LockBox

Direct command

Use create for one-off jobs. The example creates a compressed container with crypto padding and nine layers; each layer reads its key from an environment variable.

Manual create and open commands show progress percentages. JSON scripts and scheduler workers keep output automation-friendly and do not print percentage progress.

.\LockBox.Cli.exe keygen --count 9

$env:LBX_MASTER = "use-a-long-master-password"
$env:LBX_L1 = "layer-1-key"
$env:LBX_L2 = "layer-2-key"
$env:LBX_L3 = "layer-3-key"
$env:LBX_L4 = "layer-4-key"
$env:LBX_L5 = "layer-5-key"
$env:LBX_L6 = "layer-6-key"
$env:LBX_L7 = "layer-7-key"
$env:LBX_L8 = "layer-8-key"
$env:LBX_L9 = "layer-9-key"
$env:LBX_DESTROY = "only-use-this-under-pressure"

.\LockBox.Cli.exe create `
  --source "D:\Data" `
  --output "E:\Backups\data.lbx" `
  --master-env LBX_MASTER `
  --compress `
  --padding 2GB `
  --split 700MB `
  --destruction-password-env LBX_DESTROY `
  --layer-env AES-256-GCM=LBX_L1 `
  --layer-env CHACHA20-POLY1305=LBX_L2 `
  --layer-env AES-256-CCM=LBX_L3 `
  --layer-env SERPENT-256-CTR-HMACSHA512=LBX_L4 `
  --layer-env TWOFISH-256-CTR-HMACSHA512=LBX_L5 `
  --layer-env CAMELLIA-256-CTR-HMACSHA512=LBX_L6 `
  --layer-env ARIA-256-CTR-HMACSHA512=LBX_L7 `
  --layer-env AES-256-CBC-HMACSHA512=LBX_L8 `
  --layer-env AES-192-OFB-HMACSHA384=LBX_L9

JSON script

Use --script when the procedure has several steps. Commands run in order, stop on the first error by default, and return a process exit code for the parent script.

{
  "commands": [
    {
      "command": "create",
      "source": "D:\\Data",
      "output": "E:\\Backups\\data.lbx",
      "masterPasswordEnv": "LBX_MASTER",
      "compression": true,
      "padding": "2GB",
      "split": "700MB",
      "destructionPasswordEnv": "LBX_DESTROY",
      "layers": [
        { "algorithm": "AES-256-GCM", "keyEnv": "LBX_L1" },
        { "algorithm": "CHACHA20-POLY1305", "keyEnv": "LBX_L2" },
        { "algorithm": "AES-256-CCM", "keyEnv": "LBX_L3" },
        { "algorithm": "SERPENT-256-CTR-HMACSHA512", "keyEnv": "LBX_L4" },
        { "algorithm": "TWOFISH-256-CTR-HMACSHA512", "keyEnv": "LBX_L5" },
        { "algorithm": "CAMELLIA-256-CTR-HMACSHA512", "keyEnv": "LBX_L6" },
        { "algorithm": "ARIA-256-CTR-HMACSHA512", "keyEnv": "LBX_L7" },
        { "algorithm": "AES-256-CBC-HMACSHA512", "keyEnv": "LBX_L8" },
        { "algorithm": "AES-192-OFB-HMACSHA384", "keyEnv": "LBX_L9" }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

.\LockBox.Cli.exe --script .\backup.lockbox.json

Scheduler

Max edition can keep encrypted backup jobs in an encrypted .lbxjobs file, run due tasks while the CLI process stays open, and write runtime status to a JSON status file.

$env:LBX_JOBS_PASSWORD = "protect-this-jobs-file"

.\LockBox.Cli.exe schedule add `
  --tasks "E:\Backups\jobs.lbxjobs" `
  --password-env LBX_JOBS_PASSWORD `
  --name "Nightly data backup" `
  --frequency daily `
  --start 2026-06-25T23:30:00 `
  --source "D:\Data" `
  --output "E:\Backups\nightly.lbx" `
  --master-env LBX_MASTER `
  --layer-env AES-256-GCM=LBX_L1 `
  --compress `
  --destruction-password-env LBX_DESTROY `
  --delete-source-contents

.\LockBox.Cli.exe schedule run `
  --tasks "E:\Backups\jobs.lbxjobs" `
  --password-env LBX_JOBS_PASSWORD `
  --poll-seconds 30

.\LockBox.Cli.exe schedule status --state "E:\Backups\jobs.status.json"

Activation and license status

The CLI-only build is English-only and uses the same device-bound license model as the desktop app. Windows stores activation in LockBox application data locations. Linux stores it under $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/lockbox/.lockbox.license or ~/.config/lockbox/.lockbox.license.

.\LockBox.Cli.exe device-id
.\LockBox.Cli.exe activate --license-file .\license.txt
.\LockBox.Cli.exe license

$env:LBX_LICENSE = "LBX-LIC-..."
.\LockBox.Cli.exe activate --license-env LBX_LICENSE

# Linux
export LBX_LICENSE="LBX-LIC-..."
./LockBox.Cli activate --license-env LBX_LICENSE
./LockBox.Cli license

Command reference