Add a Tips section to the README

[software/bacap.git] / README

diff --git a/README b/README
index 30875a28b3dd050890d6e35b4b0d5b77f994272b..d3fad4f8103d656d12fba18ab49580315ae987a5 100644 (file)
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -127,17 +127,6 @@ anything supported by the ``--include-from`` rsync_ option)
 That's pretty much it. If you want to add other hosts, just create the host
 directory and the needed host configuration files.
 
-You may want to automate it using *cron*. I will not include a *cron* tutorial
-here, but if you are completely lost, you can add this line to ``/etc/crontab``
-to make a daily backup at 6:30::
-
-       30 6 * * * root /path/to/bacap
-
-If you are a Debian_ user, you can also simply install the script in
-``/etc/cron.daily`` (or make a symlink or something similar) and you are set.
-
-.. _Debian: http://www.debian.org/
-
 
 
 Usage
@@ -156,12 +145,70 @@ for any host, it skips that host.
 A symbolic link is created at the end of the backup, with the name
 ``$BACKUP_PATH/$host/current``, and pointing to the newly created directory.
 
-Also, to see what have actually changed between two backups you can run rsync
-with your usual flags plus "-nv --delete". For example if you just use "-a", to
-see the differences between lolaus/2010-07-11 and lolaus/2010-07-12 you can run::
+
+
+Tips
+====
+
+Here are a few tips on how to configure Bacap_ for several common scenarios.
+
+Automating backups using cron
+-----------------------------
+
+You probably want to automate you backup using *cron*. I will not include
+a *cron* tutorial here, but if you are completely lost, you can add this line to
+``/etc/crontab`` to make a daily backup at 6:30::
+
+       30 6 * * * root /path/to/bacap
+
+If you are a Debian_ user, you can also simply install the script in
+``/etc/cron.daily`` (or make a symlink or something similar) and you are set.
+
+.. _Debian: http://www.debian.org/
+
+
+Providing a ssh_ key
+--------------------
+
+When doing a backup of a remote host, you probably want ssh_ to be able to login
+without providing a password. To do so, you can generate a ssh_ key, copy the
+public key to the target's ``/root/.ssh/authorized_keys`` (or the user that runs
+the backup) and set the Bacap_ configuration variable ``RSYNC_RSH`` to something
+like::
+
+       RSYNC_RSH="-i /path/to/priv-key -o NumberOfPasswordPrompts=0"
+
+The ``-o NumberOfPasswordPrompts=0`` is not necessary, but you would appreciate
+it if something is wrong with your key, since if you don't use it, rsync_ will
+hang asking for a password.
+
+
+Backup local networks nodes (or nodes with a fast connection)
+-------------------------------------------------------------
+
+When the bandwidth is not tight, you probably want to ensure ssh_ doesn't use
+compression::
+
+       RSYNC_RSH="ssh -o Compression=no"
+
+And if your network is trusted, you probably don't need very string encryption
+either::
+
+       RSYNC_RSH="ssh -c arcfour"
+
+
+Listing differences between 2 snapshots
+---------------------------------------
+
+If you want to see what have actually changed between two backups you can run
+rsync_ with your usual flags plus ``-nv --delete``. For example if you just use
+``-a``, to see the differences between ``lolaus/2010-07-11`` and
+``lolaus/2010-07-12`` you can run::
+
         rsync -nav --delete lolaus/2010-07-11/ lolaus/2010-07-12/
 
 
+
 Similar alternatives
 ====================