How to Back Up and Restore SecureCRT Settings on Ubuntu

If you’re a frequent user of SecureCRT on Linux, backing up your session settings and restoring them later is crucial—especially when migrating to a new machine or recovering from a system reinstallation.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to manually back up and restore SecureCRT settings on Ubuntu, ensuring you never lose your configurations again.

Does SecureCRT Have a Built-in Export/Import Feature?

Yes, SecureCRT provides built-in export and import features in the Tools menu. However, these features may not capture all configuration details such as:

• Backup scripts
• Custom login scripts
• Certain session-specific files

Therefore, if you want to completely clone your SecureCRT environment—including every session and customization—the safest option is to manually back up the entire Config folder.

What Is the SecureCRT Config Folder?

SecureCRT stores your personal settings (sessions, host keys, global options, etc.) in a hidden directory located in your home folder:

~/.vandyke/SecureCRT/Config

(Note: The ~ symbol represents your home directory, e.g., /home/username.)

This folder contains all the important files you’ll need for backup and restoration.

Note: Folders starting with a dot (.) are hidden by default in Linux. You can view them in the file manager by pressing Ctrl+H or by using the ls -a command in the terminal.

How to Back Up SecureCRT Settings

The most efficient way to back up on Ubuntu is using the terminal. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Open Terminal and Navigate to the Directory

Open your terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and move to the SecureCRT directory:

cd ~/.vandyke/SecureCRT

Step 2: Compress the Config Folder

Create a compressed archive (tarball) of the Config folder. This preserves file permissions and structure better than a simple zip file.

tar -czvf securecrt_config_backup.tar.gz Config

Once the command finishes, you will see a file named securecrt_config_backup.tar.gz in the current directory. This is your full backup file.

How to Restore SecureCRT Settings

To restore your settings on the same or a different Ubuntu machine:

1. Close SecureCRT if it is currently running.
2. Locate your backup file (securecrt_config_backup.tar.gz).
3. Run the following commands to restore the configuration:

# 1. Ensure the target directory exists
mkdir -p ~/.vandyke/SecureCRT

# 2. Extract the backup to the directory
# Replace /path/to/backup/ with the actual location of your backup file
tar -xzvf /path/to/backup/securecrt_config_backup.tar.gz -C ~/.vandyke/SecureCRT

4. Launch SecureCRT. Your sessions and settings should now be fully restored.