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@@ -0,0 +1,191 @@ +--- +title: Release notes for Obnam2 +... + +This file summarizes changes between releases of the second generation +of Obnam, the backup software. The software is technically called +"obnam2" to distinguish it from the first generation of Obnam, which +ended in 2017 with version number 1.22. + + +# Version 0.4.0, released 2021-06-06 + +## Experimental version + +This is an experimental release, and is not meant to be relied on for +recovery of important data. The purpose of this release is to get new +features into the hands of intrepid people who want to try out new +things. + +## Breaking changes + +This release introduces use of encryption in Subplot. Encryption is +not optional, and the new `obnam init` command must always be used +before the first backup to generate an encryption key. + +Starting with this version of Obnam, there is no support at all for +cleartext backups any more. A backup, or backup repository, made with +a previous version of Obnam **will not work** with this version: you +can't list backups in a repository, you can't restore a backup, and +you can't make a new backup. You need to start over from scratch, by +emptying the server's chunk directory. Eventually, Obnam will stop +having such breaking, throw-away-everything changes, but it will +take time to build that functionality. + +Note: this version add only a very rudimentary approach to encryption. +It is only meant to protect the backups from the server operator +snooping via the server file system. It doesn't protect against most +other threats, including the server operator replacing parts of +backups on the server. Future versions of Obnam will add more +protection. + +## New or changed features + +* Obnam now by default excludes directories that are marked with a + `CACHEDIR.TAG` file. Set `exclude_cache_tag_directories` to `false` + in the configuration file to disable the feature. See the [Cache + Directory Tagging Specification][] for details of the tag file. + +[Cache Directory Tagging Specification]: https://bford.info/cachedir/ + +* You can now use _tilde notation_ in the configuration file, in fields + for specifying backup root directories or the log file. This makes + it easier to files relative to the user's home directory: + + ~~~yaml + server_url: https://obnam-server + roots: + - ~/Maildirs + ~ ~/src/obnam + log: ~/log/obnam.log + ~~~ + +* Alexander Batischev changed the code that queries the SQL database + to return an iterator, instead of an array of result. This means + that if, for example, a backup generation has a very large number of + files, Obnam no longer needs to keep all of them in memory at once. + +* Various error messages are now clearer and more useful. For example, + if there is a problem reading a file, the name of the file is + included in the error message. + +## Internal changes + +* Alexander Batischev added support for GitLab CI, which means that + changes are tested automatically before they are merged. This will + make development a little smoother in the future. + + +## Changes to documentation + +* Tigran Zakoyan made a logo for Obnam. It is currently only used on + the [website](https://obnam.org/), but will find more use later. For + example, some stickers could be made. + +## Thank you + +Several people have helped with this release, with changes or +feedback. I want to especially mention the following, in order by +first name, with apologies to anyone I have inadvertently forgotten: +Alexander Batischev, Daniel Silverstone, Neal Walfield, Tigran +Zakoyan. + + +# Version 0.3.1, released 2021-03-23 + +This is a minor release to work around a bug in Subplot, which +prevented the 0.3.0 release to have a Debian package built. The +workaround is to rewrite a small table in the "Filenames" section as a +list. + + +# Version 0.3.0, released 2021-03-14 + +## Breaking changes + +* The format of the data stored on the backup repository has changed. + The new version can't restore old backups: old generations are now + useless. You'll have to start over. Sorry. + +## New or changed features + +* New `obnam config` sub-command writes out the actual configuration + that the program users, as read from the configuration file. + +* The client configuration now has default values for all + configuration fields that can reasonably have them. For example, it + is no longer necessary to explicitly set a chunk size. + +* Only known fields are now allowed in configuration files. Unknown + fields cause an error. + +* It is now possible to back up multiple, distinct directories with + one client configuration. The `root` configuration is now `roots`, + and is a list of directories. + +* Problems in backing up a file no longer terminate the backup run. + Instead, the problem is reported at the end of the backup run, as a + warning. + +* The client now requires an HTTPS URL for the server. Plain HTTP is + now rejected. The TLS certificate for the server is verified by + default, but that can be turned off. + +* The client progress reporting is now a little clearer. + +* Unix domain sockets and named pipes (FIFO files) are now backed up + and restored. + +* The names of the user and group owning a file are backed up, but not + restored. + +* On the Obnam server, the Ansible playbook now installs a cron job to + renew the Let's Encrypt TLS certificate. + +## Bugs fixed + +* Temporary files created during backup runs are now automatically + deleted, even if the Obnam client crashes. + +* Symbolic links are now backed up and restored correctly. Previously + Obnam followed the link when backing up and created the link + wrongly. + +* The Ansible playbook to provision an Obnam server now enables the + systemd unit so that the Obnam server process starts automatically + after a reboot. + +## Changes to documentation + +* A tutorial has been added. + +The Obnam subplot (`obnam.md`), which describes the requirements, +acceptance criteria, and architecture of the software, has some +improvements: + +* a discussion of why Obnam doesn't use content-addressable storage + +* a description of the logical structure of backups as stored on the + backup server + +* a rudimentary first sketch of a threat model: the operator of the + backup server reads the backed up data + +* an initial plan for adding support for encryption to backups; this + is known to be simplistic and inadequate, but the goal is to get + started, and then iterate to get something acceptable, even if that + takes months + +## Thank you + +Several people have helped with this release, with changes or +feedback. I want to especially mention the following, with apologies +to anyone I have inadvertently forgotten: Alexander Batischev, Ossi +Herrala, Daniel Silverstone, Neal Walfield. + +# Version 0.2.2, released 2021-01-29 + +This is the first release of Obnam2. It can just barely make and +restore backups. It's ready for a light trial, but not for real use. +There's no encryption, and backups can't be deleted yet. Restores of +the entire backup work. |