I'd like to be able to remotely synchronize my OS X laptop with my
desktop periodically.

My requirements are:
- must use SSH or SCP
- must be able to designate a folder with subfolders and have files
synchronized recursively
- must be bi-directional, eg I need to be able to bring files onto my
local machine as well as move files to the remote system

I don't care if this has a GUI interface or is a terminal application.

Right now I'm using a terminal app called Unison but it seems not to
work very well.  Maybe I just haven't configured it right but it asks
me to make decisions on which version to overwrite without offering
suggestions.  I need something that operates completely transparently.
 If you can just give me a Unison settings file that would solve my
problems, that would definitely be one solution.

Thanks for your help!

Hi, bartd94303.

There are various dedicated backup programs available for Mac OS X,
such as You Synchronize! (http://www.yousoftware.com/), Synk
(http://www.decimus.net/synk/) and Synchronize! Pro X
(http://www.qdea.com/). Unfortunately, none of these seem to support
SCP, although they are an option if your computers are on the same
local network.

However, several SFTP programs for Mac OS X have the ability to
synchronize between two computers using SCP or FTP over SSH. Three of
these programs are Transmit (http://panic.com/transmit/), Interarchy
(http://www.interarchy.com/), and osXigen
(http://www.jomosoft.com/osxigen/osXigen.html). All of these programs
have a free trial.

osXigen allows the creation of 'active bookmarklets' - icons that will
automatically synchronize any folder dropped on top of it with a
bookmarked remote folder. It also has support for AppleScript, so this
could be automated.

Interarchy may be the best choice, since it allows you to run commands
at a set interval. (You will need to use the "mirror both ways"
feature to achieve what you want).

If you want to use a different command-line utility, you can use
rsync. This allows you to update files via SSH, and comes with your
computer. There is a good tutorial for setting it up on OS X available
at http://www.bombich.com/mactips/rsync.html. There is also a special
Mac OS X version, called RsyncX, available from
http://www.macosxlabs.org/rsyncx/rsyncx.html.

Alternatively, to get Unison working as you want, try adding these
lines to the bottom of you Unison profile file:

times = true
force = newer

This should force Unison to automatically replace the older version of
a conflicting file with a newer one. This should not prompt you at
all; be sure you want to do this.

The following searches may be of use to you:

http://www.versiontracker.com/php/search.php?mode=basic&action=search&str=SFTP%2520sync&plt%5B%5D=macosx
://www.google.com/search?num=50&q=mac+os+x+synchronize+(scp+OR+sftp)

If you have any questions, feel free to request a clarification.
-- wildeeo

---

Request for Answer Clarification by bartd94303-ga on 08 Jul 2004 11:54 PDT

Wow, that was extremely helpful!  I'm checking out the various
programs you recommend.

One question: I think I've added the changes you suggested to my
unison settings file (see below) but still get prompted to confirm
overwriting of documents. below is a file I call dox.prf.  I launch
Unison with it by typing "unison dox.prf".  Am I doing something
wrong?

Thanks,

Bart

# Unison preferences file

root = [blocked]*************
root = [blocked]*************

times = true
force = newer
follow = Name *
ignore = Path Documents/CVS/CVSROOT
ignore = Path Documents/Compass

---

Clarification of Answer by wildeeo-ga on 08 Jul 2004 17:27 PDT

Hm. Okay. Try adding:

auto = yes

to the file. That should make it automatically accept the default
answer. (I'm going by the reference at
http://www.cis.upenn.edu/~bcpierce/unison/manual.html#prefs)

(And I managed to post this as a comment first time round. Sorry. Need
more sleep. :-))

-- wildeeo

---

Clarification of Answer by wildeeo-ga on 08 Jul 2004 17:59 PDT

The setting

prefer = newer

might be useful/necessary too.

If all you want to sync is DATA, then check out Novell's iFolder
product.  It just went open-source and I believe that a Mac version is
available.

http://www.novell.com/products/ifolder/

Hm. Okay. Try adding:

auto = yes

to the file. That should make it automatically accept the default
answer. (I'm going by the reference at
http://www.cis.upenn.edu/~bcpierce/unison/manual.html#prefs)