tarsnap

Encrypted deduplicated online backup

TLDR

Create backup

$ tarsnap -c -f [backup-name] [/path/to/backup]

List archives

$ tarsnap --list-archives

List contents of archive

$ tarsnap -t -f [backup-name]

Extract archive

$ tarsnap -x -f [backup-name]

Delete archive

$ tarsnap -d -f [backup-name]

Show statistics

$ tarsnap --print-stats

Dry run (show what would be backed up)

$ tarsnap -c --dry-run -f [test] [/path/to/backup]

SYNOPSIS

tarsnap [-c] [-x] [-t] [-d] [-f archive] [options] [paths]

tarsnap provides secure, deduplicated online backup. Data is encrypted before leaving your computer and stored in the cloud.Deduplication stores identical blocks only once. Incremental backups are efficient, transferring only new or changed data.Client-side encryption ensures only you can read your data. Keys are generated locally and never shared with the server.Archive names are arbitrary strings. Common patterns include hostnames, dates, or descriptive names.Statistics show storage usage and deduplication efficiency. Billing is based on stored and transferred bytes.The tool is command-line only, designed for scripting and automation. Cron jobs commonly run scheduled backups.

PARAMETERS

-c

Create archive.

-x

Extract archive.

-t

List archive contents.

-d

Delete archive.

-f ARCHIVE

Archive name.

--list-archives

List all archives.

--print-stats

Show usage statistics.

--dry-run

Simulation mode.

-v

Verbose.

--keyfile FILE

Key file location.

--cachedir DIR

Cache directory.

-C DIR

Change to directory.

--include PATTERN

Include files matching.

--exclude PATTERN

Exclude files matching.

INSTALL

sudo pacman -S tarsnap

brew install tarsnap

nix profile install nixpkgs#tarsnap

CAVEATS

Requires paid account. Key loss means data loss - no recovery possible. Initial backup can take time. Priced per byte.

HISTORY

Tarsnap was created by Colin Percival around 2008. A former FreeBSD security officer, Percival designed Tarsnap with security as the primary goal. The service emphasizes cryptographic correctness.