Using the Sparkle Share Space
=============================

An experimental SparkleShare_ repository has been setup for evaluation. The following conditions apply to use:

1. This service is experimental. The content is backed up nightly, but there are no guarantees on the stability of this service.

2. This service is targeted to technical users. Configuration of public key authentication over ssh is required for use.

3. Only Linux and OS X are supported. 

4. Users must be members of the dataone-shell group. Membership of this group can be determined through the LDAP query::

    ldapsearch -x -h ldap.ecoinformatics.org -b ou=Groups,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=org cn=dataone-team


Installation
------------

1. Ensure you are a member of *dataone-team* by running the ldap search command above. If you are not a member, contact a DataONE project administrator requesting to be added to the "dataone-team" group.

2. Setup public key authentication, and ensure you are able to log in over *ssh* to *sparkle.dataone.org*. DO NOT create a private key that has no password.

3. Install a recent version of Git_. Version 1.7.5.4 is known to work.

4. Install the SparkleShare_ client.

5. Start the client and specify the following connection parameters:

  Server Type:
    My own server

  Address:
    ``username@sparkle.dataone.org`` Replace *username* with your username

  Folder Name:
    /var/share/dataone_general.git

6. Click sync.


Use
---

On OS X, the SparkleShare client creates a folder *~/SparkleShare/dataone_general* that contains shared content for DataONE. Folders and files may be added here using your normal editors etc, and the files will be synched to the repository, and subsequently to any other machines that are subscribed to the folder.

The SparkleShare client has a few `known issues`_. 

A read-only web interface is available at:

  http://sparkle.dataone.org/


.. _SparkleShare: http://sparkleshare.org/

.. _Git: http://git-scm.com/

.. _known issues: http://sparkleshare.org/2011/06/releasing-sparkleshare-0-2/