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sync user files between 2 leopard macs?

hello, is there an easy way to sync user files between my home workstation and my laptop? I travel often, so i need to have files up to date on both computers.

thanks for your help

I believe that Apple's .Mac service has a feature that does just that. http://www.apple.com/dotmac/sync.html

Trevor

thanks, but i'm actually looking for a non-web based sync solution.
there must be a software backup solution for this no?

any way time machine can help?

You could use rsync.

Set up file sharing and in a Terminal window:

Code:

rsync -aEu /path/to/a/folder/in/other/computer/ /path/to/a/folder/in/your/computer/



rsync -aEu /path/to/a/folder/in/your/computer/ /path/to/a/folder/in/other/computer/

Test this out on a couple of new folders with copies of files before using on important data!

Here's a more user friendly version

Run this Applescript to sync two folders.

Code:

tell application "Finder"

        set x to choose folder

        set y to choose folder

        set FolderA to (the quoted form of POSIX path of x)

        set FolderB to (the quoted form of POSIX path of y)

        set com1 to "rsync -aEuv " & FolderA & " " & FolderB

        set com2 to "rsync -aEuv " & FolderB & " " & FolderA

        do shell script com1

        do shell script com2

end tell

Chronosync is a pro sync app and is well supported.

is it possible to sync a time machine backup to a macbook and if so, how?

Your question is too vague. Could you explain exactly what you're trying to do?

i have an imac, my primary workstation and a macbook for traveling.
i want to find an easy way to make sure that my user directory with all the files are up to date and identical on both computers.

i guess for that i need an external HD.
of course i can use a backup app, like chronosync or any other, but i heard you can restore about anything with time machine, so i'd like to know how to synchronize the time machine backup with the user directory on each computer, copying only the changed files, not everything...

hope i'm clear enough now

I don't think Time Machine would work. The only way I can see it working is if you backup onto an external drive, and then restore that image to the other computer. I doubt you could backup the desktop onto the laptop using TM and then expect to use those files in the normal way in the Finder.

Although it is not yet fully supported on Leopard, something like Lacie's SilverKeeper might suffice, where you can easily ensure that both source and destination have the most up-to-date files, in either direction.

Quote:

Originally Posted by imacosxhints (Post 435492)

Turn on file sharing on one, then mount it on the other. From one, run this script, choosing a folder from each. Choose a couple of test folders with copies of files in them for your first try, just to verify that it works. Make sure that

Code:

tell application "Finder"

        set x to choose folder

        set y to choose folder

        set FolderA to (the quoted form of POSIX path of x)

        set FolderB to (the quoted form of POSIX path of y)

        set com1 to "rsync -aEu " & FolderA & " " & FolderB

        set com2 to "rsync -aEu " & FolderB & " " & FolderA

        do shell script com1

        delay 1

        do shell script com1

        do shell script com2

        open x

        open y

end tell

It turns out that the Finder doesn't always get updated with the new file information unless you tell it to open the folders from within the script, so I added the open x and open y lines, and ran com1 twice. This forces the Finder to refresh. The files actually do copy without it, but you wouldn't see them until the next login or if you relaunched the Finder.

Quote:

Originally Posted by imacosxhints (Post 435492)

of course i can use a backup app, like chronosync or any other, but i heard you can restore about anything with time machine, so i'd like to know how to synchronize the time machine backup with the user directory on each computer, copying only the changed files, not everything...

hope i'm clear enough now

Yes but... you also asked for an "easy" way.

If you're just doing basic folders: ~/Documents, ~/Desktop, ~/Music, etc.,
then that's a simple matter.

If you're thinking about anything inside ~/Library it gets more complicated.

A lot of stuff in there should not be synced (or "backed-up") between two
dissimilar Macs ("workstation and laptop"). Naturally the Preferences/ByHost
folder is one item to always exclude... but it's seldom as simple as all that.

The time it would take to properly configure and fine-tune all the various
inclusions/exclusions, etc., via either a script approach or a Time Machine
approach would literally be mind-boggling.

I know. I sync user accounts in 3 (dissimilar) Macs everyday.
The fun starts when different things change on different Macs,
It gets even better when the same thing on both sides change.

ChronoSync is your friend.
It was designed for this precise purpose.
Time Machine was not.

There are other apps such as Synk.
But ChronoSync is the best I've found.

-HI-