Configuring Cedar Backup is unfortunately somewhat complicated. The good news is that once you get through the initial configuration process, you'll hardly ever have to change anything. Even better, the most typical changes (i.e. adding and removing directories from a backup) are easy.

First, familiarize yourself with the concepts in Chapter 2, Basic Concepts. In particular, be sure that you understand the differences between a master and a client. (If you only have one machine, then your machine will act as both a master and a client, and we'll refer to your setup as a pool of one.) Then, install Cedar Backup per the instructions in Chapter 3, Installation.

Once everything has been installed, you are ready to begin configuring Cedar Backup. Look over the section called “Command Line Interface” (below) to become familiar with the command line interface. Then, look over the section called “Configuration File Format” (also below) and create a configuration file for each peer in your backup pool. To start with, create a very simple configuration file, then expand it later. Decide now whether you will store the configuration file in the standard place (/etc/cback.conf) or in some other location.

After you have all of the configuration files in place, configure each of your machines, following the instructions in the appropriate section below (for master, client or pool of one). Since the master and client(s) must communicate over the network, you won't be able to fully configure the master without configuring each client and vice-versa. The instructions are clear on what needs to be done.