install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install tarsnap

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install tarsnap

MacPorts ports tree · sysutils/tarsnap/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#tarsnap

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/ta/tarsnap/package.nix · source: api.github.com

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%

sudo pacman -S tarsnap

Arch Linux sync databases · tarsnap · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

overview

Package summary

Online backups for the truly paranoid

Project links

Commands and aliases

tarsnap
tarsnap-keygen
tarsnap-keymgmt
tarsnap-keyregen
tarsnap-recrypt

history

Project history and usage

Tarsnap is a secure, efficient command-line online backup service for Unix-like systems, centered on client-side keys, deduplication, and pay-for-actual-usage storage. It is famous among command-line and security-minded users because its normal interface is a tar-like CLI rather than a consumer backup app.

Project history

The official site describes Tarsnap as a command-line backup service for Linux, the BSDs, macOS, and other Unix-like systems. The official client repository is for developers who want to watch changes, investigate bugs, or test unreleased features, while the website recommends official release downloads for normal use.

Adoption history

Official news shows active public releases and service milestones from at least 2009, including the move from beta-era web pages to the main website in September 2009, Tarsnap 1.0.26 in December 2009, bug bounties in 2011, a Tarsnap book in 2015, and Tarsnap 1.0.41 in March 2025. The supplied package-manager metadata shows Tarsnap packaged in Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix, and Arch.

How it is used

Users create, list, extract, delete, verify, and recover encrypted remote archives with the tarsnap CLI and related key utilities. The official man page documents keyfile and cachedir driven operation, default configuration files, archive listing, fsck/recovery modes, and examples for cron-based full-system backups.

Why package nerds care

Package nerds care because Tarsnap is a compact, scriptable backup primitive with serious cryptographic and operational opinions. Its package surface includes multiple binaries, configuration files, key generation, cache directories, man pages, and a GUI-facing initialization mode, all of which make it a classic Unix packaging case rather than a single executable.

Timeline

2009-09: Official news says the non-minimalist tarsnap.com website replaced scattered beta-era information.
2009-12: Tarsnap 1.0.26 released.
2011-04: Official bug bounty program announced.
2015-03: Official news notes publication of Tarsnap Mastery.
2015-05: Official GitHub repository created for client-code development visibility.
2022-02: Tarsnap 1.0.40 released.
2025-03: Tarsnap 1.0.41 released with XDG config support and other changes.

Related projects

Tarsnap GUI, tarsnap-keygen, tarsnap-keymgmt, tarsnap-keyregen, tarsnap-recrypt, tar, libarchive, scrypt, spiped.

Sources

security posture

Risk level: blue

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.

Risk classifier

blue risk · medium confidence · tool

Why

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal

Signals

text:backup

Install behavior

No Homebrew bottle metadata was recorded.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

local files

Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.

Configuration files

Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.

Unix: /usr/local/etc/tarsnap.conf$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/tarsnap/tarsnap.conf~/.config/tarsnap/tarsnap.conf~/.tarsnaprc

Credential files

Credential-bearing paths to review before unattended agent runs.

Unix: keyfile path passed via --keyfilekeyfile path configured in tarsnap.conf

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`tarsnap`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`tarsnap-keygen`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`tarsnap-keymgmt`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`tarsnap-keyregen`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`tarsnap-recrypt`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-08-03

manager version1.0.41

manager updated

local dataunknown

upstreamnot available

latest detectednot detected

okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:tarsnap
Version	1.0.41
Package manager	Homebrew
Homepage	https://www.tarsnap.com/
Repository	https://github.com/Tarsnap/tarsnap
Bottle	not recorded
Service	none declared

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Nix95%

tarsnap

nix profile install nixpkgs#tarsnap

normalized package name match
Matched by: Tarsnap

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ta/tarsnap/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

pacman95%

tarsnap 1.0.41-1

An online encrypted snapshotted backup service

https://www.tarsnap.com/

sudo pacman -S tarsnap

License: custom
Architecture: x86_64
3 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Tarsnap

Arch Linux sync databases · geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com · Arch Linux sync databases: tarsnap from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz

MacPorts95%

tarsnap

sudo port install tarsnap

normalized package name match
Matched by: Tarsnap

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/tarsnap/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/tarsnap.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated configuration and credential file locations
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
pkg.so package database
pkgdb category and tag curation

Install tarsnap with Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix, pacman