From a06413fe082c9222852dffe630ad36715882dfea Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: David Runge Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2015 04:02:27 +0100 Subject: README.md: Adding compression and usage, updating requirements and about. --- README.md | 50 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-- 1 file changed, 48 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) diff --git a/README.md b/README.md index e75c0fb..90b1ae1 100644 --- a/README.md +++ b/README.md @@ -2,7 +2,9 @@ ## About This collection of services, timers and scripts enables a precise - gpg encrypted - backup of certain configuration data. -System-wide and user-specific backups are possible. +System-wide and user-specific backups are possible. +Crypted-backups by default uses volatile file-systems (*tmpfs*) as a working space. +**Note:** *Depending on the size of your (singular) backups and available RAM you might want to consider moving this working space somewhere else.* ## Features Backups of the following program settings/profiles/folders are possible: @@ -20,9 +22,13 @@ Backups of the following program settings/profiles/folders are possible: * firefox * thunderbird -## Requirements +### Compression At the moment crypted-backups only supports [xz](http://tukaani.org/xz/) compression. +## Requirements +* xz +* gnupg + ## Configuration Two forms of configuration files are used: One for system-wide services and one for user services. Both are documented and show examples on how to setup the variables. @@ -34,6 +40,46 @@ The configuration file for system services can be found in **/etc/crypted-backup The configuration file for user services is read first from **$HOME/.crypted-backups** followed by **$HOME/.config/crypted-backups**. Environment variables set in the first file will be replaced by the ones set in the latter, if present. Make sure to copy and modify a plain one from your system skeleton folder (**/etc/skel/.crypted-backups**). +## Usage +Crypted-backups is made available through systemd services and timers. +### Example 1: Activating a system backup with the help of a timer +In this example the system backup for the bitlbee configuration will be started by a timer. +This timer unit has the same name as its service. + /usr/lib/systemd/system/backup-bitlbee.service + /usr/lib/systemd/system/backup-bitlbee.timer +Using *systemctl* one can easily start and stop timer units belonging to a service. As root: + systemctl start backup-bitlbee.timer + systemctl stop backup-bitlbee.timer +To make the system boot with this timer started, enable it. Again, as root: + systemctl enable backup-bitlbee.timer + systemctl disable backup-bitlbee.timer +When the timer's conditions are met, the service *backup-bitlbee.service* is started automatically. Much like cron. +Unlike cron, you can also start and stop the service separately: + systemctl start backup-bitlbee.service + systemctl stop backup-bitlbee.service + +**Note:** *Due to systemd's architecture you can copy/paste and modify the given timer from **/usr/lib/systemd/system/** and put it to **/etc/systemd/system**. The latter will always have precedence over the former. Same counts for services!* + +### Example 2: Activating a user backup with the help of a timer +In this example the user backup for a user's firefox profile will be started by a timer (like in the example above). +The user service and timer units reside in a different location: + /usr/lib/systemd/user/backup-firefox.service + /usr/lib/systemd/user/backup-firefox.timer +Using *systemctl* one can easily start and stop timer units belonging to a service. This time, as your user: + systemctl --user start backup-firefox.timer + systemctl --user stop backup-firefox.timer +To make your user environment start with this timer started, enable it. Again, as your user: + systemctl --user enable backup-firefox.timer + systemctl --user disable backup-firefox.timer + +When the timer's conditions are met, the service *backup-firefox.service* is started (as your user) automatically. +This service can of course also just be started and stopped separately from the timer: + systemctl --user start backup-firefox.service + systemctl --user stop backup-firefox.service + +**Note:** *Due to systemd's architecture you can copy/paste and modify the given timer from **/usr/lib/systemd/user/** and put it to **/etc/systemd/user**. The latter will always have precedence over the former. Same counts for services!* +**Note:** *To minimize the size of your backups, you might want to consider using tools like [profile-cleaner](https://github.com/graysky2/profile-cleaner) to shrink the size of your program profiles.* + ## TODO * Using [pixz](https://github.com/vasi/pixz) * Using [rsync](https://rsync.samba.org/) for backup mirroring -- cgit v1.2.3-54-g00ecf