Getting started with Tarsnap

[jg5 <jg5@sanger.ac.uk>]

Hi,

First, let me apologize straight away for what are doubtless very basic questions. However, I've just newly installed Tarsnap on my PC (running Linux Mint 13), things don't seem to be working and I'm trying to figure out what to do next. If anyone could advise on the following please, I'd be grateful.

 

1). On the Tarsnap general usage page, can anyone please tell me what the following means:

"The examples here assume that you are using a Tarsnap configuration file including keyfile and cachedir directives."

What are 'keyfile and cachedir directives'?  Are they simply instructions to the operating system to put the keyfile and cache directory in specific locations?

 

2). I don't appear to have the /usr/local/tarsnap-cache directory.  Can anyone suggest what might have happened and what I should do about it? Does this mean that Tarsnap hasn't installed properly? Should I re-install? Or should I just run 'tarsnap --fsck'?

 

3). Can anyone point me to a step-by-step guide - online article, whatever - on how to use Tarsnap? I think it's a great idea, and I need to sort out a backup system, but am wondering if it's maybe a bit over my head. Thought I would ask on this forum to see if things become clearer before calling it a day.

 

Thanks for any advice offered.

Regards,

John

 

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