[Box Backup] Using multiple servers

[Ben Summers]

On 12 Jan 2006, at 23:29, Maarten Bremer wrote:

> It was a bit hard to install, the package on SourceForge doesn't  
> compile on FC4 (see the bug report there). I have checked out the  
> latest trunk, and that one did compile.

0.09 doesn't detect the options gcc 4 requires.


>
> I think there is a small error in the default configuration file,  
> it says the files should be in /etc/box/bbstored but they are in  
> fact in subdirectories (ca/servers and ca/roots). It did cost me  
> some time to figure that out.

There is no error, the generated configuration files are correct, and  
will work if you follow the instructions that the configuration  
scripts output.

The ca/ directory is your certificate authority. As the instructions  
state, it should live on a different machine. If you keep your CA in / 
etc/box/bbstored, then anyone breaking into your server can generate  
certificates to pretend to be a server or client in your system.  
(They cannot, of course, read the encrypted data without breaking  
into the client machine and retrieving the keys -- data is protected  
by keys not certificates.)

This separation of CA and config is deliberate. I am sorry it caused  
you confusion. The certificates do make setting things up a bit more  
difficult, but they are there for a reason to give strong  
authentication of both clients and servers.

Proposed changes to the documentation to make this clearer would be  
appreciated.


>
> The command 'bbackupctl sync' reported: "Using configuration file / 
> etc/box/bbackupd.conf"
> but remained silent after that. No idea if that is suppose to  
> happen, but the sync started anyhow after some time. It is in any  
> case not clear to the end-user what is going on.

You should see a summary of the server configuration, and a  
"Succeeded" message.


> I would like to backup my Windows workstation to my server at home  
> too. I am however unable to compile it. Could someone provide me  
> with an already compiled version for Windows? That would be great.

Trunk or 0.09?

Ben