Comments on: Help me backup and sync my files!

Question: Help me backup and sync my files!

rossination — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 21:02:37 -0800

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?

By: pompomtom

pompomtom — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 21:15:25 -0800

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...

By: hummercash

hummercash — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 22:17:07 -0800

apple's Backup program that you get with a .mac subscriptioin should do what you want... or Dantz Retrospect 6.1. both are very easy to use backup solutions.

or rsync like pompomtom suggested.

By: hummercash

hummercash — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 22:19:33 -0800

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.

By: joeblough

joeblough — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 22:19:58 -0800

beware, though, you want rsyncX. "plain" rsync probably can not handle resource forks. although they are depreciated in osX some programs still use them.

By: inviolable

inviolable — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 22:49:46 -0800

"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.

By: anarcation

anarcation — Mon, 21 Nov 2005 00:29:14 -0800

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

By: sluggo

sluggo — Mon, 21 Nov 2005 04:15:57 -0800

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.

By: chunking express

chunking express — Mon, 21 Nov 2005 07:38:58 -0800

First, you should avoid You should avoid .mac Backup service like the plague. Second, Rsynch is your best bet. Here is how you can use it. Mezzoblue wrote a backing up a web-server, 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.

By: sad_otter

sad_otter — Mon, 21 Nov 2005 07:47:27 -0800

I use Deja Vu to do this. It's fairly inexpensive and has a nice interface.