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Superchicken · Dec 21, 2003, 12:44 AM

Hmmm?

Especially now that all their computers are shipping with APE, why can't we in OS X setup two folders in the home directories of our Macs to automatically sync together? For example our music libraries, or photo collections, or iPhoto libraries, notes for classes, I intend to take my Rev D iMac with me to college next semester with my new iBook. Recently my power cable broke, and I was scrambling to get things like my bible software, music, and notes onto my iMac before my iBook ran dead.

Does anyone think this sorta thing could show up as a feature in OS X.4?

CharlesS · Dec 21, 2003, 01:00 AM

Originally posted by Superchic[k]en:
Hmmm?

Especially now that all their computers are shipping with APE

You mean something other than the Instability Engine from Unsanity, right? Because if Apple is starting to ship their computers with that on it,

Superchicken · Dec 21, 2003, 01:05 AM

Air Port Extreme

CharlesS · Dec 21, 2003, 01:22 AM

Originally posted by Superchic[k]en:
Air Port Extreme

Whew! Don't ever scare me like that again.

I've never seen APE used for AirPort Extreme. A better way to abbreviate it might be to say 802.11g, or just say AirPort Extreme.

Tomster · Dec 21, 2003, 04:15 AM

Try rsync. Man rsync in terminal.

Jellytussle · Dec 21, 2003, 05:54 AM

Originally posted by Tomster:
Try rsync. Man rsync in terminal.

except the shipping rsync has no resource fork support, which may not be what you want.

http://macosxlabs.org/rsyncx/rsyncx.html has a version with full HFS+ support, but the binary is out of date, and you get much better results by building from cvs.

Still, this is all a long way from where it should be ie a Folder Action - 'sync with folder X'.

Superchicken · Dec 21, 2003, 01:19 PM

Exactly, I should be able to plug my iBook in, and have it sync any new files or updated files with my iMac and vise-versa, sync my iCal stuff, and all that.

Developer · Dec 21, 2003, 01:35 PM

Apple supports syncing iCal stuff, bookmarks, addresses etc.

KP* · Dec 21, 2003, 02:04 PM

I would love this too. I have a PowerMac which I like to use at home for its big screen and large HD, etc. but I use my PowerBook as my primary computer because I need it for work and so everything important has to be done on it. If there were an easier way to sync, I could use my desktop more often.

The main use I would have for this is iTunes, because that's the only thing I use my desktop for more than the 'book. It basically sits around like an overpriced jukebox because I'm afraid to leave any important work on it. Then I go on the road and am frustrated that I've forgotten to add my latest songs to the 'book, which then deletes them from the iPod when it syncs (first time this happened I turned off auto-syncing, so that won't happen again

).

Yes it's possible to move files manually, but it takes a while and it's hard to make sure you've caught everything and haven't overwritten something you weren't supposed to. If Apple had their own, easy-to-use solution to this it would be another reason to encourage people with one Mac to make all their household computers Macs so they can work together.

ryaxnb · Dec 21, 2003, 04:02 PM

Originally posted by CharlesS:
You mean something other than the Instability Engine from Unsanity, right? Because if Apple is starting to ship their computers with that on it,

Application Enhancer is cool. I like it.

Jim_MDP · Dec 21, 2003, 04:13 PM

Originally posted by KP*:
I would love this too. I have a PowerMac which I like to use at home for its big screen and large HD, etc. but I use my PowerBook as my primary computer because I need it for work and so everything important has to be done on it. If there were an easier way to sync, I could use my desktop more often.

Why sync?

Share the PB, work on the files remotely on the desktop Mac. Changes stay on the PB.

romeosc · Dec 21, 2003, 06:04 PM

Connect the PB in Firewire target
mode, and use all data from PB's hard drive! Then copy files weekly to backup.

AC Rempt · Dec 21, 2003, 06:08 PM

One of the features they use to push .Mac is the ability to use iDisk and iSync to synchronize files and folders and calendars, etc. I don't think they're going to try and undercut this by building in easier ways to sync up. Be nice if they did, though.

jessejlt · Dec 21, 2003, 06:11 PM

I understand that there are alternative solutions out there, but why Apple isn't supplying some sort of laptop sync feature escapes me. I have an iBook and an iMac, keeping the two in sync is exceedingly difficult. I think only Apple could supply the solution that would allow docking a laptop to be as brainless as docking an iPod. That's the ticket.
jesse ;-)

si_lance · 07:04 PM

There is a functionality that Apple pulled from 10.3 and may be put back in for those with iPods. I think it's called HOI (home on iPod). For those of you who are lucky enough to have multiple macs you can plug in your iPod and your home file resides on it, and you can take it with you from machine to machine. I think they are going to offer larger capacity iPods to support this functionality as well.

Right now I use CVS to sync my workstation and laptop for work, and they are win machines =(, but mapping a drive to a common repository (on the workstation) and using a GUI CVS tool like TortoiseCVS makes it's pretty darn simple.

absmiths · Dec 22, 2003, 01:35 PM

Originally posted by si_lance:
There is a functionality that Apple pulled from 10.3 and may be put back in for those with iPods. I think it's called HOI (home on iPod).

Except that the iPod can only really be used with one mac at a time without running the risk of dumping your library. Every time I plug it into another computer it asks if it should dump my collection, and I get nervous every time.

si_lance · Dec 22, 2003, 01:56 PM

Originally posted by absmiths:
Except that the iPod can only really be used with one mac at a time without running the risk of dumping your library. Every time I plug it into another computer it asks if it should dump my collection, and I get nervous every time.

If they provide this functionality, I'm sure they'll resolve that issue (perhaps and update to the OS and to the iPod).

cybergoober · Dec 22, 2003, 03:01 PM

Originally posted by absmiths:
Except that the iPod can only really be used with one mac at a time without running the risk of dumping your library. Every time I plug it into another computer it asks if it should dump my collection, and I get nervous every time.

Huh?

Please elaborate.

Maybe try manual synchronization�?

C.J. Moof · Dec 22, 2003, 04:10 PM

No, I don't. I didn't last time and I won't next time either. Could you learn this?

I want my iPod to automatically update the playlists I've told it to when it's attached to my Cube (where my music collection is stored), and I want it to work as a portable harddrive and read-only source for iTunes when it's attached to my Powerbook or any other Mac. If there's a way to have both these behaviors, Apple hid it someplace I can't find it.