Make snapshot list report a changed destination instead of advising prune (closes #317)

When the local index is bound to a different destination than the
configured one, snapshot list now gives the warning prune, snapshot
purge and snapshot remove refuse with: both destinations and the two
ways out (revert the configuration, or run vaultik database delete).
Below the table it replaces the local-only note and its prune advice.
With --json it goes to stderr through the logger, so stdout stays the
document, whose local rows show remote_present false.

Reading the binding moves out of EnsureStorageBinding into
storageBinding, which records nothing, so the read-only list can call
it without binding a fresh index.

Model: opus-5-5

README.md

@@ -271,8 +271,17 @@ existing file. Created with mode `0600` since it will contain credentials.
 **`config set`**: Set a scalar config value by dotted YAML path
 (e.g. `vaultik config set compression_level 9`,
 `vaultik config set storage_url "file:///mnt/backups"`). Comments and
-formatting in the file are preserved; intermediate maps are created as
-needed.
+formatting in the file are preserved. Missing keys along the path are
+created: as a list when the next path element is a number (so
+`vaultik config set age_recipients.0 age1...` works on a file without
+`age_recipients`), otherwise as a map. If the config loads, a change
+after which it would not, such as `vaultik config set compression_level 99`,
+is refused and the file is left unchanged. A config that does not load,
+such as the one `config init` writes before `storage_url` is set or one
+with a `${ENV:...}` reference to a variable not set in this shell, is
+checked one setting at a time: only a change after which the changed
+setting cannot be read, such as one giving it the wrong type (a single
+value where a list belongs or a word where a number belongs), is refused.
 
 **`snapshot create`**: Perform incremental backup of configured snapshots.
 * Optional snapshot names argument to create specific snapshots (default: all)
@@ -314,7 +323,11 @@ read from the manifest.
 
 Snapshots in the local index with no counterpart on the destination
 store are reported below the table as drift, with the `vaultik prune`
-invocation that reconciles them.
+invocation that reconciles them. If the local index is bound to a
+different destination than the configured one (after a change to
+`storage_url`, or `s3.endpoint`, `s3.bucket` or `s3.prefix`), the
+command says so instead and gives the same two ways out that `prune`
+gives: revert the configuration, or run `vaultik database delete`.
 
 If the destination store cannot be listed (unmounted volume,
 permission denied, network down), the command warns, falls back to the
@@ -323,9 +336,11 @@ local index alone, and still exits zero.
   (whether the snapshot is in the local index), `remote_key` (the full
   64-character storage key), and `remote_present` (whether it was seen
   on the destination store, or `null` if the destination could not be
-  listed). Warnings about an unlistable destination, unreadable
-  manifests, and a truncated listing all go to stderr through the
-  logger, so stdout stays a single parseable document.
+  listed). Warnings about an unlistable destination, a local index
+  bound to a different destination (with both destinations and the
+  same two ways out), unreadable manifests, and a truncated listing all
+  go to stderr through the logger, so stdout stays a single parseable
+  document.
 
 **`snapshot verify`**: Verify snapshot integrity.
 * Default (shallow): checks that every blob the manifest lists is present in
@@ -351,16 +366,20 @@ snapshot from the local index and strips the snapshot's metadata from
 the backup destination store. Blobs are NOT touched — deleting blobs
 requires reading every remaining remote manifest (the destination store
 may hold snapshots this host doesn't know about), which is what
-`vaultik prune` does. On success the command prints the exact `vaultik
-prune` invocation to run as a follow-up. An ID that names no snapshot in
-the local index or on the destination store is an error; with
-`--local-only`, the snapshot must be in the local index. Local row
+`vaultik prune` does. The command prints the `vaultik prune` invocation
+to run as a follow-up only when it removed the snapshot's metadata from
+the destination store, and never under `--json`. An ID that names no
+snapshot in the local index or on the destination store is an error;
+with `--local-only`, the snapshot must be in the local index. Local row
 cleanup (files, chunks, blobs the snapshot was the last referrer for)
-runs automatically. If the destination store is unreachable, the local-DB
-removal still completes and a warning is emitted; run `vaultik snapshot
-remove <snapshot-id>` again once the store is reachable to remove the
-snapshot's metadata from it (`vaultik prune` does not). To wipe everything
-on the destination in one go, use `vaultik remote nuke --force`.
+runs automatically. If removing the snapshot's metadata from the
+destination store fails (for example because the store is unreachable),
+the local-DB removal still completes and a warning is emitted; run
+`vaultik snapshot remove <snapshot-id>` again once the store is reachable
+to remove the snapshot's metadata from it (`vaultik prune` does not). For
+a snapshot that is only on the destination store, that failure is an
+error. To wipe everything on the destination in one go, use `vaultik
+remote nuke --force`.
 * `--local-only`: Skip remote cleanup; only touch the local index
 * `--dry-run`: Show what would be deleted without deleting
 * `--force`: Skip confirmation prompt
@@ -373,7 +392,9 @@ on the destination in one go, use `vaultik remote nuke --force`.
   store — its remote key (or an unambiguous leading part of it) as shown
   by `snapshot list`. See
   [restoring on another machine](#restoring-on-another-machine).
-* Optional path arguments to restore specific files/directories (default: all)
+* Optional path arguments to restore specific files/directories (default: all).
+  A path that matches nothing in the snapshot is named in a warning, and the
+  command exits non-zero after restoring the paths that match.
 * Preserves file permissions, timestamps, ownership (ownership requires root),
   symlinks, and empty directories
 * `--verify`: After restoring, verify every restored file's chunk hashes
@@ -413,11 +434,12 @@ under `blobs/` whose name is not a blob hash is not counted as a blob,
 since `prune` never deletes it.
 * `--json`: Output as JSON
 
-**`remote nuke`**: Delete every snapshot's metadata and every blob from the
-backup destination store, leaving the bucket prefix empty. Destructive and
-irreversible. This is the single supported way to wipe the entire
-destination store. If anything cannot be deleted, the command exits
-non-zero; running it again deletes what is left.
+**`remote nuke`**: Delete every object under `metadata/` and `blobs/` on
+the backup destination store, whatever its name, leaving the bucket prefix
+empty. Destructive and irreversible. This is the single supported way to
+wipe the entire destination store. If a listing afterwards still finds
+anything there, the command names each object left and exits non-zero;
+running it again deletes what is left.
 * `--force`: Required to confirm destruction.
 
 **`database delete`**: Delete the local SQLite state database file
@@ -700,8 +722,10 @@ the `NO_COLOR` environment variable is unset (https://no-color.org/).
   reports and tables (`version`, `info`, `remote info`, `snapshot
   verify`, `snapshot list`) but never the machine-consumed `config get`
   value or the `--json` documents, which a script depends on. The
-  `database delete` confirmation prompt is also written this way and
-  always shown: it is an interactive exchange the operator must see.
+  confirmation prompts of `database delete`, `prune`, `snapshot purge`
+  and `snapshot remove`, each with what it asks to delete, are also
+  written this way and always shown: they are an interactive exchange
+  the operator must see.
 
 `internal/ui` writes to stdout; it is the output the user asked for. The
 exceptions are the startup banner and the error a failed command ends

config.example.yml

@@ -302,7 +302,8 @@ storage_url: "rclone://myremote/path/to/backups"
 
 # Average chunk size for content-defined chunking
 # Smaller chunks = better deduplication but more metadata
-# Supports: 10MB, 5M, 1GB, 500KB, 64MiB, etc.
+# Minimum 1MB
+# Supports: 10MB, 5M, 1GB, 64MiB, etc.
 # Default: 10MB
 #chunk_size: 10MB
 

go.mod

@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/spf13/cobra v1.10.1
 	github.com/spf13/pflag v1.0.10
 	github.com/stretchr/testify v1.11.1
+	go.uber.org/dig v1.19.0
 	go.uber.org/fx v1.24.0
 	golang.org/x/sync v0.18.0
 	golang.org/x/sys v0.38.0
@@ -256,7 +257,6 @@ require (
 	go.opentelemetry.io/otel/metric v1.38.0 // indirect
 	go.opentelemetry.io/otel/trace v1.38.0 // indirect
 	go.shabbyrobe.org/gocovmerge v0.0.0-20230507111327-fa4f82cfbf4d // indirect
-	go.uber.org/dig v1.19.0 // indirect
 	go.uber.org/multierr v1.11.0 // indirect
 	go.uber.org/zap v1.27.0 // indirect
 	go.yaml.in/yaml/v2 v2.4.3 // indirect

internal/cli/app.go

@@ -8,12 +8,12 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"path/filepath"
-	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/adrg/xdg"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"go.uber.org/dig"
 	"go.uber.org/fx"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/config"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/database"
@@ -146,16 +146,12 @@ func (e *startupError) Error() string {
 //	could not build arguments for function "Y" (file:line): failed to build U:
 //	received non-nil error from function "Z" (file:line): <real error>
 //
-// Users care about the real error, not the DI plumbing. We strip everything
-// up through the last "): " (which is always the close-paren of an fx
-// function-location annotation followed by the wrapped error).
+// Users care about the real error, not the DI plumbing. dig.RootCause,
+// from the library fx is built on, unwraps those layers and returns the
+// real error whole. Cutting the text at "): " instead would also cut a
+// real error that contains it, such as the blob_size_limit one.
 func cleanStartupError(err error) error {
-	msg := err.Error()
-	if idx := strings.LastIndex(msg, "): "); idx >= 0 {
-		msg = msg[idx+3:]
-	}
-
-	return &startupError{msg: msg}
+	return &startupError{msg: dig.RootCause(err).Error()}
 }
 
 // RunApp starts the fx application, blocks until it is asked to stop, and

internal/cli/app_test.go

@@ -2,58 +2,65 @@ package cli //nolint:testpackage // needs access to unexported cleanStartupError
 
 import (
 	"errors"
+	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"testing"
 
+	"go.uber.org/fx"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/config"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/pidlock"
 )
 
+// TestCleanStartupError starts a real fx app whose config has a
+// blob_size_limit below the minimum. fx puts annotations naming the
+// functions it was building in front of the config error; only those
+// may be removed, although the config error itself contains "): ".
 func TestCleanStartupError(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
-	tests := []struct {
-		name string
-		in   string
-		want string
-	}{
-		{
-			name: "real fx error chain",
-			in: `could not build arguments for function ` +
-				`"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/cli".newSnapshotCreateCommand.func1.1 ` +
-				`(/Users/user/dev/vaultik/internal/cli/snapshot.go:71): ` +
-				`failed to build *vaultik.Vaultik: ` +
-				`could not build arguments for function ` +
-				`"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/vaultik".New ` +
-				`(/Users/user/dev/vaultik/internal/vaultik/vaultik.go:59): ` +
-				`failed to build storage.Storer: ` +
-				`received non-nil error from function ` +
-				`"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/storage".NewStorer ` +
-				`(/Users/user/dev/vaultik/internal/storage/module.go:23): ` +
-				`creating base path: mkdir /Volumes/BACKUPS: permission denied`,
-			want: `creating base path: mkdir /Volumes/BACKUPS: permission denied`,
-		},
-		{
-			name: "no fx wrapping",
-			in:   "plain error",
-			want: "plain error",
-		},
-		{
-			name: "single fx wrapping",
-			in:   `received non-nil error from function "foo" (file.go:1): underlying problem`,
-			want: "underlying problem",
-		},
+	path := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "config.yml")
+
+	err := os.WriteFile(path, []byte("snapshots:\n"+
+		"  test:\n"+
+		"    paths: [/tmp/vaultik-test-source]\n"+
+		"storage_url: file:///tmp/vaultik-test-storage\n"+
+		"chunk_size: 10MB\n"+
+		"blob_size_limit: 30MB\n"), 0o600)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("write config: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	for _, tt := range tests {
-		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			t.Parallel()
+	app := fx.New(
+		fx.NopLogger,
+		fx.Supply(config.Path(path)),
+		config.Module,
+		fx.Invoke(func(*config.Config) {}),
+	)
 
-			//nolint:err113 // test constructs errors from table input
-			got := cleanStartupError(errors.New(tt.in)).Error()
-			if got != tt.want {
-				t.Errorf("got %q, want %q", got, tt.want)
-			}
-		})
+	err = app.Start(t.Context())
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("app started; want a blob_size_limit error")
+	}
+
+	want := "failed to load config: invalid config: blob_size_limit must " +
+		"be at least the largest chunk the chunker can emit (chunk_size " +
+		"times the FastCDC size spread): need at least 40000000 bytes"
+
+	got := cleanStartupError(err).Error()
+	if got != want {
+		t.Errorf("got %q, want %q", got, want)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestCleanStartupErrorNotFromFx checks that an error fx did not wrap is
+// shown unchanged.
+func TestCleanStartupErrorNotFromFx(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	//nolint:err113 // a one-off error standing in for a startup failure
+	got := cleanStartupError(errors.New("plain error")).Error()
+	if got != "plain error" {
+		t.Errorf("got %q, want %q", got, "plain error")
 	}
 }
 

internal/cli/config.go

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"reflect"
+	"slices"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"unicode/utf8"
@@ -44,6 +45,9 @@ var (
 	errNeedNumericIndex = errors.New("key is a list; use a numeric index")
 	errIndexOutOfRange  = errors.New("index out of range")
 	errNotMapOrList     = errors.New("key is not a map or list")
+	errWouldNotLoad     = errors.New(
+		"vaultik would not load the config after this change, " +
+			"so the file was not changed")
 )
 
 const defaultConfigTemplate = `# vaultik configuration
@@ -220,7 +224,7 @@ storage_url: ""
 
 # Average chunk size for content-defined chunking (FastCDC).
 # Smaller = better deduplication but more metadata overhead.
-# Accepts: 1MB, 10M, 64KB, etc.
+# Minimum 1MB. Accepts: 1MB, 10M, 64MiB, etc.
 # Default: 10MB
 # chunk_size: 10MB
 
@@ -391,8 +395,17 @@ func newConfigSetCommand() *cobra.Command {
 		Use:   "set <key> <value>",
 		Short: "Set a config value by dotted path (e.g. compression_level 5)",
 		Long: `Sets a scalar config value addressed by dotted YAML path and writes
-the file back, preserving comments and formatting. Intermediate maps
-are created as needed.
+the file back, preserving comments and formatting. Missing keys along
+the path are created: as a list when the next path element is a
+number, otherwise as a map.
+
+If the config loads, a change after which it would not, such as
+compression_level 99, is refused and the file is left unchanged. A
+config that does not load, such as the one config init writes before
+storage_url is set or one with a ${ENV:...} reference to a variable
+not set here, is checked one setting at a time: only a change after
+which the changed setting cannot be read, such as one giving it the
+wrong type, is refused.
 
 Examples:
   vaultik config set storage_url "file:///mnt/backups"
@@ -422,7 +435,14 @@ func writeConfigSet(out *ui.Writer, path, key, value string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	err = yamlPathSet(root, strings.Split(key, "."), value)
+	oldData, err := marshalConfigYAML(root)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("marshaling config: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	keys := strings.Split(key, ".")
+
+	err = yamlPathSet(root, keys, value)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -432,6 +452,21 @@ func writeConfigSet(out *ui.Writer, path, key, value string) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("marshaling config: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	setting, err := yamlPathOnly(root, keys)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	settingData, err := marshalConfigYAML(setting)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("marshaling config: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	err = checkConfigChange(oldData, data, settingData)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", errWouldNotLoad, err)
+	}
+
 	err = os.WriteFile(path, data, configFileMode)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("writing config file: %w", err)
@@ -453,6 +488,58 @@ func writeConfigSet(out *ui.Writer, path, key, value string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// checkConfigChange returns the reason vaultik would not load newData, the
+// config after a change, if the change brings that failure in. If oldData,
+// the config before it, loads, the new one must load too. A config that
+// does not load, such as one still being filled in or one with a ${...}
+// reference that cannot be filled in here, is checked one setting at a
+// time: settingData, the changed setting on its own, must decode into the
+// config type.
+func checkConfigChange(oldData, newData, settingData []byte) error {
+	oldCfg, err := config.Parse(oldData)
+	if err == nil && oldCfg.Validate() == nil {
+		newCfg, err := config.Parse(newData)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		return newCfg.Validate()
+	}
+
+	_, err = config.Parse(settingData)
+
+	return err
+}
+
+// yamlPathOnly returns a document holding only the value at the dotted key
+// path in root, inside the maps and lists that lead to it there.
+func yamlPathOnly(root *yaml.Node, keys []string) (*yaml.Node, error) {
+	node, err := yamlPathGet(root, keys)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	for i, key := range slices.Backward(keys) {
+		parent, err := yamlPathGet(root, keys[:i])
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+		if parent.Kind == yaml.SequenceNode {
+			node = &yaml.Node{
+				Kind: yaml.SequenceNode, Content: []*yaml.Node{node},
+			}
+		} else {
+			keyNode := &yaml.Node{Kind: yaml.ScalarNode, Value: key}
+			node = &yaml.Node{
+				Kind: yaml.MappingNode, Content: []*yaml.Node{keyNode, node},
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return &yaml.Node{Kind: yaml.DocumentNode, Content: []*yaml.Node{node}}, nil
+}
+
 // marshalConfigYAML renders a config document tree with 2-space indentation,
 // matching defaultConfigTemplate. yaml.Marshal defaults to 4 spaces, which
 // would reindent the whole file on the first `config set` despite the promise
@@ -559,8 +646,8 @@ func yamlPathGet(root *yaml.Node, keys []string) (*yaml.Node, error) {
 	return node, nil
 }
 
-// yamlPathSet navigates a dotted key path, creating intermediate maps as
-// needed, and sets the final key to the given scalar value. Numeric path
+// yamlPathSet navigates a dotted key path, creating missing keys as needed,
+// and sets the final key to the given scalar value. Numeric path
 // components index into sequences; an index equal to the sequence length
 // appends a new element (e.g. "age_recipients.1" on a 1-element list).
 func yamlPathSet(root *yaml.Node, keys []string, value string) error {
@@ -573,12 +660,12 @@ func yamlPathSet(root *yaml.Node, keys []string, value string) error {
 		node = node.Content[0]
 	}
 
-	for i, key := range keys {
+	for i := range keys {
 		last := i == len(keys)-1
 
 		switch node.Kind {
 		case yaml.MappingNode:
-			node = yamlSetInMapping(node, key, value, last)
+			node = yamlSetInMapping(node, keys, i, value, last)
 		case yaml.SequenceNode:
 			next, err := yamlSetInSequence(node, keys, i, value, last)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -647,14 +734,16 @@ func yamlField(typ reflect.Type, key string) (reflect.StructField, bool) {
 	return reflect.StructField{}, false
 }
 
-// yamlSetInMapping resolves (creating if needed) the value node for key
-// within a mapping node, setting it to value when it is the final path
-// element, and returns the node to descend into.
-func yamlSetInMapping(node *yaml.Node, key, value string, last bool) *yaml.Node {
+// yamlSetInMapping resolves (creating if needed) the value node for the
+// path element keys[i] within a mapping node, setting it to value when it
+// is the final path element, and returns the node to descend into.
+func yamlSetInMapping(
+	node *yaml.Node, keys []string, i int, value string, last bool,
+) *yaml.Node {
 	var valueNode *yaml.Node
 
 	for j := 0; j+1 < len(node.Content); j += 2 {
-		if node.Content[j].Value == key {
+		if node.Content[j].Value == keys[i] {
 			valueNode = node.Content[j+1]
 
 			break
@@ -662,13 +751,8 @@ func yamlSetInMapping(node *yaml.Node, key, value string, last bool) *yaml.Node
 	}
 
 	if valueNode == nil {
-		keyNode := &yaml.Node{Kind: yaml.ScalarNode, Value: key}
-
-		valueNode = &yaml.Node{Kind: yaml.MappingNode}
-		if last {
-			valueNode = &yaml.Node{Kind: yaml.ScalarNode, Value: value}
-		}
-
+		keyNode := &yaml.Node{Kind: yaml.ScalarNode, Value: keys[i]}
+		valueNode = newPathNode(keys, i, value)
 		node.Content = append(node.Content, keyNode, valueNode)
 	} else if last {
 		setScalar(valueNode, value)
@@ -696,12 +780,7 @@ func yamlSetInSequence(
 	}
 
 	if idx == len(node.Content) {
-		newNode := &yaml.Node{Kind: yaml.MappingNode}
-		if last {
-			newNode = &yaml.Node{Kind: yaml.ScalarNode, Value: value}
-		}
-
-		node.Content = append(node.Content, newNode)
+		node.Content = append(node.Content, newPathNode(keys, i, value))
 	} else if last {
 		setScalar(node.Content[idx], value)
 	}
@@ -709,6 +788,22 @@ func yamlSetInSequence(
 	return node.Content[idx], nil
 }
 
+// newPathNode returns the node to create for the missing path element
+// keys[i]: the value when it is the final path element, otherwise an empty
+// list when the next path element is a number and an empty map when not.
+func newPathNode(keys []string, i int, value string) *yaml.Node {
+	if i == len(keys)-1 {
+		return &yaml.Node{Kind: yaml.ScalarNode, Value: value}
+	}
+
+	_, err := strconv.Atoi(keys[i+1])
+	if err == nil {
+		return &yaml.Node{Kind: yaml.SequenceNode}
+	}
+
+	return &yaml.Node{Kind: yaml.MappingNode}
+}
+
 // setScalar overwrites a node in place with a plain scalar value.
 func setScalar(n *yaml.Node, value string) {
 	n.Kind = yaml.ScalarNode

internal/cli/config_test.go

@@ -58,14 +58,17 @@ func TestDefaultConfigTemplateParses(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// testRecipient is a valid age public key.
+const testRecipient = "age1278m9q7dp3chsh2dcy82qk27v047zywyvtxwnj4cvt0z65jw6a7q5dqhfj"
+
 // TestConfigSetRecipientOnFreshConfig follows the README quickstart: on the
 // file `config init` writes, `config set age_recipients.0` and
 // `config set storage_url` give a config that loads with that recipient.
+// Neither is refused, although the config does not load until both are set;
+// once it loads, a recipient that is not a valid key is.
 func TestConfigSetRecipientOnFreshConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
-	const recipient = "age1278m9q7dp3chsh2dcy82qk27v047zywyvtxwnj4cvt0z65jw6a7q5dqhfj"
-
 	path := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "config.yml")
 
 	err := os.WriteFile(path, []byte(defaultConfigTemplate), configFileMode)
@@ -75,7 +78,7 @@ func TestConfigSetRecipientOnFreshConfig(t *testing.T) {
 
 	out := ui.NewWithColor(&bytes.Buffer{}, false)
 
-	err = writeConfigSet(out, path, "age_recipients.0", recipient)
+	err = writeConfigSet(out, path, "age_recipients.0", testRecipient)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("config set age_recipients.0: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -90,8 +93,211 @@ func TestConfigSetRecipientOnFreshConfig(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("config.Load: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	if len(cfg.AgeRecipients) != 1 || cfg.AgeRecipients[0] != recipient {
-		t.Errorf("age_recipients = %v, want [%s]", cfg.AgeRecipients, recipient)
+	if len(cfg.AgeRecipients) != 1 || cfg.AgeRecipients[0] != testRecipient {
+		t.Errorf("age_recipients = %v, want [%s]", cfg.AgeRecipients, testRecipient)
+	}
+
+	err = writeConfigSet(out, path, "age_recipients.0", "notakey")
+	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "not a valid recipient") {
+		t.Errorf("config set age_recipients.0 notakey gives error %v, "+
+			"want one saying it is not a valid recipient", err)
+	}
+
+	_, err = config.Load(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("config.Load after the refused change: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+// configWithoutRecipients loads, but has no age_recipients key and no
+// snapshot named work.
+const configWithoutRecipients = `storage_url: file:///mnt/backups
+snapshots:
+  home:
+    paths:
+      - "~"
+`
+
+// configWithUnsetReference loads only where VAULTIK_TEST_UNSET_SECRET is
+// set, as a backup job's environment might set it. No test sets it.
+const configWithUnsetReference = configWithoutRecipients + `s3:
+  secret_access_key: ${ENV:VAULTIK_TEST_UNSET_SECRET}
+`
+
+// configWithLevelReference returns configWithoutRecipients with a ${FILE:...}
+// reference on compression_level to a file holding 9, so that the config
+// loads once the reference is filled in.
+func configWithLevelReference(t *testing.T) string {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	levelPath := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "level")
+
+	err := os.WriteFile(levelPath, []byte("9"), configFileMode)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("write level: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	return configWithoutRecipients +
+		"compression_level: ${FILE:" + levelPath + "}\n"
+}
+
+// TestConfigSetIndexUnderMissingKey checks that a list index under a key
+// the file does not have creates a list, and that the result loads.
+func TestConfigSetIndexUnderMissingKey(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		key   string
+		value string
+		field func(cfg *config.Config) []string
+	}{
+		{"age_recipients.0", testRecipient,
+			func(cfg *config.Config) []string { return cfg.AgeRecipients }},
+		{"snapshots.work.paths.0", "/srv/work",
+			func(cfg *config.Config) []string { return cfg.Snapshots["work"].Paths }},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.key, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			path := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "config.yml")
+
+			err := os.WriteFile(path, []byte(configWithoutRecipients), configFileMode)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("write config: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			err = writeConfigSet(ui.NewWithColor(&bytes.Buffer{}, false),
+				path, tt.key, tt.value)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("config set %s: %v", tt.key, err)
+			}
+
+			cfg, err := config.Load(path)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("config.Load: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			got := tt.field(cfg)
+			if len(got) != 1 || got[0] != tt.value {
+				t.Errorf("%s gives %v, want [%s]", tt.key, got, tt.value)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestConfigSetKeepsFileThatWouldNotLoad checks that config set refuses a
+// change after which the config would not load, with an error giving the
+// reason, and leaves the file as it was. On the file `config init` writes,
+// which does not load until storage_url is set, and on one that cannot be
+// read here, only a value of the wrong type is refused.
+func TestConfigSetKeepsFileThatWouldNotLoad(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	levelReference := configWithLevelReference(t)
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		config string
+		key    string
+		value  string
+		reason string
+	}{
+		// Index 1 of the empty list the missing key gives.
+		{configWithoutRecipients, "age_recipients.1", testRecipient,
+			"index out of range"},
+		// A list set to a single value.
+		{configWithoutRecipients, "snapshots.home.paths", "/srv",
+			"into []string"},
+		{configWithoutRecipients, "chunk_size", "fast",
+			"invalid size format"},
+		// Values of the right type that fail validation.
+		{configWithoutRecipients, "compression_level", "99",
+			"compression_level must be between 1 and 19"},
+		{configWithoutRecipients, "chunk_size", "1KB",
+			"chunk_size must be at least 1MB"},
+		// With its reference filled in, the config loads.
+		{levelReference, "blob_size_limit", "1MB",
+			"blob_size_limit must be at least"},
+		// The type check on a config that does not load yet.
+		{defaultConfigTemplate, "snapshots.apps.paths", "/srv",
+			"into []string"},
+		// The type check on a config that cannot be read here.
+		{configWithUnsetReference, "snapshots.home.paths", "/x",
+			"cannot unmarshal !!str `/x`"},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.key+" "+tt.value, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			path := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "config.yml")
+
+			err := os.WriteFile(path, []byte(tt.config), configFileMode)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("write config: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			err = writeConfigSet(ui.NewWithColor(&bytes.Buffer{}, false),
+				path, tt.key, tt.value)
+			if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), tt.reason) {
+				t.Errorf("config set %s %s gives error %v, want one saying %q",
+					tt.key, tt.value, err, tt.reason)
+			}
+
+			data, err := os.ReadFile(path) //nolint:gosec // G304: test-controlled path
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("read config: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			if string(data) != tt.config {
+				t.Errorf("config set %s changed the file to:\n%s",
+					tt.key, data)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestConfigSetRefusesOnlyItsOwnFailure checks that setting another key
+// works on a config with a ${...} reference on compression_level, which
+// loads because loading fills the reference in, on one whose
+// compression_level already fails to load, and on one with a reference
+// that cannot be filled in here.
+func TestConfigSetRefusesOnlyItsOwnFailure(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	configs := map[string]string{
+		"reference":       configWithLevelReference(t),
+		"failing":         configWithoutRecipients + "compression_level: fast\n",
+		"unset reference": configWithUnsetReference,
+	}
+
+	for name, configYAML := range configs {
+		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			path := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "config.yml")
+
+			err := os.WriteFile(path, []byte(configYAML), configFileMode)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("write config: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			err = writeConfigSet(ui.NewWithColor(&bytes.Buffer{}, false),
+				path, "hostname", "myhost")
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("config set hostname: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			data, err := os.ReadFile(path) //nolint:gosec // G304: test-controlled path
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("read config: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			if !strings.Contains(string(data), "hostname: myhost") {
+				t.Errorf("config set hostname wrote:\n%s", data)
+			}
+		})
 	}
 }
 

internal/cli/entry_prune_quiet_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+package cli //nolint:testpackage // shares runEntry and the hermetic config helpers
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+// flagCron is used to build the argument vectors below.
+const flagCron = "--cron"
+
+// plantUnreferencedBlob writes a blob that no snapshot references to the
+// destination store at storeDir, so that a prune deletes it. Returns its
+// path.
+func plantUnreferencedBlob(t *testing.T, storeDir string) string {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	hash := strings.Repeat("b", 64)
+	path := filepath.Join(storeDir, "blobs", hash[:2], hash[2:4], hash)
+
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(path), 0o750))
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(path, []byte("unreferenced"), 0o600))
+
+	return path
+}
+
+// TestEntrySnapshotCreatePruneIsSilent checks that a successful
+// `snapshot create --prune` under --cron or --quiet prints nothing on
+// stdout or stderr, whether or not the prune finds a blob to delete.
+//
+//nolint:paralleltest // replaces os.Args, os.Stdout, os.Stderr and the xdg globals
+func TestEntrySnapshotCreatePruneIsSilent(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, testCase := range []struct {
+		name      string
+		args      []string
+		plantBlob bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "cron, no blob to delete",
+			args: []string{cmdSnapshot, cmdCreate, flagCron, flagPrune},
+		},
+		{
+			name:      "cron, blob to delete",
+			args:      []string{cmdSnapshot, cmdCreate, flagCron, flagPrune},
+			plantBlob: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "cron with keep-newer-than",
+			args: []string{
+				cmdSnapshot, cmdCreate, flagCron, flagPrune,
+				flagKeepNewerThan, "4w",
+			},
+			plantBlob: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:      "quiet",
+			args:      []string{flagQuiet, cmdSnapshot, cmdCreate, flagPrune},
+			plantBlob: true,
+		},
+	} {
+		t.Run(testCase.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			configPath, storeDir := writeBackupConfig(t)
+
+			var blob string
+			if testCase.plantBlob {
+				blob = plantUnreferencedBlob(t, storeDir)
+			}
+
+			code, stdout, stderr := runEntry(t,
+				append([]string{flagConfig, configPath}, testCase.args...)...)
+
+			assert.Equal(t, 0, code)
+			assert.Empty(t, stdout)
+			assert.Empty(t, stderr)
+
+			if testCase.plantBlob {
+				assert.NoFileExists(t, blob, "the prune must delete the blob")
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestEntryPruneQuietIsSilent checks that a successful `prune --force`
+// under --quiet prints nothing on stdout or stderr, both when there is
+// nothing to remove and when it removes a stale local snapshot record
+// and an unreferenced blob.
+//
+//nolint:paralleltest // replaces os.Args, os.Stdout, os.Stderr and the xdg globals
+func TestEntryPruneQuietIsSilent(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, testCase := range []struct {
+		name               string
+		staleRecordAndBlob bool
+	}{
+		{name: "nothing to remove"},
+		{name: "stale record and blob to remove", staleRecordAndBlob: true},
+	} {
+		t.Run(testCase.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			configPath := writeHermeticPruneConfig(t, testCase.staleRecordAndBlob)
+
+			var blob string
+			if testCase.staleRecordAndBlob {
+				// writeHermeticPruneConfig puts the store beside the config.
+				blob = plantUnreferencedBlob(t,
+					filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(configPath), "store"))
+			}
+
+			code, stdout, stderr := runEntry(t,
+				flagConfig, configPath, flagQuiet, cmdPrune, flagForce)
+
+			assert.Equal(t, 0, code)
+			assert.Empty(t, stdout)
+			assert.Empty(t, stderr)
+
+			if testCase.staleRecordAndBlob {
+				assert.NoFileExists(t, blob, "the prune must delete the blob")
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}

internal/cli/entry_snapshot_purge_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+package cli //nolint:testpackage // shares runEntry and the hermetic config helpers
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/database"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/snapshot"
+)
+
+// Words and flags of `snapshot purge` used to build argument vectors
+// below.
+const (
+	cmdPurge      = "purge"
+	flagOlderThan = "--older-than"
+	flagForce     = "--force"
+)
+
+// TestEntrySnapshotPurgeKeepsMetadataWhenLocalIndexDeleteFails makes
+// the local index refuse to delete an old snapshot and checks that
+// `snapshot purge` exits non-zero and leaves that snapshot's metadata on
+// the destination store. It used to log the error, delete the metadata
+// and exit 0.
+//
+// `snapshot create --prune` runs the same purge, but cannot be driven
+// this way: the refusal also breaks the backup's metadata export, which
+// deletes the other snapshots from its copy of the local index.
+//
+//nolint:paralleltest // replaces os.Args, os.Stdout, os.Stderr and the xdg globals
+func TestEntrySnapshotPurgeKeepsMetadataWhenLocalIndexDeleteFails(t *testing.T) {
+	configPath := writeHermeticPruneConfig(t, false)
+	dir := filepath.Dir(configPath)
+	indexPath := filepath.Join(dir, "index.sqlite")
+
+	// seedStaleSnapshotRecord writes an old snapshot to the local index
+	// only; the manifest planted here puts it on the destination store
+	// too, so the purge selects it rather than dropping it as stale.
+	seedStaleSnapshotRecord(t, indexPath)
+
+	manifestDir := filepath.Join(dir, "store", "metadata",
+		snapshot.RemoteSnapshotKey(stalePruneSnapshotID))
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(manifestDir, 0o750))
+
+	manifestPath := filepath.Join(manifestDir, "manifest.json.zst")
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(manifestPath, []byte("stub"), 0o600))
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	db, err := database.New(ctx, indexPath)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	_, err = db.Conn().ExecContext(ctx, `
+		CREATE TRIGGER refuse_snapshot_delete BEFORE DELETE ON snapshots
+		BEGIN SELECT RAISE(ABORT, 'simulated index error'); END`)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NoError(t, db.Close())
+
+	code, _, _ := runEntry(t, flagConfig, configPath,
+		cmdSnapshot, cmdPurge, flagOlderThan, "30d", flagForce)
+
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, code)
+	assert.FileExists(t, manifestPath,
+		"the snapshot is still in the local index, so its metadata must stay")
+}

internal/cli/snapshot.go

@@ -270,8 +270,9 @@ By default, this removes the snapshot from the local index database and
 strips the snapshot's metadata from the backup destination store. Blobs
 are NOT touched: deleting them requires reading every remaining remote
 manifest (the destination store may hold snapshots this host doesn't
-know about), which is what 'vaultik prune' does. On success the command
-prints the exact 'vaultik prune' invocation to run as a follow-up.
+know about), which is what 'vaultik prune' does. The command prints the
+'vaultik prune' invocation to run as a follow-up only when it removed the
+snapshot's metadata from the destination store, and never under --json.
 
 An ID that names no snapshot in the local index or on the destination
 store is an error.
@@ -280,10 +281,12 @@ Use --local-only to skip the remote half (e.g. when you want to forget a
 snapshot locally without touching the destination store); the snapshot
 must then be in the local index.
 
-If the remote is unreachable, the local-database removal still completes
-and a warning is emitted; run 'vaultik snapshot remove <snapshot-id>' again
-once the destination store is reachable to remove the snapshot's metadata
-from it ('vaultik prune' does not).
+If removing the snapshot's metadata from the destination store fails (for
+example because the remote is unreachable), the local-database removal
+still completes and a warning is emitted; run 'vaultik snapshot remove
+<snapshot-id>' again once the destination store is reachable to remove
+the snapshot's metadata from it ('vaultik prune' does not). For a
+snapshot that is only on the destination store, that failure is an error.
 
 To wipe the entire destination store and start over, use 'vaultik remote
 nuke --force' — it is the single supported entry point for that.`,

internal/cli/snapshot_restore.go

@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ This command will restore files from the specified snapshot to the
 target directory.
 If no paths are specified, all files are restored.
 If paths are specified, only matching files/directories are restored.
+A path that matches nothing in the snapshot is named in a warning, and
+the command exits non-zero after restoring the paths that match.
 
 The snapshot may be named by its ID or, when restoring on a host with no
 local index, by the remote key that 'snapshot list' prints for a

internal/config/config.go

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 package config
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
@@ -29,13 +30,15 @@ const appName = "vaultik"
 //nolint:gosec // G101: marker for detecting a pasted secret key, not a credential
 const secretKeyPrefix = "AGE-SECRET-KEY-"
 
-// Defaults and validation bounds for tunable settings.
+// Defaults and validation bounds for tunable settings. MB and GB are
+// 1000-based, as the size parser reads them; the S3 part sizes are S3's own
+// limits, which are 1024-based (MiB, GiB).
 const (
-	defaultBlobSizeLimit    = Size(10 * 1024 * 1024 * 1024) // 10GB
-	defaultChunkSize        = Size(10 * 1024 * 1024)        // 10MB
+	defaultBlobSizeLimit    = Size(10 * 1000 * 1000 * 1000) // 10GB
+	defaultChunkSize        = Size(10 * 1000 * 1000)        // 10MB
 	defaultS3PartSize       = Size(5 * 1024 * 1024)         // 5MiB
 	defaultCompressionLevel = 3
-	minChunkSize            = 1024 * 1024 // 1MB
+	minChunkSize            = 1000 * 1000 // 1MB
 	minCompressionLevel     = 1
 	maxCompressionLevel     = 19
 	// S3 accepts a multipart upload part from 5MiB to 5GiB.
@@ -233,14 +236,48 @@ func New(path Path) (*Config, error) {
 	return cfg, nil
 }
 
-// Load reads and parses the configuration file from the specified path.
-// It applies default values for optional fields, performs environment variable
-// substitution using smartconfig, and validates the configuration.
-// The configuration file should be in YAML format. Returns an error if the file
-// cannot be read, parsed, or if validation fails.
+// Load reads the configuration file at path, parses it with Parse, warns
+// when others can read the file, and validates the configuration.
+// Returns an error if the file cannot be read, parsed, or if validation
+// fails.
 func Load(path string) (*Config, error) {
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(path) //nolint:gosec // G304: config path is operator-supplied
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to load config file: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	cfg, err := Parse(data)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	// Check config file permissions (warn if world or group readable)
+	//nolint:gosec // G703: config path is operator-supplied by design
+	info, statErr := os.Stat(path)
+	if statErr == nil {
+		mode := info.Mode().Perm()
+		if mode&0044 != 0 { // group or world readable
+			log.Warn(cfg.readableByOthersWarning(),
+				"path", path,
+				"mode", fmt.Sprintf("%04o", mode),
+				"recommendation", "chmod 600 "+path)
+		}
+	}
+
+	err = cfg.Validate()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid config: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return cfg, nil
+}
+
+// Parse reads YAML config data as Load does, without validating it. It
+// applies default values for optional fields, fills in ${...} references
+// using smartconfig, and expands ~ in paths.
+func Parse(data []byte) (*Config, error) {
 	// Load config using smartconfig for interpolation
-	sc, err := smartconfig.NewFromConfigPath(path)
+	sc, err := smartconfig.NewFromReader(bytes.NewReader(data))
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to load config file: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -302,24 +339,6 @@ func Load(path string) (*Config, error) {
 		cfg.S3.Region = "us-east-1"
 	}
 
-	// Check config file permissions (warn if world or group readable)
-	//nolint:gosec // G703: config path is operator-supplied by design
-	info, statErr := os.Stat(path)
-	if statErr == nil {
-		mode := info.Mode().Perm()
-		if mode&0044 != 0 { // group or world readable
-			log.Warn(cfg.readableByOthersWarning(),
-				"path", path,
-				"mode", fmt.Sprintf("%04o", mode),
-				"recommendation", "chmod 600 "+path)
-		}
-	}
-
-	err = cfg.Validate()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid config: %w", err)
-	}
-
 	return cfg, nil
 }
 

internal/config/config_test.go

@@ -337,6 +337,81 @@ func TestLoadS3PartSize(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+// TestDocumentedSizeDefaults checks that the defaults are the documented
+// chunk_size 10MB and blob_size_limit 10GB as the parser reads those values
+// (1000-based), so writing a default out in the config file changes nothing.
+func TestDocumentedSizeDefaults(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	cfg, err := Parse([]byte("chunk_size: 10MB\nblob_size_limit: 10GB\n"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Parse() unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if cfg.ChunkSize != defaultChunkSize {
+		t.Errorf("chunk_size: 10MB is %d bytes, the default is %d",
+			cfg.ChunkSize, defaultChunkSize)
+	}
+
+	if cfg.BlobSizeLimit != defaultBlobSizeLimit {
+		t.Errorf("blob_size_limit: 10GB is %d bytes, the default is %d",
+			cfg.BlobSizeLimit, defaultBlobSizeLimit)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestDocumentedSizeExamples checks the 1MB minimum chunk_size and that
+// every size the README, config.example.yml and the config init template
+// list as an example is accepted.
+func TestDocumentedSizeExamples(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	const withoutSizes = "snapshots:\n" +
+		"  test:\n" +
+		"    paths: [/tmp/vaultik-test-source]\n" +
+		"storage_url: file:///tmp/vaultik-test-storage\n"
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		setting string
+		wantErr error
+	}{
+		{"chunk_size: 1MB", nil},
+		{"chunk_size: 999999", errChunkSizeTooSmall},
+		{"chunk_size: 5M", nil},
+		{"chunk_size: 10M", nil},
+		{"chunk_size: 10MB", nil},
+		{"chunk_size: 64MiB", nil},
+		{"chunk_size: 1GB", nil},
+		// Four times the default chunk_size, the documented minimum.
+		{"blob_size_limit: 40MB", nil},
+		{"blob_size_limit: 500MB", nil},
+		{"blob_size_limit: 1GB", nil},
+		{"blob_size_limit: 1GiB", nil},
+		{"blob_size_limit: 10G", nil},
+		{"blob_size_limit: 10GB", nil},
+		{"s3: {part_size: 5MiB}", nil},
+		{"s3: {part_size: 10MB}", nil},
+		{"s3: {part_size: 16MiB}", nil},
+		{"s3: {part_size: 100MiB}", nil},
+		{"s3: {part_size: 5GiB}", nil},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.setting, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			cfg, err := Parse([]byte(withoutSizes + tt.setting + "\n"))
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("Parse() unexpected error: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			err = cfg.Validate()
+			if !errors.Is(err, tt.wantErr) {
+				t.Fatalf("Validate() error = %v, want %v", err, tt.wantErr)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 // TestLoadRejectsRelativeFileURL checks that a file:// storage_url with a
 // relative path fails at load. Accepted, it would resolve against the
 // working directory, so a backup run from another directory would write

internal/snapshot/exclude_test.go

@@ -578,3 +578,54 @@ func TestExcludePatterns_DoubleStarFileAtEveryDepth(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, 1, result.FilesScanned,
 		"**/ file pattern should match at the top level and nested")
 }
+
+func TestExcludePatterns_AnchoredDoubleStarAtEveryDepth(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	// As in gitignore, /**/ also matches directly under the source dir
+	fs := setupAnchoredTestFS(t)
+
+	scanner, repos, cleanup := createTestScanner(t, fs, []string{"/**/projectname"})
+	defer cleanup()
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	createSnapshotRecord(ctx, t, repos, "test-snapshot")
+
+	result, err := scanner.Scan(ctx, "/backup", "test-snapshot")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// /**/projectname should exclude BOTH:
+	// - /backup/projectname/file.txt
+	// - /backup/otherproject/projectname/file.txt
+	// Total files: 4, excluded: 2
+	require.Equal(t, 2, result.FilesScanned,
+		"/**/ pattern should match at the top level and nested")
+}
+
+func TestExcludePatterns_DoubleStarInMiddleMatchesZeroDirectories(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	// As in gitignore, a/**/b matches a/b as well as a/c/b. The last part
+	// is a glob: with a plain name the glob library already matched a/b.
+	fs := &afero.MemMapFs{}
+	files := []string{"/backup/a/x.log", "/backup/a/c/y.log", "/backup/a/c/kept.txt"}
+
+	for _, path := range files {
+		require.NoError(t, fs.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(path), 0755))
+		require.NoError(t, afero.WriteFile(fs, path, []byte(path), 0644))
+	}
+
+	scanner, repos, cleanup := createTestScanner(t, fs, []string{"a/**/*.log"})
+	defer cleanup()
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	createSnapshotRecord(ctx, t, repos, "test-snapshot")
+
+	result, err := scanner.Scan(ctx, "/backup", "test-snapshot")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// a/**/*.log should exclude /backup/a/x.log and /backup/a/c/y.log
+	// Total files: 3, excluded: 2
+	require.Equal(t, 1, result.FilesScanned,
+		"a/**/*.log should match a/x.log as well as a/c/y.log")
+}

internal/snapshot/scanner.go

@@ -2035,33 +2035,60 @@ func compileExcludePatterns(patterns []string) []compiledPattern {
 		pattern = strings.TrimSuffix(pattern, "/")
 
 		// A leading "**/" demands a "/" before the name and so misses an
-		// entry directly under the source path. An unanchored pattern
-		// already matches at every depth, so drop the prefix: as in
-		// gitignore, "**/x" then also matches a top-level "x".
-		if !anchored {
-			pattern = strings.TrimPrefix(pattern, "**/")
+		// entry directly under the source path. It means "at every depth",
+		// which is what an unanchored pattern already does, so drop the
+		// prefix and match unanchored: as in gitignore, "**/x" and
+		// "/**/x" then also match a top-level "x".
+		if rest, found := strings.CutPrefix(pattern, "**/"); found {
+			pattern = rest
+			anchored = false
 		}
 
-		// Compile the glob pattern
-		// For patterns without path separators, we need to match them as components
-		// e.g., ".git" should match ".git" anywhere in the path
-		g, err := glob.Compile(pattern, '/')
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Warn("Invalid exclude pattern, skipping", "pattern", p, "error", err)
+		// Likewise "/**/" inside a pattern demands two slashes, so
+		// "a/**/*.log" misses "a/x.log". As in gitignore it stands for
+		// zero or more directories, so also compile the pattern with it
+		// made a single "/". The glob library's {a,b} is no help: with a
+		// "**" inside it in mid-pattern, it misses paths it should match.
+		for _, variant := range doubleStarVariants(pattern) {
+			// For patterns without path separators, we need to match them as components
+			// e.g., ".git" should match ".git" anywhere in the path
+			g, err := glob.Compile(variant, '/')
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Warn("Invalid exclude pattern, skipping", "pattern", p, "error", err)
 
-			continue
+				break
+			}
+
+			compiled = append(compiled, compiledPattern{
+				pattern:  g,
+				anchored: anchored,
+				original: p,
+			})
 		}
-
-		compiled = append(compiled, compiledPattern{
-			pattern:  g,
-			anchored: anchored,
-			original: p,
-		})
 	}
 
 	return compiled
 }
 
+// doubleStarVariants returns pattern once for every way of keeping each
+// "/**/" in it or making it a single "/".
+func doubleStarVariants(pattern string) []string {
+	const doubleStar = "/**/"
+
+	before, after, found := strings.Cut(pattern, doubleStar)
+	if !found {
+		return []string{pattern}
+	}
+
+	var variants []string
+
+	for _, rest := range doubleStarVariants(after) {
+		variants = append(variants, before+doubleStar+rest, before+"/"+rest)
+	}
+
+	return variants
+}
+
 // shouldExclude checks if a path should be excluded based on exclude patterns
 // filePath is the full path to the file
 // rootPath is the root of the backup source directory

internal/storage/file.go

@@ -120,9 +120,10 @@ func (f *FileStorer) Delete(_ context.Context, key string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// List returns all keys with the given prefix. It fails when the
-// destination directory is missing; a missing prefix under it is an
-// empty listing.
+// List returns all keys with the given prefix, reading through symlinked
+// directories. It fails when the destination directory is missing, or
+// when the prefix or a directory above it is a symlink whose target is
+// missing; a prefix that is truly missing is an empty listing.
 func (f *FileStorer) List(ctx context.Context, prefix string) ([]string, error) {
 	var keys []string
 
@@ -133,8 +134,7 @@ func (f *FileStorer) List(ctx context.Context, prefix string) ([]string, error)
 
 	basePath := f.fullPath(prefix)
 
-	// Check if the prefix exists
-	exists, err := afero.Exists(f.fs, basePath)
+	exists, err := f.prefixExists(prefix)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("checking path: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ func (f *FileStorer) List(ctx context.Context, prefix string) ([]string, error)
 		return keys, nil // Empty list for non-existent prefix
 	}
 
-	err = afero.Walk(f.fs, basePath, func(path string, info os.FileInfo, err error) error {
+	err = f.walk(basePath, func(path string, info os.FileInfo, err error) error {
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -176,7 +176,9 @@ func (f *FileStorer) List(ctx context.Context, prefix string) ([]string, error)
 }
 
 // ListStream returns a channel of ObjectInfo for large result sets. Like
-// List, it sends an error when the destination directory is missing.
+// List, it reads through symlinked directories and sends an error when
+// the destination directory is missing, or when the prefix or a directory
+// above it is a symlink whose target is missing.
 func (f *FileStorer) ListStream(ctx context.Context, prefix string) <-chan ObjectInfo {
 	ch := make(chan ObjectInfo)
 
@@ -192,8 +194,7 @@ func (f *FileStorer) ListStream(ctx context.Context, prefix string) <-chan Objec
 
 		basePath := f.fullPath(prefix)
 
-		// Check if the prefix exists
-		exists, err := afero.Exists(f.fs, basePath)
+		exists, err := f.prefixExists(prefix)
 		if err != nil {
 			ch <- ObjectInfo{Err: fmt.Errorf("checking path: %w", err)}
 
@@ -204,7 +205,7 @@ func (f *FileStorer) ListStream(ctx context.Context, prefix string) <-chan Objec
 			return // Empty channel for non-existent prefix
 		}
 
-		_ = afero.Walk(f.fs, basePath, func(path string, info os.FileInfo, err error) error {
+		_ = f.walk(basePath, func(path string, info os.FileInfo, err error) error {
 			// Check context cancellation
 			select {
 			case <-ctx.Done():
@@ -243,11 +244,12 @@ func (f *FileStorer) ListStream(ctx context.Context, prefix string) <-chan Objec
 }
 
 // DeletePartialUploads removes every file under prefix whose name ends in
-// tempSuffix. A missing prefix has none to remove.
+// tempSuffix. Like List, it reads through symlinked directories and fails
+// on one whose target is missing. A missing prefix has none to remove.
 func (f *FileStorer) DeletePartialUploads(ctx context.Context, prefix string) error {
 	basePath := f.fullPath(prefix)
 
-	exists, err := afero.Exists(f.fs, basePath)
+	exists, err := f.prefixExists(prefix)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("checking path: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -256,7 +258,7 @@ func (f *FileStorer) DeletePartialUploads(ctx context.Context, prefix string) er
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	err = afero.Walk(f.fs, basePath, func(path string, info os.FileInfo, err error) error {
+	err = f.walk(basePath, func(path string, info os.FileInfo, err error) error {
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -352,6 +354,54 @@ func (f *FileStorer) writeAtomic(
 	return nil
 }
 
+// walk is afero.Walk, except that it reads through a symlinked directory
+// the way Get and Stat do, where afero.Walk reports the link as one file.
+// afero.Walk uses Lstat, which does not follow a link, whenever the
+// filesystem has one; the struct below carries only the afero.Fs methods,
+// so the walk uses Stat instead. A link back up the tree is followed until
+// the operating system refuses the path for too many levels of links, and
+// the walk then fails.
+func (f *FileStorer) walk(root string, fn filepath.WalkFunc) error {
+	return afero.Walk(struct{ afero.Fs }{f.fs}, root, fn)
+}
+
+// prefixExists reports whether prefix exists under the destination
+// directory. It checks each directory on the way down to prefix in turn,
+// and the first one Stat cannot find decides: if it is not there at all,
+// prefix is missing; if it is a symlink whose target is missing, such as
+// a link to a volume that is not mounted, prefixExists fails, since
+// listing it as empty would let prune delete every blob.
+func (f *FileStorer) prefixExists(prefix string) (bool, error) {
+	lstater, canLstat := f.fs.(afero.Lstater)
+	path := f.basePath
+
+	for name := range strings.SplitSeq(prefix, "/") {
+		path = filepath.Join(path, name)
+
+		_, err := f.fs.Stat(path)
+		if err == nil {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+			return false, err
+		}
+
+		// Lstat does not follow a symlink at path, so it finds the link
+		// that Stat could not follow.
+		if canLstat {
+			_, _, lstatErr := lstater.LstatIfPossible(path)
+			if lstatErr == nil {
+				return false, err
+			}
+		}
+
+		return false, nil
+	}
+
+	return true, nil
+}
+
 // fullPath returns the full filesystem path for a key.
 func (f *FileStorer) fullPath(key string) string {
 	return filepath.Join(f.basePath, key)

internal/storage/file_backend_test.go

@@ -4,7 +4,10 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"io/fs"
+	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"reflect"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/storage"
@@ -60,3 +63,232 @@ func TestFileStorerListMissingDestination(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("ListStream error = %v, want a not-exist error", streamErr)
 	}
 }
+
+// The two directories at the top of a destination, either of which the
+// tests below replace with a symlink.
+const (
+	metadataDir = "metadata"
+	blobsDir    = "blobs"
+)
+
+// moveBehindSymlink moves base/dir to a directory elsewhere and puts a
+// symlink to it in its place.
+func moveBehindSymlink(t *testing.T, base, dir string) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	linkPath := filepath.Join(base, dir)
+	movedPath := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), dir)
+
+	err := os.Rename(linkPath, movedPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("moving %s away: %v", dir, err)
+	}
+
+	err = os.Symlink(movedPath, linkPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("linking %s: %v", dir, err)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestFileStorerListsThroughSymlinkedDirectory checks that List and
+// ListStream read through a symlinked metadata/ or blobs/ directory, as Get
+// and Stat do, instead of listing the link as one key. Listing the whole
+// destination meets the link part-way through the walk; listing its prefix
+// starts the walk at the link. A prefix missing behind the link lists as
+// empty.
+func TestFileStorerListsThroughSymlinkedDirectory(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	for _, dir := range []string{metadataDir, blobsDir} {
+		t.Run(dir, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			base := t.TempDir()
+			key := dir + "/aa/bb/object"
+
+			s, err := storage.NewFileStorer(base)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("NewFileStorer: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			err = s.Put(context.Background(), key, strings.NewReader("data"))
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("Put: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			moveBehindSymlink(t, base, dir)
+
+			want := []string{key}
+
+			for _, prefix := range []string{"", dir + "/"} {
+				got := listSorted(t, s, prefix)
+				if !reflect.DeepEqual(got, want) {
+					t.Errorf("List(%q) = %v, want %v", prefix, got, want)
+				}
+
+				got = listStreamKeys(t, s, prefix)
+				if !reflect.DeepEqual(got, want) {
+					t.Errorf("ListStream(%q) = %v, want %v", prefix, got, want)
+				}
+			}
+
+			absent := dir + "/absent/"
+
+			if got := listSorted(t, s, absent); len(got) != 0 {
+				t.Errorf("List(%q) = %v, want empty", absent, got)
+			}
+
+			if got := listStreamKeys(t, s, absent); len(got) != 0 {
+				t.Errorf("ListStream(%q) = %v, want empty", absent, got)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestFileStorerListFailsOnSymlinkWithMissingTarget checks that List and
+// ListStream fail on a symlinked metadata/ or blobs/ directory whose target
+// is missing, such as a link to a volume that is not mounted, as they do on
+// a missing destination directory, instead of listing it as empty. That
+// holds for a prefix below the link too.
+func TestFileStorerListFailsOnSymlinkWithMissingTarget(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	for _, dir := range []string{metadataDir, blobsDir} {
+		t.Run(dir, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			base := t.TempDir()
+
+			s, err := storage.NewFileStorer(base)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("NewFileStorer: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			unmounted := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "unmounted")
+
+			err = os.Symlink(unmounted, filepath.Join(base, dir))
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("Symlink: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			for _, prefix := range []string{"", dir + "/", dir + "/aa/"} {
+				keys, err := s.List(ctx, prefix)
+				if !errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
+					t.Errorf("List(%q) = %v, %v; want a not-exist error",
+						prefix, keys, err)
+				}
+
+				var streamErr error
+
+				for object := range s.ListStream(ctx, prefix) {
+					if object.Err != nil {
+						streamErr = object.Err
+					}
+				}
+
+				if !errors.Is(streamErr, fs.ErrNotExist) {
+					t.Errorf("ListStream(%q) error = %v, want a not-exist error",
+						prefix, streamErr)
+				}
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestFileStorerListFailsOnSymlinkLoop checks that a symlink pointing back
+// at the destination makes List and ListStream fail instead of walking it
+// forever.
+func TestFileStorerListFailsOnSymlinkLoop(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	base := t.TempDir()
+
+	s, err := storage.NewFileStorer(base)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("NewFileStorer: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	err = s.Put(ctx, testBlobKey, strings.NewReader("data"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Put: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	err = os.Symlink(base, filepath.Join(base, "blobs", "loop"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Symlink: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	keys, err := s.List(ctx, "blobs/")
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("List = %d keys and no error, want an error", len(keys))
+	}
+
+	var streamErr error
+
+	for object := range s.ListStream(ctx, "blobs/") {
+		if object.Err != nil {
+			streamErr = object.Err
+		}
+	}
+
+	if streamErr == nil {
+		t.Error("ListStream sent no error, want one")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestFileStorerDeletePartialUploadsThroughSymlinkedDirectory checks that
+// DeletePartialUploads, which remote nuke uses, removes a leftover temp
+// file behind a symlinked metadata/ or blobs/ directory and keeps the
+// object at the real key.
+func TestFileStorerDeletePartialUploadsThroughSymlinkedDirectory(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	for _, dir := range []string{metadataDir, blobsDir} {
+		t.Run(dir, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			base := t.TempDir()
+			key := dir + "/aa/bb/object"
+
+			s, err := storage.NewFileStorer(base)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("NewFileStorer: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			err = s.Put(ctx, key, strings.NewReader("data"))
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("Put: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			leftover := filepath.Join(base, key+"-123456.partial")
+
+			err = os.WriteFile(leftover, []byte("half"), 0o600)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("writing leftover temp file: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			moveBehindSymlink(t, base, dir)
+
+			err = s.DeletePartialUploads(ctx, dir+"/")
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("DeletePartialUploads: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			// leftover runs through the link.
+			_, err = os.Stat(leftover)
+			if !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+				t.Errorf("leftover temp file was not removed: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			_, err = s.Stat(ctx, key)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Errorf("Stat of the real key: %v", err)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}

internal/storage/rclone.go

@@ -7,10 +7,12 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"os"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fs"
+	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fs/config"
 	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fs/config/configfile"
 	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fs/operations"
 
@@ -33,6 +35,15 @@ type RcloneStorer struct {
 // The remote parameter is the rclone remote name (as configured via `rclone config`).
 // The path parameter is the path within the remote.
 func NewRcloneStorer(ctx context.Context, remote, path string) (*RcloneStorer, error) {
+	// rclone reads RCLONE_CONFIG only as the value of its --config flag,
+	// which vaultik does not have, so it is applied here as that flag would.
+	if configPath, ok := os.LookupEnv("RCLONE_CONFIG"); ok {
+		err := config.SetConfigPath(configPath)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("using RCLONE_CONFIG %q: %w", configPath, err)
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Install the default config file handler
 	configfile.Install()
 

internal/storage/rclone_test.go

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fs"
+	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fs/config"
 	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fs/config/configmap"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/storage"
 )
@@ -390,3 +391,41 @@ func TestNewRcloneStorerUnknownRemote(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("NewRcloneStorer error = %v, want ErrRemoteNotFound", err)
 	}
 }
+
+// TestNewRcloneStorerReadsRcloneConfigEnv checks that a remote defined only
+// in the file RCLONE_CONFIG names is found and written to, as rclone itself
+// would.
+func TestNewRcloneStorerReadsRcloneConfigEnv(t *testing.T) {
+	// rclone keeps the config file path in a process-global variable, which
+	// NewRcloneStorer leaves pointing at this test's file.
+	previous := config.GetConfigPath()
+
+	t.Cleanup(func() { _ = config.SetConfigPath(previous) })
+
+	confFile := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "rclone.conf")
+
+	err := os.WriteFile(confFile, []byte("[loc]\ntype = local\n"), 0o600)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("writing rclone config: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	t.Setenv("RCLONE_CONFIG", confFile)
+
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	s, err := storage.NewRcloneStorer(ctx, "loc", dir)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("NewRcloneStorer: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	err = s.Put(ctx, testBlobKey, strings.NewReader("blob-bytes"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Put: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	_, err = os.Stat(filepath.Join(dir, testBlobKey))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("object is not in the remote's directory: %v", err)
+	}
+}

internal/vaultik/blobcache.go

@@ -39,9 +39,9 @@ type blobDiskCacheEntry struct {
 // internally and will fall back to LRU eviction if curBytes exceeds
 // maxBytes. Restore passes math.MaxInt64 as maxBytes and drives
 // eviction itself via Delete() through restoreSweeper, which deletes
-// each blob the moment every file that references its chunks has been
-// written. LRU never fires under that configuration; it is kept as a
-// safety net for callers that don't manage eviction themselves.
+// each blob once no file still to be restored in this run needs it.
+// LRU never fires under that configuration; it is kept as a safety net
+// for callers that don't manage eviction themselves.
 //
 // Get/ReadAt/peak-Len counters are debugging instrumentation used by
 // tests to assert that the restore code path uses ReadAt rather than

internal/vaultik/nuke_remote_test.go

@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ import (
 // TestNukeRemoteLeavesNoFiles checks that remote nuke leaves no file
 // under a file:// destination, including the `.partial` files uploads
 // killed part-way leave next to a snapshot's metadata and next to where a
-// blob would have been.
+// blob would have been, a snapshot's database whose manifest was never
+// uploaded, and a file under blobs/ whose name is not a blob hash.
 func TestNukeRemoteLeavesNoFiles(t *testing.T) {
 	log.Initialize(log.Config{})
 	t.Parallel()
@@ -38,6 +39,9 @@ func TestNukeRemoteLeavesNoFiles(t *testing.T) {
 			"db.zst.age-123456.partial"),
 		filepath.Join(storeDir, "blobs", hash[:2], hash[2:4],
 			hash+"-123456.partial"),
+		filepath.Join(storeDir, "metadata",
+			snapshot.RemoteSnapshotKey("no-manifest"), "db.zst.age"),
+		filepath.Join(storeDir, "blobs", "0b", "01", ".DS_Store"),
 	}
 
 	for _, leftover := range leftovers {
@@ -100,6 +104,34 @@ func TestNukeRemoteFailsWhenADeleteFails(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestNukeRemoteNamesWhatIsLeft checks that remote nuke, when an object
+// it does not recognise cannot be deleted, does not report the store
+// empty but names that object and fails.
+func TestNukeRemoteNamesWhatIsLeft(t *testing.T) {
+	log.Initialize(log.Config{})
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	storeDir := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "store")
+	v, _, out := backUpToFileDestination(ctx, t, storeDir)
+
+	const leftKey = "blobs/0b/01/.DS_Store"
+
+	leftPath := filepath.Join(storeDir, filepath.FromSlash(leftKey))
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(leftPath), 0o750))
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(leftPath, []byte("finder"), 0o600))
+
+	store := faultstore.New(v.Storage)
+	store.OnDelete = func(key string) bool { return key == leftKey }
+	v.Storage = store
+
+	require.Error(t, v.NukeRemote(true))
+
+	assert.Contains(t, out.String(), leftKey)
+	assert.NotContains(t, out.String(), "now empty")
+	assert.Contains(t, out.String(), "vaultik remote nuke --force")
+}
+
 // TestNukeRemoteRefusesAnotherDestinationWithoutRetryAdvice checks that
 // remote nuke, when the local index belongs to a different destination
 // than the configured one, fails without advising to run nuke again:

internal/vaultik/prune.go

@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@ var errNukeRequiresForce = errors.New(
 // errBlobDeleteFailed reports unreferenced blobs prune could not delete.
 var errBlobDeleteFailed = errors.New("blob(s) could not be deleted")
 
+// errObjectsLeft reports objects remote nuke still finds on the backup
+// destination store after deleting.
+var errObjectsLeft = errors.New(
+	"object(s) still on the backup destination store")
+
 // nukeCommandHint is the command suggested when a remote nuke could not
 // delete everything: running it again deletes what is left, which
 // `vaultik prune` does not do for snapshot metadata.
@@ -35,10 +40,11 @@ const metadataDirName = "metadata"
 // (blobs/<aa>/<bb>/<hash>).
 const blobKeyParts = 4
 
-// NukeRemote deletes every snapshot's metadata and every blob from remote
-// storage, along with any object an upload cut off part-way left under a
-// temporary `.partial` name. After this returns successfully the bucket
-// prefix is empty and the next backup starts from scratch.
+// NukeRemote deletes every object under metadata/ and blobs/ in remote
+// storage, whatever its name, along with any object an upload cut off
+// part-way left under a temporary `.partial` name. It returns
+// successfully only when a listing afterwards finds nothing left there,
+// and the next backup then starts from scratch.
 //
 // Refuses to run unless force is true. The caller is responsible for
 // confirming with the user.
@@ -68,7 +74,8 @@ func (v *Vaultik) NukeRemote(force bool) error {
 }
 
 // emptyDestinationStore does the deleting for NukeRemote and stops at
-// the first step that fails.
+// the first step that fails. It also fails when objects are still
+// listed at the end, naming each one.
 func (v *Vaultik) emptyDestinationStore() error {
 	v.UI.Beginf("Removing all snapshot metadata from backup destination store.")
 
@@ -77,25 +84,62 @@ func (v *Vaultik) emptyDestinationStore() error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("removing all snapshots: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	v.UI.Beginf("Removing any blobs still present in backup destination store.")
+	v.UI.Beginf("Removing everything still present in backup destination store.")
 
-	err = v.PruneBlobs(&PruneOptions{Force: true})
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("pruning blobs: %w", err)
+	var left []string
+
+	for _, prefix := range []string{"metadata/", "blobs/"} {
+		keys, err := v.deleteEverythingUnder(prefix)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		left = append(left, keys...)
 	}
 
-	// The file and rclone listings skip `.partial` objects, so the two
-	// steps above never delete them.
-	for _, prefix := range []string{"metadata/", "blobs/"} {
-		err = v.Storage.DeletePartialUploads(v.ctx, prefix)
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("deleting partial uploads: %w", err)
-		}
+	for _, key := range left {
+		v.UI.Warningf("Still on the backup destination store: %s", key)
+	}
+
+	if len(left) > 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%d %w", len(left), errObjectsLeft)
 	}
 
 	return nil
 }
 
+// deleteEverythingUnder deletes every object under prefix, whatever its
+// name, and returns the keys a listing afterwards still finds. A delete
+// that fails is logged and the others still run; that object then
+// shows up in the listing afterwards.
+func (v *Vaultik) deleteEverythingUnder(prefix string) ([]string, error) {
+	keys, err := v.Storage.List(v.ctx, prefix)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("listing %s: %w", prefix, err)
+	}
+
+	for _, key := range keys {
+		err = v.Storage.Delete(v.ctx, key)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Error("Failed to delete object", "key", key, "error", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// The file and rclone listings skip `.partial` objects, so the
+	// deletes above never reach them.
+	err = v.Storage.DeletePartialUploads(v.ctx, prefix)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("deleting partial uploads: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	left, err := v.Storage.List(v.ctx, prefix)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("listing %s: %w", prefix, err)
+	}
+
+	return left, nil
+}
+
 // PruneBlobsResult contains the result of a blob prune operation
 //
 //nolint:tagliatelle // snake_case is the established JSON output format
@@ -160,7 +204,7 @@ func (v *Vaultik) PruneBlobs(opts *PruneOptions) error {
 			return v.outputPruneBlobsJSON(result)
 		}
 
-		v.printlnStdout("No unreferenced blobs to remove.")
+		v.UI.Infof("No unreferenced blobs to remove.")
 
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -168,12 +212,17 @@ func (v *Vaultik) PruneBlobs(opts *PruneOptions) error {
 	log.Info("Found unreferenced blobs",
 		"count", len(unreferencedBlobs), "total_size", ubytes(totalSize))
 
-	if !opts.JSON {
-		v.stdoutf("Found %d unreferenced blob(s) totaling %s\n",
+	if opts.Force && !opts.JSON {
+		v.UI.Infof("Found %d unreferenced blob(s) totaling %s.",
 			len(unreferencedBlobs), ubytes(totalSize))
 	}
 
 	if !opts.Force && !opts.JSON {
+		// The count, the prompt and its answer bypass the UI: they are an
+		// interactive exchange the operator must see, so --quiet does not
+		// silence them.
+		v.stdoutf("Found %d unreferenced blob(s) totaling %s.\n",
+			len(unreferencedBlobs), ubytes(totalSize))
 		v.stdoutf("\nDelete %d unreferenced blob(s)? [y/N] ", len(unreferencedBlobs))
 
 		var confirm string
@@ -200,7 +249,7 @@ func (v *Vaultik) PruneBlobs(opts *PruneOptions) error {
 			return err
 		}
 	} else {
-		v.stdoutf("\nDeleted %d blob(s) totaling %s\n",
+		v.UI.Infof("Deleted %d blob(s) totaling %s.",
 			result.BlobsDeleted, ubytes(result.BytesFreed))
 	}
 

internal/vaultik/prune_count_test.go

@@ -1,13 +1,17 @@
 package vaultik //nolint:testpackage // exercises unexported count helpers
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/database"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/log"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/snapshot"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/ui"
 )
 
 // TestTableCountForReportSurfacesReadFailure is the regression guard for
@@ -76,3 +80,59 @@ func TestCountDiffUnknownWhenEitherSideUnknown(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Nil(t, countDiff(&before, nil), "unknown after yields unknown delta")
 	assert.Nil(t, countDiff(nil, nil))
 }
+
+// TestPruneDatabaseSummaryLabelsTotals removes the only incomplete
+// snapshot from an index that also holds a complete one. The figure in
+// brackets is every snapshot left in the local index, so the line must
+// say so rather than read as incomplete snapshots that remain.
+func TestPruneDatabaseSummaryLabelsTotals(t *testing.T) {
+	log.Initialize(log.Config{})
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	db, err := database.New(ctx, ":memory:")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	t.Cleanup(func() { _ = db.Close() })
+
+	repos := database.NewRepositories(db)
+
+	startedAt := time.Date(2026, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 0, time.UTC)
+	completedAt := startedAt.Add(time.Minute)
+
+	require.NoError(t, repos.Snapshots.Create(ctx, nil, &database.Snapshot{
+		ID:          "host_complete_2026-01-02T03:04:05Z",
+		Hostname:    "host",
+		StartedAt:   startedAt,
+		CompletedAt: &completedAt,
+	}))
+	require.NoError(t, repos.Snapshots.Create(ctx, nil, &database.Snapshot{
+		ID:        "host_incomplete_2026-01-02T03:04:05Z",
+		Hostname:  "host",
+		StartedAt: startedAt,
+	}))
+
+	var out bytes.Buffer
+
+	v := &Vaultik{
+		DB:           db,
+		Repositories: repos,
+		SnapshotManager: snapshot.NewSnapshotManager(
+			snapshot.SnapshotManagerParams{Repos: repos}),
+		UI: ui.NewWithColor(&out, false),
+	}
+	v.SetContext(ctx)
+
+	result, err := v.PruneDatabase()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, int64(1), result.SnapshotsDeleted)
+
+	assert.Contains(t, out.String(), "Incomplete snapshots: 1 removed "+
+		"(total snapshots left in the local index: 1).")
+	assert.Contains(t, out.String(), "Orphaned files: 0 removed "+
+		"(total files left in the local index: 0).")
+	assert.Contains(t, out.String(), "Orphaned chunks: 0 removed "+
+		"(total chunks left in the local index: 0).")
+	assert.Contains(t, out.String(), "Orphaned blobs: 0 removed "+
+		"(total blobs left in the local index: 0).")
+}

internal/vaultik/purge_local_remote_consistency_test.go

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/log"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/snapshot"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/types"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/ui"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/vaultik"
 )
 
@@ -58,13 +59,16 @@ func setupConsistencyTest(
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 	}
 
+	stdout := &bytes.Buffer{}
+
 	v := &vaultik.Vaultik{
 		Storage:      mockStorage,
 		Repositories: repos,
 		DB:           db,
-		Stdout:       &bytes.Buffer{},
+		Stdout:       stdout,
 		Stderr:       &bytes.Buffer{},
 		Stdin:        &bytes.Buffer{},
+		UI:           ui.NewWithColor(stdout, false),
 	}
 	v.SetContext(ctx)
 

internal/vaultik/purge_per_name_test.go

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/log"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/snapshot"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/types"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/ui"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/vaultik"
 )
 
@@ -86,6 +87,7 @@ func setupPurgeTest(
 		Stdout:       stdout,
 		Stderr:       stderr,
 		Stdin:        stdin,
+		UI:           ui.NewWithColor(stdout, false),
 	}
 	v.SetContext(ctx)
 

internal/vaultik/remove_quiet_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,148 @@
+package vaultik_test
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/log"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/ui"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/vaultik"
+)
+
+// TestPurgeSnapshots_QuietSuppressesReport checks that `snapshot purge
+// --keep-latest --force` under --quiet deletes the older snapshot and
+// prints nothing.
+func TestPurgeSnapshots_QuietSuppressesReport(t *testing.T) {
+	log.Initialize(log.Config{})
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	v := setupPurgeTest(t, snapHostname, []string{snapHomeT0, snapHomeT1})
+
+	var out bytes.Buffer
+
+	v.Stdout = &out
+	v.UI = ui.NewWithColor(&out, false)
+	v.UI.SetQuiet(true)
+
+	require.NoError(t, v.PurgeSnapshotsWithOptions(&vaultik.SnapshotPurgeOptions{
+		KeepLatest: true,
+		Force:      true,
+	}))
+
+	assert.Equal(t, []string{snapHomeT1}, listRemainingSnapshots(t, v))
+	assert.Empty(t, out.String())
+}
+
+// TestPurgeSnapshots_QuietPromptListsSnapshots checks that `snapshot
+// purge --keep-latest` without --force still lists the snapshots its
+// prompt asks to delete under --quiet.
+func TestPurgeSnapshots_QuietPromptListsSnapshots(t *testing.T) {
+	log.Initialize(log.Config{})
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	v := setupPurgeTest(t, snapHostname, []string{snapHomeT0, snapHomeT1})
+
+	var out bytes.Buffer
+
+	v.Stdout = &out
+	v.UI = ui.NewWithColor(&out, false)
+	v.UI.SetQuiet(true)
+
+	// Stdin is empty, so the prompt reads no answer and cancels.
+	require.NoError(t, v.PurgeSnapshotsWithOptions(&vaultik.SnapshotPurgeOptions{
+		KeepLatest: true,
+	}))
+
+	assert.Contains(t, out.String(), snapHomeT0)
+	assert.Contains(t, out.String(), "Delete 1 snapshot(s)? [y/N]")
+	assert.Len(t, listRemainingSnapshots(t, v), 2)
+}
+
+// TestPruneBlobs_QuietPromptShowsBlobTotal checks that `prune` without
+// --force still states the count and total size of the blobs its prompt
+// asks to delete under --quiet.
+func TestPruneBlobs_QuietPromptShowsBlobTotal(t *testing.T) {
+	log.Initialize(log.Config{})
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	env := newListEnv(t)
+	env.v.UI.SetQuiet(true)
+
+	// The store holds no manifest, so nothing references this blob.
+	addBlob(t, env.store.testStorer, testBlobHashA)
+
+	// Stdin is empty, so the prompt reads no answer and cancels.
+	require.NoError(t, env.v.PruneBlobs(&vaultik.PruneOptions{}))
+
+	assert.Contains(t, env.stdout.String(),
+		"Found 1 unreferenced blob(s) totaling")
+	assert.Contains(t, env.stdout.String(),
+		"Delete 1 unreferenced blob(s)? [y/N]")
+}
+
+// TestRemoveSnapshot_QuietSuppressesReport checks that `snapshot remove`
+// under --quiet prints nothing with --dry-run or with --force, and that
+// the --json document still prints.
+func TestRemoveSnapshot_QuietSuppressesReport(t *testing.T) {
+	log.Initialize(log.Config{})
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	newQuietRemover := func() (*vaultik.TestVaultik, *testStorer) {
+		store := newTestStorer()
+		addManifest(t, store, "snapshot-001", nil)
+
+		tv := vaultik.NewForTesting(store)
+		tv.Repositories = newLocalIndex(t, "snapshot-001")
+		tv.UI.SetQuiet(true)
+
+		return tv, store
+	}
+
+	tv, store := newQuietRemover()
+
+	_, err := tv.RemoveSnapshot("snapshot-001",
+		&vaultik.RemoveOptions{DryRun: true})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Empty(t, tv.Stdout.String(),
+		"--dry-run must print nothing under --quiet")
+
+	_, err = tv.RemoveSnapshot("snapshot-001",
+		&vaultik.RemoveOptions{Force: true})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.False(t, store.hasKey(remoteKeyPath("snapshot-001")))
+	assert.Empty(t, tv.Stdout.String(),
+		"--force must print nothing under --quiet")
+
+	tv, _ = newQuietRemover()
+
+	_, err = tv.RemoveSnapshot("snapshot-001",
+		&vaultik.RemoveOptions{JSON: true})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	var result vaultik.RemoveResult
+
+	require.NoError(t, json.Unmarshal(tv.Stdout.Bytes(), &result),
+		"the --json document must still print under --quiet")
+	assert.True(t, result.RemoteRemoved)
+}
+
+// TestNukeRemote_QuietSuppressesReport checks that `remote nuke --force`
+// under --quiet prints nothing while it removes a snapshot's metadata
+// and its blobs.
+func TestNukeRemote_QuietSuppressesReport(t *testing.T) {
+	log.Initialize(log.Config{})
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	storeDir := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "store")
+	v, _, out := backUpToFileDestination(ctx, t, storeDir)
+	v.UI.SetQuiet(true)
+
+	require.NoError(t, v.NukeRemote(true))
+	assert.Empty(t, out.String())
+}

internal/vaultik/remove_snapshot_test.go

@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import (
 	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/log"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/snapshot"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/storage"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/storage/faultstore"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/types"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/vaultik"
 )
@@ -350,7 +351,7 @@ func TestRemoveSnapshot_DryRun(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.True(t, store.hasKey("blobs/aa/aa/"+blobA))
 	assert.True(t, store.hasKey(remoteKeyPath("snapshot-001")))
 
-	assert.Contains(t, tv.Stdout.String(), "[Dry run - no changes made]")
+	assert.Contains(t, tv.Stdout.String(), "Dry run: no changes made.")
 }
 
 // TestRemoveSnapshot_UnknownIDIsError checks that an ID naming no
@@ -431,6 +432,40 @@ func TestRemoveSnapshot_NotInLocalIndex(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Contains(t, out, "Removed snapshot metadata from remote storage")
 }
 
+// TestRemoveSnapshot_NotInLocalIndexDeleteFails checks that removing a
+// snapshot only the destination store holds fails when its metadata
+// cannot be deleted there, under --force and under --json: nothing was
+// removed, so the command must not succeed.
+func TestRemoveSnapshot_NotInLocalIndexDeleteFails(t *testing.T) {
+	log.Initialize(log.Config{})
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	for name, opts := range map[string]vaultik.RemoveOptions{
+		"force": {Force: true},
+		"json":  {JSON: true},
+	} {
+		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			store := newTestStorer()
+			addManifest(t, store, "snapshot-001", nil)
+
+			faulty := faultstore.New(store)
+			faulty.OnDelete = func(string) bool { return true }
+
+			tv := vaultik.NewForTesting(faulty)
+			tv.Repositories = newLocalIndex(t)
+
+			result, err := tv.RemoveSnapshot("snapshot-001", &opts)
+
+			require.ErrorIs(t, err, faultstore.ErrInjectedDelete)
+			assert.False(t, result.RemoteRemoved)
+			assert.True(t, store.hasKey(remoteKeyPath("snapshot-001")))
+			assert.Empty(t, tv.Stdout.String())
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestRemoveAllSnapshots_RequiresForce(t *testing.T) {
 	log.Initialize(log.Config{})
 	t.Parallel()
@@ -504,7 +539,7 @@ func TestRemoveAllSnapshots_DryRun(t *testing.T) {
 
 	assert.Equal(t, initialCount, store.keyCount())
 
-	assert.Contains(t, tv.Stdout.String(), "[Dry run - no changes made]")
+	assert.Contains(t, tv.Stdout.String(), "Dry run: no changes made.")
 }
 
 func TestRemoveAllSnapshots_NoSnapshots(t *testing.T) {

internal/vaultik/restore.go

@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import (
 // Sentinel errors for restore failures.
 var (
 	errFilesFailedRestore    = errors.New("file(s) failed to restore")
+	errPathsNotInSnapshot    = errors.New("requested path(s) not in the snapshot")
 	errFilesFailedVerify     = errors.New("files failed verification")
 	errDecryptionKeyRequired = errors.New(
 		"decryption key required for restore\n\n" +
@@ -150,16 +151,20 @@ func (v *Vaultik) Restore(opts *RestoreOptions) error {
 	repos := database.NewRepositories(tempDB)
 
 	// Step 2: Get list of files to restore
-	files, err := v.getFilesToRestore(v.ctx, repos, opts.Paths)
+	files, unmatched, err := v.getFilesToRestore(v.ctx, repos, opts.Paths)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("getting files to restore: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	// Named before anything is restored, so the names are shown even
+	// when the restore stops on an error.
+	unmatchedErr := v.reportUnmatchedPaths(unmatched)
+
 	if len(files) == 0 {
 		log.Warn("No files found to restore")
 		v.UI.Warningf("No files found to restore.")
 
-		return nil
+		return unmatchedErr
 	}
 
 	log.Info("Found files to restore", "count", len(files))
@@ -185,6 +190,20 @@ func (v *Vaultik) Restore(opts *RestoreOptions) error {
 
 	result.Duration = time.Since(startTime)
 
+	return v.finishRestore(repos, files, unmatchedErr, opts, result)
+}
+
+// finishRestore prints the restore summary and the post-restore
+// warnings, runs optional verification, and converts any failed-file
+// count into an error. Otherwise it returns unmatchedErr, the error for
+// the requested paths that matched nothing (nil when there are none).
+func (v *Vaultik) finishRestore(
+	repos *database.Repositories,
+	files []*database.File,
+	unmatchedErr error,
+	opts *RestoreOptions,
+	result *RestoreResult,
+) error {
 	log.Info("Restore complete",
 		"files_restored", result.FilesRestored,
 		"bytes_restored", ubytes(result.BytesRestored),
@@ -199,17 +218,6 @@ func (v *Vaultik) Restore(opts *RestoreOptions) error {
 		v.UI.Duration(result.Duration),
 	)
 
-	return v.finishRestore(repos, files, opts, result)
-}
-
-// finishRestore emits the post-restore warnings, runs optional
-// verification, and converts any failed-file count into an error.
-func (v *Vaultik) finishRestore(
-	repos *database.Repositories,
-	files []*database.File,
-	opts *RestoreOptions,
-	result *RestoreResult,
-) error {
 	if os.Geteuid() != 0 {
 		v.UI.Warningf("Restore did not preserve file ownership: chown(2) " +
 			"requires root. Re-run as root (e.g. with sudo) if you need " +
@@ -236,7 +244,23 @@ func (v *Vaultik) finishRestore(
 		return fmt.Errorf("%d %w", result.FilesFailed, errFilesFailedRestore)
 	}
 
-	return nil
+	return unmatchedErr
+}
+
+// reportUnmatchedPaths warns, by name, about each requested path that
+// matched nothing in the snapshot, and returns an error counting them,
+// or nil when there are none.
+func (v *Vaultik) reportUnmatchedPaths(unmatched []string) error {
+	if len(unmatched) == 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	for _, path := range unmatched {
+		log.Warn("Requested path matches nothing in the snapshot", "path", path)
+		v.UI.Warningf("%s matches nothing in the snapshot.", v.UI.Path(path))
+	}
+
+	return fmt.Errorf("%d %w", len(unmatched), errPathsNotInSnapshot)
 }
 
 // restoreIdentities parses the configured age secret key once into every
@@ -299,12 +323,6 @@ func (v *Vaultik) restoreAllFiles(
 		_ = blobCache.Close()
 	}()
 
-	// Per-restore sweep state: every blob_size_limit/100 bytes written,
-	// scan the cache and delete any blob whose remaining file references
-	// are all already restored.
-	sweeper := newRestoreSweeper(v.ctx, repos, blobCache,
-		v.Config.BlobSizeLimit.Int64()/sweepIntervalDivisor)
-
 	blobByHash, blobIDToHash, err := v.buildBlobIndexes(repos)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -316,6 +334,12 @@ func (v *Vaultik) restoreAllFiles(
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("building restore plan: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	// Per-restore sweep state: every blob_size_limit/100 bytes written,
+	// scan the cache and delete any blob that no pending file in the
+	// plan references.
+	sweeper := newRestoreSweeper(plan, blobCache,
+		v.Config.BlobSizeLimit.Int64()/sweepIntervalDivisor)
+
 	// Ranging over files rather than the map reports them in a stable order.
 	for _, file := range files {
 		if planErr, ok := unplanned[file.ID]; ok {
@@ -403,10 +427,8 @@ func (v *Vaultik) runRestoreLoop(
 			continue
 		}
 
-		// Record the file as restored so the sweeper can free blobs
-		// once all referencing files are done, and drop it from the
-		// plan's indexes so future picks ignore it.
-		session.sweeper.fileRestored(fileID.String())
+		// Drop the file from the plan's indexes so future picks ignore
+		// it and the sweeper can free blobs no pending file needs.
 		plan.finishFile(fileID)
 
 		processed++
@@ -840,27 +862,34 @@ func (v *Vaultik) materializeSnapshotDB(
 	return db, tempDir, nil
 }
 
-// getFilesToRestore returns the list of files to restore based on path filters
+// getFilesToRestore returns the list of files to restore based on path
+// filters, and the filters, as given, that matched no file.
 func (v *Vaultik) getFilesToRestore(
 	ctx context.Context, repos *database.Repositories, pathFilters []string,
-) ([]*database.File, error) {
+) ([]*database.File, []string, error) {
 	// If no filters, get all files
 	if len(pathFilters) == 0 {
-		return repos.Files.ListAll(ctx)
+		files, err := repos.Files.ListAll(ctx)
+
+		return files, nil, err
 	}
 
 	// Get files matching the path filters
-	var result []*database.File
+	var (
+		result    []*database.File
+		unmatched []string
+	)
 
 	seen := make(map[string]bool)
 
 	for _, filter := range pathFilters {
-		// Normalize the filter path
-		filter = filepath.Clean(filter)
-
-		files, err := repos.Files.ListUnderPath(ctx, filter)
+		files, err := repos.Files.ListUnderPath(ctx, filepath.Clean(filter))
 		if err != nil {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("listing files under %s: %w", filter, err)
+			return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("listing files under %s: %w", filter, err)
+		}
+
+		if len(files) == 0 {
+			unmatched = append(unmatched, filter)
 		}
 
 		for _, file := range files {
@@ -871,7 +900,7 @@ func (v *Vaultik) getFilesToRestore(
 		}
 	}
 
-	return result, nil
+	return result, unmatched, nil
 }
 
 // buildChunkToBlobMap creates a mapping from chunk hash to blob information

internal/vaultik/restore_interrupt_test.go

@@ -74,7 +74,8 @@ func TestRestoreCleansTempDirOnInterrupt(t *testing.T) {
 	buildLocalityFixture(t, fs, dataDir)
 
 	cfg, storer, snapshotID := setupLocalityBackup(
-		context.Background(), t, fs, dataDir, storeDir, dbPath)
+		context.Background(), t, fs, dataDir, storeDir, dbPath,
+		localitySourceBytes)
 
 	// Point the "" temp paths (the blob cache directory and the
 	// snapshot-database directory) at a private directory so the test can

internal/vaultik/restore_locality_test.go

@@ -63,6 +63,10 @@ type localityCopy struct {
 	data []byte
 }
 
+// localitySourceBytes is the size of each source file of the locality
+// fixture.
+const localitySourceBytes = 1024 * 1024
+
 // buildLocalityFixture writes the adversarial source layout described
 // in TestRestoreLocalityAndReadAt: 15 sources of 1 MiB each (which the
 // backup packs into 3 blobs of 5 chunks) plus 9 interleaved-name copies
@@ -73,7 +77,6 @@ func buildLocalityFixture(
 	t.Helper()
 
 	const (
-		srcBytes   = 1024 * 1024
 		srcCount   = 15
 		blobsCount = 3
 		perBlob    = srcCount / blobsCount
@@ -83,7 +86,7 @@ func buildLocalityFixture(
 	for i := range srcCount {
 		s := &localitySource{
 			path: fmt.Sprintf("src-%03d.bin", i+1),
-			data: randomBytes(t, srcBytes),
+			data: randomBytes(t, localitySourceBytes),
 		}
 		sources[i] = s
 		require.NoError(t, afero.WriteFile(
@@ -115,19 +118,20 @@ func buildLocalityFixture(
 
 // setupLocalityBackup runs the backup half of the locality test: a
 // snapshot of dataDir into a file storer with sizes tuned so 15 one-chunk
-// files pack into 3 blobs. The index database is closed before returning
-// so the restore half runs from remote bytes only.
+// files of srcBytes pack into 3 blobs. The index database is closed
+// before returning so the restore half runs from remote bytes only.
 func setupLocalityBackup(
 	ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, fs afero.Fs,
-	dataDir, storeDir, dbPath string,
+	dataDir, storeDir, dbPath string, srcBytes int64,
 ) (*config.Config, *storage.FileStorer, string) {
 	t.Helper()
 
-	// chunkSize avg = 4 MiB makes minSize = 1 MiB, so a 1 MiB file
-	// becomes one chunk. maxBlobSize = 5 MiB packs exactly 5 chunks
-	// per blob, yielding 3 blobs from 15 source files.
-	chunkSize := int64(4 * 1024 * 1024)
-	maxBlobSize := int64(5 * 1024 * 1024)
+	// An average chunk size of four times srcBytes makes the minimum
+	// chunk srcBytes, so each source file becomes one chunk. A blob limit
+	// of five times srcBytes packs exactly 5 chunks per blob, yielding 3
+	// blobs from 15 source files.
+	chunkSize := 4 * srcBytes
+	maxBlobSize := 5 * srcBytes
 
 	storer, err := storage.NewFileStorer(storeDir)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -208,7 +212,7 @@ func TestRestoreLocalityAndReadAt(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx := context.Background()
 
 	cfg, storer, snapshotID := setupLocalityBackup(
-		ctx, t, fs, dataDir, storeDir, dbPath)
+		ctx, t, fs, dataDir, storeDir, dbPath, localitySourceBytes)
 
 	// Wrap the storer so we can count downloads per blob key.
 	counter := newCountingStorer(storer)

internal/vaultik/restore_plan.go

@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ var (
 //     with no further downloads.
 //   - blobFiles: for each blob, the set of pending files referencing
 //     it. Used to short-circuit "when this blob lands, which files
-//     become ready" without a global scan.
+//     become ready" without a global scan, and by the sweeper to tell
+//     whether a cached blob is still needed.
 type restorePlan struct {
 	fileBlobs map[types.FileID]map[string]struct{}
 	blobFiles map[string]map[types.FileID]struct{}
@@ -237,6 +238,12 @@ func (p *restorePlan) filesReferencingBlob(blobHash string) []types.FileID {
 	return out
 }
 
+// pendingFileUsesBlob reports whether any pending file references the
+// named blob, whether or not the blob is cached.
+func (p *restorePlan) pendingFileUsesBlob(blobHash string) bool {
+	return len(p.blobFiles[blobHash]) > 0
+}
+
 // hasPending reports whether any unfinished files remain.
 func (p *restorePlan) hasPending() bool {
 	return len(p.fileBlobs) > 0

internal/vaultik/restore_plan_test.go

@@ -63,15 +63,6 @@ func TestRunRestoreLoopFailsOnAbandonedFiles(t *testing.T) {
 
 	t.Cleanup(func() { _ = cache.Close() })
 
-	v := &Vaultik{ctx: ctx}
-	session := &restoreSession{
-		v:       v,
-		ctx:     ctx,
-		repos:   repos,
-		sweeper: newRestoreSweeper(ctx, repos, cache, 1),
-		result:  &RestoreResult{},
-	}
-
 	// A file that is still pending but whose uncached-blob set is empty
 	// and which was never queued as ready: the loop can neither restore
 	// nor download it. This is the abandonment the guard must catch.
@@ -83,6 +74,15 @@ func TestRunRestoreLoopFailsOnAbandonedFiles(t *testing.T) {
 		cached:    map[string]struct{}{},
 	}
 
+	v := &Vaultik{ctx: ctx}
+	session := &restoreSession{
+		v:       v,
+		ctx:     ctx,
+		repos:   repos,
+		sweeper: newRestoreSweeper(plan, cache, 1),
+		result:  &RestoreResult{},
+	}
+
 	err = v.runRestoreLoop(session, plan, map[types.FileID]*database.File{}, 0)
 	require.ErrorIs(t, err, errRestoreIncomplete)
 }

internal/vaultik/restore_sweeper.go

@@ -1,46 +1,30 @@
 package vaultik
 
-import (
-	"context"
-	"fmt"
-
-	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/database"
-	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/log"
-)
-
-// restoreSweeper frees cached blobs once all files that reference any of
-// their chunks have been restored. It works as follows:
+// restoreSweeper frees cached blobs once no file still to be restored in
+// this run needs them. It works as follows:
 //
-//  1. Callers add a file's ID to an in-memory restored set via
-//     fileRestored once the file is fully written to disk.
-//  2. After each chunk is restored, chunkRestored accumulates a running
+//  1. After each chunk is restored, chunkRestored accumulates a running
 //     byte count.
-//  3. When the accumulator crosses a threshold (one hundredth of the
+//  2. When the accumulator crosses a threshold (one hundredth of the
 //     configured blob size — so a sweep runs about a hundred times per
 //     blob's worth of restored bytes), the sweeper iterates every key in
-//     the cache. For each cached blob it asks the DB which files
-//     reference any chunk in that blob, then compares that list against
-//     the in-memory restored set. If any referencing file is missing
-//     from the set the blob is kept; otherwise the cache entry is
-//     deleted.
+//     the cache and deletes each blob that the restore plan no longer
+//     needs.
 //
-// All DB reads happen against the snapshot's temporary metadata DB,
-// which is local, indexed, and not under contention — the queries are
-// cheap and run at most once per blob per sweep interval.
+// The plan drops a file once it is restored or has failed, and holds
+// only the files this run restores, so files outside the requested paths
+// never keep a blob.
 type restoreSweeper struct {
-	ctx        context.Context //nolint:containedctx // ctx bound at construction by design
-	repos      *database.Repositories
+	plan       *restorePlan
 	cache      *blobDiskCache
 	threshold  int64
 	bytesAccum int64
-	restored   map[string]struct{}
 }
 
 // newRestoreSweeper returns a sweeper that triggers eviction every
 // `threshold` bytes restored. Callers should pass blob_size_limit/100.
 func newRestoreSweeper(
-	ctx context.Context,
-	repos *database.Repositories,
+	plan *restorePlan,
 	cache *blobDiskCache,
 	threshold int64,
 ) *restoreSweeper {
@@ -49,21 +33,12 @@ func newRestoreSweeper(
 	}
 
 	return &restoreSweeper{
-		ctx:       ctx,
-		repos:     repos,
+		plan:      plan,
 		cache:     cache,
 		threshold: threshold,
-		restored:  make(map[string]struct{}),
 	}
 }
 
-// fileRestored records a file as fully restored. After this call, any
-// blob whose only remaining references come from files in the restored
-// set may be evicted on the next sweep.
-func (s *restoreSweeper) fileRestored(fileID string) {
-	s.restored[fileID] = struct{}{}
-}
-
 // chunkRestored accounts n bytes against the sweep threshold and runs a
 // sweep if the threshold has been crossed since the last sweep.
 func (s *restoreSweeper) chunkRestored(n int64) {
@@ -76,60 +51,11 @@ func (s *restoreSweeper) chunkRestored(n int64) {
 	s.sweep()
 }
 
-// sweep deletes any cached blob whose chunks are no longer referenced
-// by an unrestored file. Per-blob DB failures are logged and the blob
-// is kept — we'd rather hold a blob longer than risk a re-download.
+// sweep deletes every cached blob that no pending file references.
 func (s *restoreSweeper) sweep() {
 	for _, blobHash := range s.cache.Keys() {
-		needed, err := s.blobStillNeeded(blobHash)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Debug("sweeper referencing-files query failed",
-				"blob_hash", blobHash[:16], "error", err)
-
-			continue
-		}
-
-		if !needed {
+		if !s.plan.pendingFileUsesBlob(blobHash) {
 			s.cache.Delete(blobHash)
 		}
 	}
 }
-
-// blobStillNeeded returns true if any file that references a chunk in
-// this blob has not yet been restored. On any error the function
-// returns true — keeping the blob is always the safe answer because we
-// can't prove we're done with it.
-func (s *restoreSweeper) blobStillNeeded(blobHash string) (bool, error) {
-	rows, err := s.repos.DB().Conn().QueryContext(s.ctx, `
-		SELECT DISTINCT fc.file_id
-		FROM file_chunks fc
-		JOIN blob_chunks bc ON bc.chunk_hash = fc.chunk_hash
-		JOIN blobs b ON b.id = bc.blob_id
-		WHERE b.blob_hash = ?
-	`, blobHash)
-	if err != nil {
-		return true, fmt.Errorf("querying referencing files: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	defer func() { _ = rows.Close() }()
-
-	for rows.Next() {
-		var fileID string
-
-		err := rows.Scan(&fileID)
-		if err != nil {
-			return true, fmt.Errorf("scanning file_id: %w", err)
-		}
-
-		if _, ok := s.restored[fileID]; !ok {
-			return true, nil
-		}
-	}
-
-	err = rows.Err()
-	if err != nil {
-		return true, err
-	}
-
-	return false, nil
-}

internal/vaultik/restore_sweeper_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,163 @@
+package vaultik //nolint:testpackage // reads the restore blob cache's peak size
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/spf13/afero"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/config"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/log"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/storage"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/ui"
+)
+
+// TestRestoreFreesBlobsNoPendingFileNeeds asserts that the restore cache
+// frees a blob once no file still to be restored in this run needs it.
+// Every original file has a copy with the same content, so every blob
+// holds chunks of copies: a restore that leaves the copies out of its
+// paths, or fails on them, must not keep the blobs for them.
+func TestRestoreFreesBlobsNoPendingFileNeeds(t *testing.T) {
+	log.Initialize(log.Config{})
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	// Small files keep the backup and both restores quick.
+	const fileBytes = 16 * 1024
+
+	fs := afero.NewOsFs()
+	tempDir := t.TempDir()
+
+	dataDir := filepath.Join(tempDir, "source")
+	originalsDir := filepath.Join(dataDir, "originals")
+	copiesDir := filepath.Join(dataDir, "copies")
+	storeDir := filepath.Join(tempDir, "remote")
+	dbPath := filepath.Join(tempDir, "index.sqlite")
+
+	originals := writeFilesWithCopies(t, fs, originalsDir, copiesDir, fileBytes)
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	cfg, storer, snapshotID := setupLocalityBackup(
+		ctx, t, fs, dataDir, storeDir, dbPath, fileBytes)
+
+	t.Run("restore by path", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+
+		restoreDir := filepath.Join(tempDir, "by-path")
+
+		peak, err := restorePeakCachedBlobs(ctx, t, fs, cfg, storer,
+			&RestoreOptions{
+				SnapshotID: snapshotID,
+				TargetDir:  restoreDir,
+				Paths:      []string{originalsDir},
+			})
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		requireRestoredFiles(t, fs, restoreDir, originals)
+		assert.LessOrEqualf(t, peak, 1,
+			"peak cached blobs was %d; blobs were kept for unselected files",
+			peak)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("restore with failed files", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+
+		restoreDir := filepath.Join(tempDir, "with-failures")
+
+		// A regular file where the copies directory belongs makes every
+		// copy fail to restore.
+		blocker := filepath.Join(restoreDir, copiesDir)
+		require.NoError(t, fs.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(blocker), 0o755))
+		require.NoError(t, afero.WriteFile(fs, blocker, nil, 0o644))
+
+		peak, err := restorePeakCachedBlobs(ctx, t, fs, cfg, storer,
+			&RestoreOptions{
+				SnapshotID: snapshotID,
+				TargetDir:  restoreDir,
+				SkipErrors: true,
+			})
+		require.ErrorIs(t, err, errFilesFailedRestore)
+
+		requireRestoredFiles(t, fs, restoreDir, originals)
+		assert.LessOrEqualf(t, peak, 1,
+			"peak cached blobs was %d; blobs were kept for failed files", peak)
+	})
+}
+
+// writeFilesWithCopies writes 15 random files of fileBytes into
+// originalsDir and a copy of each into copiesDir. With
+// setupLocalityBackup given the same size, each file is one chunk and the
+// 15 chunks fill 3 blobs. Returns the originals' content by path.
+func writeFilesWithCopies(
+	t *testing.T, fs afero.Fs, originalsDir, copiesDir string, fileBytes int,
+) map[string][]byte {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	const fileCount = 15
+
+	require.NoError(t, fs.MkdirAll(originalsDir, 0o755))
+	require.NoError(t, fs.MkdirAll(copiesDir, 0o755))
+
+	originals := make(map[string][]byte, fileCount)
+
+	for i := range fileCount {
+		name := fmt.Sprintf("file-%02d.bin", i)
+		data := randomBytes(t, fileBytes)
+		original := filepath.Join(originalsDir, name)
+		originals[original] = data
+
+		require.NoError(t, afero.WriteFile(fs, original, data, 0o644))
+		require.NoError(t, afero.WriteFile(
+			fs, filepath.Join(copiesDir, name), data, 0o644))
+	}
+
+	return originals
+}
+
+// requireRestoredFiles requires every file in want to have been restored
+// under restoreDir with its content intact.
+func requireRestoredFiles(
+	t *testing.T, fs afero.Fs, restoreDir string, want map[string][]byte,
+) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	for path, data := range want {
+		got, err := afero.ReadFile(fs, filepath.Join(restoreDir, path))
+		require.NoErrorf(t, err, "file missing after restore: %s", path)
+		require.Equalf(t, data, got, "byte mismatch for %s", path)
+	}
+}
+
+// restorePeakCachedBlobs runs a restore and returns the most blobs its
+// cache held at once, together with the restore's error.
+func restorePeakCachedBlobs(
+	ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, fs afero.Fs,
+	cfg *config.Config, storer storage.Storer, opts *RestoreOptions,
+) (int, error) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	var cache *blobDiskCache
+
+	v := &Vaultik{
+		Config:  cfg,
+		Storage: storer,
+		Fs:      fs,
+		Stdout:  io.Discard,
+		Stderr:  io.Discard,
+		UI:      ui.NewWithColor(io.Discard, false),
+		restoreCacheObserver: func(c *blobDiskCache) {
+			cache = c
+		},
+	}
+	v.SetContext(ctx)
+
+	err := v.Restore(opts)
+
+	require.NotNil(t, cache, "restoreCacheObserver must fire during restore")
+
+	return cache.PeakLen(), err
+}

internal/vaultik/restore_unmatched_path_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,202 @@
+package vaultik_test
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"context"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/spf13/afero"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/config"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/database"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/log"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/storage"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/storage/faultstore"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/ui"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/vaultik"
+)
+
+// These tests cover https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/vaultik/issues/309: a path
+// given to restore that matches nothing in the snapshot is named in a
+// warning and makes the restore fail, after the paths that do match are
+// restored.
+
+func TestRestoreNamesUnmatchedPathAndRestoresTheMatchingOne(t *testing.T) {
+	log.Initialize(log.Config{})
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	fs := afero.NewOsFs()
+	tempDir := t.TempDir()
+	dataDir := filepath.Join(tempDir, "src")
+	storeDir := filepath.Join(tempDir, "remote")
+	restoreDir := filepath.Join(tempDir, "restored")
+	dbPath := filepath.Join(tempDir, "index.sqlite")
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	cfg := faultTestConfig()
+	files := writeFaultSourceTree(t, fs, dataDir)
+
+	store, err := storage.NewFileStorer(storeDir)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	db, err := database.New(ctx, dbPath)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	id := fullFaultBackup(ctx, t, fs, store, cfg,
+		database.NewRepositories(db), dataDir, dbPath, "unmatched")
+	require.NoError(t, db.Close())
+
+	matched := filepath.Join(dataDir, "small.txt")
+	unmatched := filepath.Join(dataDir, "typo.txt")
+
+	var out bytes.Buffer
+
+	v := newReaderVaultik(ctx, cfg, store, nil, fs)
+	v.UI = ui.NewWithColor(&out, false)
+
+	err = v.Restore(&vaultik.RestoreOptions{
+		SnapshotID: id,
+		TargetDir:  restoreDir,
+		Paths:      []string{matched, unmatched},
+	})
+
+	require.Error(t, err, "a path that matches nothing must fail the restore")
+	assert.Contains(t, out.String(), unmatched,
+		"the path that matches nothing must be named")
+	assert.NotContains(t, out.String(), matched,
+		"the path that matches must not be reported")
+
+	got, err := afero.ReadFile(fs, filepath.Join(restoreDir, matched))
+	require.NoError(t, err, "the path that matches must still be restored")
+	assert.Equal(t, files[matched], got)
+}
+
+// When no requested path matches, nothing is restored and each path is
+// named. One path is relative. The other goes through the symlink that
+// is the snapshot's configured path, while the entries are stored under
+// the directory the symlink points to.
+func TestRestoreNamesEveryPathWhenNothingMatches(t *testing.T) {
+	log.Initialize(log.Config{})
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	const snapshotName = "linked"
+
+	fs := afero.NewOsFs()
+	tempDir := t.TempDir()
+	dataDir := filepath.Join(tempDir, "src")
+	linkDir := filepath.Join(tempDir, "srclink")
+	storeDir := filepath.Join(tempDir, "remote")
+	restoreDir := filepath.Join(tempDir, "restored")
+	dbPath := filepath.Join(tempDir, "index.sqlite")
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	writeFaultSourceTree(t, fs, dataDir)
+	require.NoError(t, os.Symlink(dataDir, linkDir))
+
+	cfg := faultTestConfig()
+	cfg.IndexPath = dbPath
+	cfg.ChunkSize = config.Size(faultChunkSize)
+	cfg.Snapshots = map[string]config.SnapshotConfig{
+		snapshotName: {Paths: []string{linkDir}},
+	}
+
+	store, err := storage.NewFileStorer(storeDir)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	db, err := database.New(ctx, dbPath)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	repos := database.NewRepositories(db)
+	v := newBackupVaultik(ctx, cfg, store, repos, db, fs)
+
+	require.NoError(t, backUp(v, snapshotName))
+
+	id := localSnapshotID(ctx, t, repos, snapshotName)
+	require.NoError(t, db.Close())
+
+	throughLink := filepath.Join(linkDir, "sub")
+	relative := strings.TrimPrefix(filepath.Join(dataDir, "small.txt"), "/")
+
+	var out bytes.Buffer
+
+	reader := newReaderVaultik(ctx, cfg, store, nil, fs)
+	reader.UI = ui.NewWithColor(&out, false)
+
+	err = reader.Restore(&vaultik.RestoreOptions{
+		SnapshotID: id,
+		TargetDir:  restoreDir,
+		Paths:      []string{throughLink, relative},
+	})
+
+	require.Error(t, err, "a restore that matches nothing must fail")
+	assert.Contains(t, out.String(), throughLink,
+		"the path through the symlink must be named")
+	assert.Contains(t, out.String(), relative,
+		"the relative path must be named")
+
+	_, err = fs.Stat(restoreDir)
+	assert.True(t, os.IsNotExist(err), "nothing must be restored")
+}
+
+// Without --skip-errors a damaged blob stops the restore part way. The
+// path that matches nothing must still be named.
+func TestRestoreNamesUnmatchedPathWhenADamagedBlobStopsIt(t *testing.T) {
+	log.Initialize(log.Config{})
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	fs := afero.NewOsFs()
+	tempDir := t.TempDir()
+	dataDir := filepath.Join(tempDir, "src")
+	storeDir := filepath.Join(tempDir, "remote")
+	restoreDir := filepath.Join(tempDir, "restored")
+	dbPath := filepath.Join(tempDir, "index.sqlite")
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	cfg := faultTestConfig()
+
+	writeFaultSourceTree(t, fs, dataDir)
+
+	inner, err := storage.NewFileStorer(storeDir)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	db, err := database.New(ctx, dbPath)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	id := fullFaultBackup(ctx, t, fs, inner, cfg,
+		database.NewRepositories(db), dataDir, dbPath, "damaged")
+	require.NoError(t, db.Close())
+
+	damaged := faultstore.New(inner)
+	damaged.OnGet = func(key string) faultstore.GetFault {
+		if strings.HasPrefix(key, "blobs/") {
+			return faultstore.GetCorrupt
+		}
+
+		return faultstore.GetNormal
+	}
+
+	matched := filepath.Join(dataDir, "small.txt")
+	unmatched := filepath.Join(dataDir, "typo.txt")
+
+	var out bytes.Buffer
+
+	v := newReaderVaultik(ctx, cfg, damaged, nil, fs)
+	v.UI = ui.NewWithColor(&out, false)
+
+	err = v.Restore(&vaultik.RestoreOptions{
+		SnapshotID: id,
+		TargetDir:  restoreDir,
+		Paths:      []string{matched, unmatched},
+	})
+
+	require.Error(t, err, "a damaged blob must stop the restore")
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "blob",
+		"the restore must stop on the damaged blob")
+	assert.Contains(t, out.String(), unmatched,
+		"the path that matches nothing must be named")
+}

internal/vaultik/snapshot.go

@@ -574,7 +574,7 @@ func (v *Vaultik) PurgeSnapshotsWithOptions(opts *SnapshotPurgeOptions) error {
 
 	if len(toDelete) == 0 {
 		if !opts.Quiet {
-			v.printlnStdout("No snapshots to delete")
+			v.UI.Infof("No snapshots to delete.")
 		}
 
 		return nil
@@ -631,19 +631,19 @@ func selectSnapshotsToPurge(
 func (v *Vaultik) confirmAndExecutePurge(
 	toDelete []SnapshotInfo, force, quiet bool,
 ) error {
-	if !quiet {
+	// Confirm unless --force is used. The list, the prompt and its answer
+	// bypass the UI: they are an interactive exchange the operator must
+	// see, so --quiet does not silence them.
+	if !force {
 		v.stdoutf("The following snapshots will be deleted:\n\n")
 
 		for _, snap := range toDelete {
 			v.stdoutf("  %s (%s, %s)\n",
 				snap.ID,
-				snap.Timestamp.Format("2006-01-02 15:04:05"),
+				snap.Timestamp.Format(time.DateTime),
 				ubytes(snap.CompressedSize))
 		}
-	}
 
-	// Confirm unless --force is used
-	if !force {
 		v.stdoutf("\nDelete %d snapshot(s)? [y/N] ", len(toDelete))
 
 		var confirm string
@@ -661,7 +661,16 @@ func (v *Vaultik) confirmAndExecutePurge(
 			return nil
 		}
 	} else if !quiet {
-		v.stdoutf("\nDeleting %d snapshot(s) (--force specified)\n", len(toDelete))
+		v.UI.Infof("The following snapshots will be deleted:")
+
+		for _, snap := range toDelete {
+			v.UI.Detailf("%s (%s, %s)",
+				v.UI.Snapshot(snap.ID.String()),
+				snap.Timestamp.Format(time.DateTime),
+				ubytes(snap.CompressedSize))
+		}
+
+		v.UI.Infof("Deleting %d snapshot(s) (--force specified).", len(toDelete))
 	}
 
 	// Delete snapshots (both local and remote)
@@ -669,10 +678,11 @@ func (v *Vaultik) confirmAndExecutePurge(
 		snapshotID := snap.ID.String()
 		log.Info("Deleting snapshot", "id", snapshotID)
 
+		// Stop before the remote delete, so a snapshot still in the local
+		// index keeps its metadata on the destination store.
 		err := v.deleteSnapshotFromLocalDB(snapshotID)
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Error("Failed to delete from local database",
-				"snapshot_id", snapshotID, "error", err)
+			return fmt.Errorf("deleting snapshot %s from local index: %w", snapshotID, err)
 		}
 
 		_, err = v.deleteRemoteSnapshotByKey(snapshot.RemoteSnapshotKey(snapshotID))
@@ -693,9 +703,9 @@ func (v *Vaultik) confirmAndExecutePurge(
 	}
 
 	if !quiet {
-		v.stdoutf("Deleted %d snapshot(s)\n", len(toDelete))
-		v.printlnStdout(
-			"\nNote: Run 'vaultik prune' to clean up unreferenced remote blobs.")
+		v.UI.Infof("Deleted %d snapshot(s).", len(toDelete))
+		v.UI.Noticef("Run '%s' to clean up unreferenced remote blobs.",
+			pruneCommandHint)
 	}
 
 	return nil
@@ -1068,7 +1078,7 @@ func (v *Vaultik) CleanupLocalSnapshots(opts *PruneOptions) error {
 			log.Info("Removing stale local snapshot record", "snapshot_id", id)
 
 			if !opts.JSON {
-				v.stdoutf("Removing stale local record: %s\n", id)
+				v.UI.Infof("Removing stale local record: %s.", v.UI.Snapshot(id))
 			}
 
 			err = v.deleteSnapshotFromLocalDB(id)
@@ -1091,9 +1101,9 @@ func (v *Vaultik) CleanupLocalSnapshots(opts *PruneOptions) error {
 	}
 
 	if removed == 0 {
-		v.printlnStdout("No stale local snapshots found.")
+		v.UI.Infof("No stale local snapshots found.")
 	} else {
-		v.stdoutf("Removed %d stale local snapshot record(s).\n", removed)
+		v.UI.Infof("Removed %d stale local snapshot record(s).", removed)
 	}
 
 	return nil
@@ -1218,9 +1228,11 @@ const snapshotRemoveCommandHint = "vaultik snapshot remove"
 // destination store. Blobs are NOT touched: removing a snapshot's
 // blobs requires reading every remaining remote manifest (the remote
 // may hold snapshots this host doesn't know about), which is what
-// `vaultik prune` is for — the command prints the prune invocation to
-// run as a follow-up. When the remote is unreachable the command still
-// completes the local-DB removal and warns.
+// `vaultik prune` is for — when metadata was removed from the
+// destination store, the text output names the prune invocation to run
+// as a follow-up. When removing the metadata fails, a snapshot in the
+// local index is still removed from it, with a warning; a snapshot
+// only on the destination store is an error.
 func (v *Vaultik) RemoveSnapshot(
 	snapshotID string, opts *RemoveOptions,
 ) (*RemoveResult, error) {
@@ -1255,8 +1267,10 @@ func (v *Vaultik) RemoveSnapshot(
 		}
 	}
 
-	if !opts.LocalOnly {
-		result.RemoteRemoved = v.removeSnapshotRemote(snapshotID, opts)
+	result.RemoteRemoved, err = v.removeSnapshotRemote(
+		snapshotID, inLocalIndex, opts)
+	if err != nil {
+		return result, err
 	}
 
 	if v.SnapshotManager != nil {
@@ -1272,14 +1286,15 @@ func (v *Vaultik) RemoveSnapshot(
 	}
 
 	if inLocalIndex {
-		v.stdoutf("Removed snapshot '%s' from local database\n", snapshotID)
+		v.UI.Infof("Removed snapshot '%s' from local database.",
+			v.UI.Snapshot(snapshotID))
 	}
 
 	if result.RemoteRemoved {
-		v.printlnStdout("Removed snapshot metadata from remote storage")
-		v.stdoutf("\nNote: The removed snapshot's blobs remain on the remote. "+
+		v.UI.Infof("Removed snapshot metadata from remote storage.")
+		v.UI.Noticef("The removed snapshot's blobs remain on the remote. "+
 			"Run '%s' to delete any blobs no longer referenced by any "+
-			"remaining remote snapshot.\n", pruneCommandHint)
+			"remaining remote snapshot.", pruneCommandHint)
 	}
 
 	return result, nil
@@ -1335,21 +1350,23 @@ func (v *Vaultik) removeSnapshotDryRun(
 		return result, v.outputRemoveJSON(result)
 	}
 
-	v.stdoutf("Would remove snapshot: %s\n", snapshotID)
+	v.UI.Infof("Would remove snapshot: %s.", v.UI.Snapshot(snapshotID))
 
 	if !opts.LocalOnly {
-		v.printlnStdout("Would also remove snapshot metadata from " +
-			"remote storage (blobs untouched)")
+		v.UI.Infof("Would also remove snapshot metadata from " +
+			"remote storage (blobs untouched).")
 	}
 
-	v.printlnStdout("[Dry run - no changes made]")
+	v.UI.Noticef("Dry run: no changes made.")
 
 	return result, nil
 }
 
 // confirmRemoveSnapshot prompts for confirmation before removing a
 // snapshot. Returns false (treating EOF/read errors as "no") unless the
-// user answers "y".
+// user answers "y". The prompt and its answer bypass the UI: they are an
+// interactive exchange the operator must see, so --quiet does not
+// silence them.
 func (v *Vaultik) confirmRemoveSnapshot(snapshotID string, opts *RemoveOptions) bool {
 	if opts.LocalOnly {
 		v.stdoutf("Remove snapshot '%s' from local database "+
@@ -1378,19 +1395,33 @@ func (v *Vaultik) confirmRemoveSnapshot(snapshotID string, opts *RemoveOptions)
 }
 
 // removeSnapshotRemote strips the snapshot's metadata from the
-// destination store, warning and proceeding on failure: the local-DB
-// removal has already happened, so the user is told the remote half
-// didn't finish and to run `vaultik snapshot remove` for the snapshot
-// again once the destination store is reachable (`vaultik prune` never
-// removes snapshot metadata). Returns true when the remote removal
-// succeeded and deleted something.
-func (v *Vaultik) removeSnapshotRemote(snapshotID string, opts *RemoveOptions) bool {
+// destination store. It returns true only when the delete finished
+// without an error and removed at least one object; under LocalOnly it
+// does nothing. When the snapshot is only on the destination store, a
+// failure is returned as an error, because that removal is all the
+// command does. When the snapshot was in the local index, its removal
+// there has already happened, so a failure is only a warning telling the
+// user to run `vaultik snapshot remove` for the snapshot again once the
+// destination store is reachable (`vaultik prune` never removes snapshot
+// metadata).
+func (v *Vaultik) removeSnapshotRemote(
+	snapshotID string, inLocalIndex bool, opts *RemoveOptions,
+) (bool, error) {
+	if opts.LocalOnly {
+		return false, nil
+	}
+
 	log.Info("Removing snapshot metadata from remote storage",
 		"snapshot_id", snapshotID)
 
 	remoteKey := snapshot.RemoteSnapshotKey(snapshotID)
 
 	deleted, err := v.deleteRemoteSnapshotByKey(remoteKey)
+	if err != nil && !inLocalIndex {
+		return false, fmt.Errorf(
+			"removing snapshot metadata from destination store: %w", err)
+	}
+
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Warn("Could not remove snapshot metadata from remote storage; "+
 			"run '"+snapshotRemoveCommandHint+"' with the snapshot's ID "+
@@ -1405,10 +1436,10 @@ func (v *Vaultik) removeSnapshotRemote(snapshotID string, opts *RemoveOptions) b
 				err, snapshotRemoveCommandHint, snapshotID)
 		}
 
-		return false
+		return false, nil
 	}
 
-	return deleted > 0
+	return deleted > 0, nil
 }
 
 // RemoveAllSnapshots removes every snapshot known to the local
@@ -1455,7 +1486,7 @@ func (v *Vaultik) RemoveAllSnapshots(opts *RemoveOptions) (*RemoveResult, error)
 
 	if len(localSnaps) == 0 && len(orphanRemoteKeys) == 0 {
 		if !opts.JSON {
-			v.printlnStdout("No snapshots found")
+			v.UI.Infof("No snapshots found.")
 		}
 
 		return &RemoveResult{}, nil
@@ -1560,27 +1591,27 @@ func (v *Vaultik) handleRemoveAllDryRun(
 	}
 
 	if !opts.JSON {
-		v.stdoutf("Would remove %d local snapshot(s):\n", len(localSnaps))
+		v.UI.Infof("Would remove %d local snapshot(s):", len(localSnaps))
 
 		for _, id := range localSnaps {
-			v.stdoutf("  %s\n", id)
+			v.UI.Detailf("%s", v.UI.Snapshot(id))
 		}
 
 		if !opts.LocalOnly {
 			if len(orphanRemoteKeys) > 0 {
-				v.stdoutf("Would also remove %d orphan remote snapshot key(s):\n",
+				v.UI.Infof("Would also remove %d orphan remote snapshot key(s):",
 					len(orphanRemoteKeys))
 
 				for _, key := range orphanRemoteKeys {
-					v.stdoutf("  %s\n", key)
+					v.UI.Detailf("%s", key)
 				}
 			} else {
-				v.printlnStdout("Would also remove snapshot metadata from " +
-					"remote storage (blobs untouched)")
+				v.UI.Infof("Would also remove snapshot metadata from " +
+					"remote storage (blobs untouched).")
 			}
 		}
 
-		v.printlnStdout("[Dry run - no changes made]")
+		v.UI.Noticef("Dry run: no changes made.")
 	}
 
 	if opts.JSON {
@@ -1629,10 +1660,10 @@ func (v *Vaultik) executeRemoveAll(
 		return result, v.outputRemoveJSON(result)
 	}
 
-	v.stdoutf("Removed %d snapshot(s)\n", len(result.SnapshotsRemoved))
+	v.UI.Infof("Removed %d snapshot(s).", len(result.SnapshotsRemoved))
 
 	if !opts.LocalOnly && result.RemoteRemoved {
-		v.printlnStdout("Removed snapshot metadata from remote storage")
+		v.UI.Infof("Removed snapshot metadata from remote storage.")
 	}
 
 	return result, nil
@@ -1889,13 +1920,17 @@ func (v *Vaultik) PruneDatabase() (*PruneResult, error) {
 	snapshotsRemain := countDiff(snapshotCountBefore, &result.SnapshotsDeleted)
 
 	v.UI.Completef("Pruned local index database.")
-	v.UI.Detailf("Incomplete snapshots: %s removed (%s remain).",
+	v.UI.Detailf("Incomplete snapshots: %s removed "+
+		"(total snapshots left in the local index: %s).",
 		countText(&result.SnapshotsDeleted), countText(snapshotsRemain))
-	v.UI.Detailf("Orphaned files: %s removed (%s remain).",
+	v.UI.Detailf("Orphaned files: %s removed "+
+		"(total files left in the local index: %s).",
 		countText(result.FilesDeleted), countText(fileCountAfter))
-	v.UI.Detailf("Orphaned chunks: %s removed (%s remain).",
+	v.UI.Detailf("Orphaned chunks: %s removed "+
+		"(total chunks left in the local index: %s).",
 		countText(result.ChunksDeleted), countText(chunkCountAfter))
-	v.UI.Detailf("Orphaned blobs: %s removed (%s remain).",
+	v.UI.Detailf("Orphaned blobs: %s removed "+
+		"(total blobs left in the local index: %s).",
 		countText(result.BlobsDeleted), countText(blobCountAfter))
 
 	return result, nil

internal/vaultik/snapshot_list.go

@@ -61,7 +61,9 @@ const tabPadding = 3
 // attempt is made to recover or fabricate the human ID.
 //
 // Snapshots in the local index with no counterpart on the destination
-// store are reported as drift below the table.
+// store are reported as drift below the table, unless the local index
+// is bound to a different destination than the configured one: that is
+// reported instead.
 //
 // If remote listing fails (unmounted volume, permission denied,
 // network), we degrade to local-only with a warning. List never fails
@@ -103,7 +105,26 @@ func (v *Vaultik) ListSnapshots(jsonOutput bool) error {
 		return snapshots[i].Timestamp.After(snapshots[j].Timestamp)
 	})
 
+	stored, configured, err := v.storageBinding()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// A local index bound to another destination describes that one, so
+	// its records are expected to be missing here, and prune refuses to
+	// run. The binding is reported instead of advising prune.
+	boundElsewhere := stored != "" && stored != configured
+
 	if jsonOutput {
+		// stdout holds only the document, so this goes to the logger.
+		if boundElsewhere {
+			log.Warn("Local index is bound to a different backup "+
+				"destination; to proceed, revert storage_url (or the s3.* "+
+				"endpoint, bucket and prefix) to the bound destination, "+
+				"or run 'vaultik database delete'",
+				"bound_to", stored, "configured", configured)
+		}
+
 		if remoteErr == nil {
 			v.reportJSONListingLimits(listing)
 		}
@@ -125,8 +146,13 @@ func (v *Vaultik) ListSnapshots(jsonOutput bool) error {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if boundElsewhere {
+		v.UI.Warningf("%v\n%s", errStorageBindingMismatch,
+			buildBindingMismatchMessage(stored, configured))
+	}
+
 	if remoteErr == nil {
-		v.reportListDrift(snapshots, listing)
+		v.reportListDrift(snapshots, listing, boundElsewhere)
 	}
 
 	return nil
@@ -432,7 +458,9 @@ func (v *Vaultik) snapshotInfoFromLocal(ls *database.Snapshot) SnapshotInfo {
 // reportListDrift prints the reconciliation notes the merged table
 // cannot express on its own: local records with no counterpart on the
 // destination store, plus counts of remote snapshots that were
-// unreadable or omitted.
+// unreadable or omitted. Local records are not reported when
+// boundElsewhere is set: ListSnapshots has already said why they are
+// missing.
 //
 // This is what remains of the old reportRemoteDrift, and it no longer
 // touches the destination store. Its remote-only half collapsed into
@@ -441,6 +469,7 @@ func (v *Vaultik) snapshotInfoFromLocal(ls *database.Snapshot) SnapshotInfo {
 // so `snapshot list` lists the destination exactly once per invocation.
 func (v *Vaultik) reportListDrift(
 	snapshots []SnapshotInfo, listing *remoteSnapshotListing,
+	boundElsewhere bool,
 ) {
 	var localOnly []string
 
@@ -450,7 +479,7 @@ func (v *Vaultik) reportListDrift(
 		}
 	}
 
-	if len(localOnly) > 0 {
+	if len(localOnly) > 0 && !boundElsewhere {
 		v.UI.Warningf("%d local snapshot record(s) not found in backup "+
 			"destination store:", len(localOnly))
 

internal/vaultik/snapshot_list_test.go

@@ -421,6 +421,74 @@ func TestListSnapshots_LocalOnlyReportedAsDrift(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NotContains(t, out, "snapshot cleanup")
 }
 
+// TestListSnapshots_BoundElsewhereDoesNotAdvisePrune covers a changed
+// storage_url: the local index is still bound to the old destination,
+// so its records are missing from the new one. prune refuses to run in
+// that state, so the listing must give the choices prune gives instead
+// of advising it.
+func TestListSnapshots_BoundElsewhereDoesNotAdvisePrune(t *testing.T) {
+	log.Initialize(log.Config{})
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	const (
+		oldURL = "file:///mnt/backups/old"
+		newURL = "file:///mnt/backups/new"
+	)
+
+	env := newListEnv(t)
+	env.v.Config.StorageURL = newURL
+	require.NoError(t, env.v.Repositories.LocalMeta.Set(context.Background(),
+		database.LocalMetaKeyStorageURL, oldURL))
+	env.addLocal(t, listLocalID, time.Date(2026, 3, 1, 10, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC))
+
+	err := env.v.ListSnapshots(false)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	out := env.stdout.String()
+
+	assert.Contains(t, out, listLocalID)
+	assert.Contains(t, out,
+		"local index is bound to a different backup destination")
+	assert.Contains(t, out, oldURL)
+	assert.Contains(t, out, newURL)
+	assert.Contains(t, out, "revert storage_url")
+	assert.Contains(t, out, "vaultik database delete")
+	assert.NotContains(t, out, "vaultik prune")
+}
+
+// TestListSnapshots_JSONReportsBoundElsewhere is the --json side of the
+// test above. Every local row comes out with remote_present false, which
+// a script reads as stale local records unless it is told, on stderr,
+// that the local index is bound to a different destination.
+//
+//nolint:paralleltest // captureProcessStderr replaces os.Stderr
+func TestListSnapshots_JSONReportsBoundElsewhere(t *testing.T) {
+	const (
+		oldURL = "file:///mnt/backups/old"
+		newURL = "file:///mnt/backups/new"
+	)
+
+	env := newListEnv(t)
+	env.v.Config.StorageURL = newURL
+	require.NoError(t, env.v.Repositories.LocalMeta.Set(context.Background(),
+		database.LocalMetaKeyStorageURL, oldURL))
+	env.addLocal(t, listLocalID, time.Date(2026, 3, 1, 10, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC))
+
+	stderr := captureProcessStderr(t, func() {
+		require.NoError(t, env.v.ListSnapshots(true))
+	})
+
+	rows := decodeListJSON(t, env.stdout.String())
+	require.Len(t, rows, 1)
+	assert.Equal(t, listLocalID, rows[0].ID)
+
+	assert.Contains(t, stderr, "bound to a different backup destination")
+	assert.Contains(t, stderr, oldURL)
+	assert.Contains(t, stderr, newURL)
+	assert.Contains(t, stderr, "revert storage_url")
+	assert.Contains(t, stderr, "vaultik database delete")
+}
+
 // TestListSnapshots_UnreachableRemoteDegrades covers the promise in the
 // doc comment: an unreachable destination is a warning plus local-only
 // output, never a failure.

internal/vaultik/storage_bind.go

@@ -45,17 +45,9 @@ func (v *Vaultik) EnsureStorageBinding() error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	configured := v.Config.StorageURL
-	if configured == "" {
-		// The s3.* form: bind on its endpoint, bucket and prefix,
-		// written the way storage_url would name the same destination.
-		s3 := v.Config.S3
-		configured = "s3://" + s3.Bucket + "/" + s3.Prefix + "?endpoint=" + s3.Endpoint
-	}
-
-	stored, err := v.Repositories.LocalMeta.Get(v.ctx, database.LocalMetaKeyStorageURL)
+	stored, configured, err := v.storageBinding()
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("reading local storage binding: %w", err)
+		return err
 	}
 
 	if stored == "" {
@@ -78,6 +70,27 @@ func (v *Vaultik) EnsureStorageBinding() error {
 		errStorageBindingMismatch, buildBindingMismatchMessage(stored, configured))
 }
 
+// storageBinding returns the destination the local index is bound to
+// ("" when no binding is recorded yet), then the configured destination
+// written the same way. It records nothing, so a read-only command can
+// call it.
+func (v *Vaultik) storageBinding() (string, string, error) {
+	configured := v.Config.StorageURL
+	if configured == "" {
+		// The s3.* form: bind on its endpoint, bucket and prefix,
+		// written the way storage_url would name the same destination.
+		s3 := v.Config.S3
+		configured = "s3://" + s3.Bucket + "/" + s3.Prefix + "?endpoint=" + s3.Endpoint
+	}
+
+	stored, err := v.Repositories.LocalMeta.Get(v.ctx, database.LocalMetaKeyStorageURL)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("reading local storage binding: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return stored, configured, nil
+}
+
 // buildBindingMismatchMessage assembles the multi-line explanation
 // shown when the local index is bound to a different destination than
 // the currently-configured one (the first line lives in the

internal/vaultik/symlinked_destination_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,147 @@
+package vaultik_test
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"io/fs"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/log"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/vaultik"
+)
+
+// TestPruneDeletesNothingThroughSymlinkedDirectory checks that prune keeps
+// every blob and the local snapshot record when the metadata/ or blobs/
+// directory of a file:// destination is a symlink to a directory elsewhere
+// (https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/vaultik/issues/296). A backup writes through
+// such a link, so prune has to list through it too.
+func TestPruneDeletesNothingThroughSymlinkedDirectory(t *testing.T) {
+	log.Initialize(log.Config{})
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	for _, dir := range []string{"metadata", "blobs"} {
+		t.Run(dir, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			ctx := context.Background()
+			storeDir := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "store")
+			v, repos, _ := backUpToFileDestination(ctx, t, storeDir)
+			blobFiles := blobFilesIn(t, storeDir)
+			moveBehindSymlink(t, storeDir, dir)
+
+			require.NoError(t, v.Prune(&vaultik.PruneOptions{Force: true}))
+
+			// When blobs/ is the link, these paths run through it.
+			for _, blobFile := range blobFiles {
+				assert.FileExists(t, blobFile, "prune must delete no blob")
+			}
+
+			snapshots, err := repos.Snapshots.ListRecent(ctx, listRecentTestLimit)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			assert.Len(t, snapshots, 1, "prune must delete no local snapshot record")
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestPruneFailsOnSymlinkedDirectoryWithMissingTarget checks that prune
+// fails, deleting no blob and keeping the local snapshot record, when the
+// metadata/ or blobs/ directory of a file:// destination is a symlink
+// whose target is missing, as a link to a volume that is not mounted is.
+func TestPruneFailsOnSymlinkedDirectoryWithMissingTarget(t *testing.T) {
+	log.Initialize(log.Config{})
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	for _, dir := range []string{"metadata", "blobs"} {
+		t.Run(dir, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			ctx := context.Background()
+			storeDir := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "store")
+			v, repos, _ := backUpToFileDestination(ctx, t, storeDir)
+			blobFiles := blobFilesIn(t, storeDir)
+			targetPath := moveBehindSymlink(t, storeDir, dir)
+
+			// Unmount the volume the link points to, and mount it again
+			// once prune has run.
+			unmountedPath := targetPath + "-unmounted"
+			require.NoError(t, os.Rename(targetPath, unmountedPath))
+
+			err := v.Prune(&vaultik.PruneOptions{Force: true})
+			require.ErrorIs(t, err, fs.ErrNotExist)
+
+			require.NoError(t, os.Rename(unmountedPath, targetPath))
+
+			// When blobs/ is the link, these paths run through it.
+			for _, blobFile := range blobFiles {
+				assert.FileExists(t, blobFile, "prune must delete no blob")
+			}
+
+			snapshots, err := repos.Snapshots.ListRecent(ctx, listRecentTestLimit)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			assert.Len(t, snapshots, 1, "prune must delete no local snapshot record")
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestRemoveSnapshotWarnsOnSymlinkedMetadataWithMissingTarget checks that
+// snapshot remove warns that the metadata could not be removed from the
+// destination when metadata/ is a symlink whose target is missing, as it
+// does when the destination directory is missing, instead of finding no
+// metadata to remove.
+func TestRemoveSnapshotWarnsOnSymlinkedMetadataWithMissingTarget(t *testing.T) {
+	log.Initialize(log.Config{})
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	storeDir := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "store")
+	v, repos, out := backUpToFileDestination(ctx, t, storeDir)
+	targetPath := moveBehindSymlink(t, storeDir, "metadata")
+	require.NoError(t, os.Rename(targetPath, targetPath+"-unmounted"))
+
+	result, err := v.RemoveSnapshot(localSnapshotID(ctx, t, repos, "first"),
+		&vaultik.RemoveOptions{Force: true})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	assert.False(t, result.RemoteRemoved)
+	assert.Contains(t, out.String(),
+		"Could not remove snapshot metadata from remote")
+	assert.NotContains(t, out.String(),
+		"Removed snapshot metadata from remote storage")
+}
+
+// blobFilesIn returns the paths of the blob files under storeDir/blobs, and
+// fails the test when there are none.
+func blobFilesIn(t *testing.T, storeDir string) []string {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	var blobFiles []string
+
+	err := filepath.WalkDir(filepath.Join(storeDir, "blobs"),
+		func(path string, entry fs.DirEntry, err error) error {
+			if err == nil && !entry.IsDir() {
+				blobFiles = append(blobFiles, path)
+			}
+
+			return err
+		})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotEmpty(t, blobFiles)
+
+	return blobFiles
+}
+
+// moveBehindSymlink moves storeDir/dir to a directory elsewhere, puts a
+// symlink to it in its place, and returns where it went.
+func moveBehindSymlink(t *testing.T, storeDir, dir string) string {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	linkPath := filepath.Join(storeDir, dir)
+	targetPath := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), dir)
+	require.NoError(t, os.Rename(linkPath, targetPath))
+	require.NoError(t, os.Symlink(targetPath, linkPath))
+
+	return targetPath
+}