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How To Mirror Files?

Help me backup and sync my files!

  • How can I backup and sync files on my mac? I have an iBook running OSX Tiger, a 256mb thumb drive, and a bit of space on the university servers that I can FTP files to. I'd like to be able to have all the things (documents, mainly) in one folder be mirrored to the other two areas; in other words, if I make a new file in "AUT05->POLS212->Locke" on my mac, I'd like that same file to then show up on the thumb drive (when I plug it in, of course), and on the server. This doesn't need to be automatic, but it'd be nice if it could happen with the simple press of a button. Fetch lets me sort of "mirror" the files to the server, but this doesn't solve the problem of the thumb drive. The dotmac backup and sync options look nice, but I don't need space on .mac, and I don't want to pay a hundred bucks a year for it. Can't this be had for free/cheap?

  • Answer:

    I think rsync is probably what you're looking for... but I haven't actually got it set up at my place yet, so that's about all I could tell you...

rossination at Ask.Metafilter.Com Visit the source

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apple's http://www.apple.com/dotmac/backup.html program that you get with a .mac subscriptioin should do what you want... or http://www.dantz.com/en/products/mac_personal/index.dtml. both are very easy to use backup solutions. or rsync like pompomtom suggested.

hummercash

oooops, missed the last paragraph about .mac in the OP. sorry! but the Dantz solution i mentioned is just a one time fee for the program, not subscription based like .mac is. sorry again.

hummercash

beware, though, you want http://archive.macosxlabs.org/rsyncx/rsyncx.html. "plain" rsync probably can not handle resource forks. although they are depreciated in osX some programs still use them.

joeblough

"plain" rsync probably can not handle resource forks rsync via command line does indeed handle resource forks, you just need to include the correct option. From the man pages: -E --extended-attributes copy extended attributes, resource forks However, I also recommend using RsyncX. It rocks.

inviolable

I said this somewhere else in the green before. LaCie's SilverKeeper works great for me. And it's free.

anarcation

I'll third rsyncX (which is also free, and you don't need to buy a LaCie drive to get it). Apple's Backup is not that reliable, and Retrospect is my least favorite program ever.

sluggo

First, you should avoid http://nslog.com/archives/2005/10/17/apples_backup_app_is_shit.php Second, Rsynch is your best bet. http://www.labf.org/~egon/mac_backup/ Mezzoblue wrote a http://www.mezzoblue.com/archives/2005/09/22/web_server_b/index.php, but the information is useful as well. You can probably use AppleScript to detect when the thumdrive is mounted, and then run rynch when this event occurs.

chunking express

I use http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/16206 to do this. It's fairly inexpensive and has a nice interface.

sad_otter

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