not in the directory"
 $X sh -c "rm -rf /tmp/ngb-rt-dir"
 ok "restore of all the user's files to a directory: identical, no spool left"
 # not grep -q: it stops reading at the first match, and occ, still writing, then fails (pipefail)
@@ -90,13 +109,74 @@ done
 [ "$RS" = done ] || fail "the backup started through the API ended as '$RS' after $i ticks"
 occ backup:list ci | grep " page " >/dev/null || fail "the snapshot of the ticked backup is not listed"
 ok "without system cron: warning in backup:status and the API, backup finished by $i ticks of the open page"
+# The Bin reads in parts, as the page does (what is in the parts: CatalogTest)
+api "$API/targets/$TID/trash" | php -r '$p = json_decode(stream_get_contents(STDIN), true); exit(is_int($p["total"] ?? null) && is_array($p["items"] ?? null) && count($p["items"]) <= $p["total"] ? 0 : 1);' || fail "the Bin API does not give a total and items"
+ok "the Bin API reads in parts, with a total"
+# Locations are backed up one after the other: the second one started is queued until the first is done.
+for L in 2 3; do
+  $X sh -c "mkdir -p /tmp/ngb-rt-target$L"
+  occ backup:target:add ci$L local -a null::null -o datadir=/tmp/ngb-rt-target$L --path=repo >/dev/null || fail "target add ci$L"
+done
+IDS=$(api "$API/status" | php -r 'foreach (json_decode(stream_get_contents(STDIN), true)["targets"] as $t) { if ($t["name"] === "ci2" || $t["name"] === "ci3") { echo $t["id"], " "; } }')
+for ID in $IDS; do api -X POST -d "{\"targetId\": $ID, \"label\": \"turn\"}" "$API/backups" >/dev/null || fail "start a backup to location $ID"; done
+# Never two runs to one location: a second start gets the run that is there.
+ID=${IDS%% *}
+RUNS=$(api "$API/status" | php -r 'echo count(array_filter(json_decode(stream_get_contents(STDIN), true)["runs"], fn ($r) => $r["status"] === "running"));')
+api -X POST -d "{\"targetId\": $ID, \"label\": \"again\"}" "$API/backups" >/dev/null || fail "second start"
+AGAIN=$(api "$API/status" | php -r 'echo count(array_filter(json_decode(stream_get_contents(STDIN), true)["runs"], fn ($r) => $r["status"] === "running"));')
+[ "$RUNS" = 2 ] && [ "$AGAIN" = 2 ] || fail "a second start to one location: $RUNS, then $AGAIN running"
+occ backup:status | grep "queued" >/dev/null || fail "the second backup is not queued"
+QUEUED=$(api "$API/status" | php -r 'echo count(array_filter(json_decode(stream_get_contents(STDIN), true)["runs"], fn ($r) => $r["queued"]));')
+[ "$QUEUED" = 1 ] || fail "$QUEUED backups queued instead of 1"
+for i in $(seq 1 60); do
+  api -X POST "$API/tick" >/dev/null || fail "tick"
+  RUNNING=$(api "$API/status" | php -r 'echo count(array_filter(json_decode(stream_get_contents(STDIN), true)["runs"], fn ($r) => $r["status"] === "running"));')
+  [ "$RUNNING" != 0 ] || break
+done
+[ "$RUNNING" = 0 ] || fail "the queued backups did not finish"
+occ backup:list ci3 | grep " turn " >/dev/null || fail "the queued backup made no snapshot"
+ok "locations in turn: the second backup queued, and done after the first"
 occ background:cron >/dev/null
 $X php -f /var/www/html/cron.php >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
 occ backup:status | grep "system cron" >/dev/null && fail "backup:status still warns after cron ran"
 sleep 8 # APCu app config cache of the web server
 api "$API/status" | php -r 'exit(json_decode(stream_get_contents(STDIN), true)["cron"]["ok"] ? 0 : 1);' || fail "the status API still reports a missing cron after cron ran"
 ok "with a system cron that ran: no warning in backup:status or the API"
+
+# A schedule per location. Choosing a time starts nothing; the moment itself does, and only there.
+JOB=$(occ background-job:list --class='OCA\NgBackup\BackgroundJob\BackupJob' --output=json | php -r 'echo json_decode(stream_get_contents(STDIN), true)[0]["id"];')
+job() { occ background-job:execute "$JOB" --force-execute >/dev/null; }
+occ backup:target:schedule ci off >/dev/null
+occ backup:target:schedule ci3 off >/dev/null
+occ backup:target:schedule ci2 00:00 --timezone=UTC >/dev/null || fail "set a schedule"
+occ backup:target:schedule ci2 | grep "00:00 (UTC)" >/dev/null || fail "schedule not shown"
+job
+[ "$(occ backup:list ci2 | grep -c ' scheduled ')" = 0 ] || fail "choosing a time started a backup"
+occ backup:target:schedule ci2 "$($X date -u -d '+1 minute' +%H:%M)/6" --timezone=UTC >/dev/null || fail "set every 6 hours"
+sleep 65
+job
+occ backup:list ci2 | grep " scheduled " >/dev/null || fail "the scheduled moment started no backup"
+[ "$(occ backup:list ci3 | grep -c ' scheduled ')" = 0 ] || fail "a location that is off was backed up"
+job
+[ "$(occ backup:list ci2 | grep -c ' scheduled ')" = 1 ] || fail "one moment started more than one backup"
+occ backup:target:schedule ci2 nonsense >/dev/null 2>&1 && fail "a bad schedule was accepted"
+ok "schedule per location: nothing on choosing a time, one backup at the moment, none when off"
+
+# What administrators are told, as Nextcloud shows it.
+notes() { api "http://localhost/ocs/v2.php/apps/notifications/api/v2/notifications?format=json"; }
+occ backup:target:schedule ci2 off >/dev/null
+$X sh -c "touch '$DATA/ngb-rt-bad\\name.txt'"
+occ backup:run ci3 -l names | grep "their name is not supported" >/dev/null || fail "occ does not report the name"
+$X sh -c "rm '$DATA/ngb-rt-bad\\name.txt'"
+NOTES=$(notes) || fail "read the notifications"
+echo "$NOTES" | grep "turned off the schedule of backup location ci2" >/dev/null || fail "no notification about the schedule that was turned off"
+echo "$NOTES" | grep "is missing because of its name" >/dev/null || fail "no notification about the name"
+echo "$NOTES" | grep "Rename them" >/dev/null || fail "the notification about the name does not ask to rename"
+job
+notes | grep "has no schedule" >/dev/null && fail "a reminder right after turning it off"
+for L in 2 3; do occ backup:target:remove ci$L >/dev/null || fail "target remove ci$L"; done
 occ user:delete "$ADM" >/dev/null
+ok "notifications: schedule turned off, name not supported, no early reminder"
 
 # Checksum audit: shallow (index presence) and deep (download, decrypt, verify every blob).
 occ backup:verify ci "$SNAP" | grep "^OK$" >/dev/null || fail "shallow verify"
@@ -109,6 +189,17 @@ ok "database dump and restore"
 
 # Retention, trash and catalog.
 occ backup:retention --last=1 --daily=0 --weekly=0 --monthly=0 >/dev/null
+# A pinned restore point stays, and a note can change afterwards.
+FIRST=$(occ backup:list ci | awk -F'|' '!f && / first /{gsub(/ /,"",$3); print $3; f=1}')
+occ backup:pin ci "$FIRST" >/dev/null || fail "pin"
+occ backup:note ci "$FIRST" "a note made later" >/dev/null || fail "note"
+occ backup:list ci | grep " first " | grep " yes " | grep "a note made later" >/dev/null || fail "pin and note not listed"
+occ backup:prune ci --dry-run | grep "would forget 1 " >/dev/null || fail "a pinned snapshot would be removed"
+occ backup:pin ci "$FIRST" --unpin >/dev/null || fail "unpin"
+occ backup:prune ci --dry-run | grep "would forget 2 " >/dev/null || fail "an unpinned snapshot would stay"
+occ backup:note ci "$FIRST" >/dev/null || fail "remove note"
+occ backup:list ci | grep -q "a note made later" && fail "note not removed"
+ok "pin and note on a restore point"
 occ backup:prune ci | grep "forgot 2" >/dev/null || fail "prune" # first and second; "page" (above) is the last
 occ backup:trash ci | grep " first " >/dev/null || fail "trash"
 TID=$(occ backup:trash ci | awk -F'|' '!f && / first /{gsub(/ /,"",$3); print $3; f=1}')