![]() ![]() Instead, I focus specifically on whether ChronoSync can serve as an effective offsite backup system.īecause of ChronoSync’s extreme flexibility and the complexity of understanding and setting up cloud storage services, the discussion below gets quite involved. In this article, I’ll offer just an overview of ChronoSync’s features, as it would require a book to explore them at any depth. We also like that the $50 price includes lifetime updates (better yet, TidBITS members receive 20 percent off!). ChronoSync 4.7 also added support for SFTP (Secure FTP), which gives you even more remote file storage options.ĬhronoSync has a bazillion options, and we generally like how it works. We at TidBITS were excited to see ChronoSync add options to use Amazon’s Simple Storage System (S3) and Google Cloud Storage as sources or destinations. The nominal successor to Apple’s Backup app may be the 4.7 release of Econ Technologies’ ChronoSync, a long-standing Mac app that offers on-demand and scheduled synchronization and backup. (CrashPlan can also perform local and LAN-based backups.) Independent cloud backup options, like Backblaze and CrashPlan, back up your data for a recurring fee. Time Machine filled the gap for local backups but has never offered a cloud-based option. ICloud eliminated the Backup app’s iDisk option, and iCloud Drive took years to materialize after that, but only for general file storage. Although it was never a good backup app, Backup went through several versions, and in its best-remembered incarnation, it could selectively copy files from your Mac to a MobileMe iDisk, a Finder-mountable version of what would later be called “cloud storage.” Some Mac users remember Apple’s Backup app more fondly than it deserves because nothing quite took its place. Investigating ChronoSync 4.7 for Cloud Backup #1664: Real system requirements for OS 2023, beware Siri creating alarms instead of timers.#1665: Important OS security updates, abusive Web notifications, solve myopia with an iPhone, Self Service Repair.#1666: Air quality websites and apps, The Password Game.#1667: OS Rapid Security Responses, 1Password and 2FA, using Siri to request music.#1668: Updated Rapid Security Responses, OS public betas, screen saver bug fixed, “Red Team Blues” book review.It's definitely a much more pricey option ($500USD for server) and has a bit more overhead but if you have multiple computers and a decent network (namely not 802.11g or 10base ethernet) it's pretty solid (I've got a client who does this between his two iMacs and his iBook for himself, his wife and two kids). If Dropbox or other online synchronization methods aren't good enough (or you have privacy fears) there is the option of using Mac OS X Server on the Mac mini and setting up the MacBook to use a portable home directory and then your home folder will be exactly the same on both. The new LAN sync feature on newer versions (the 0.7.x line) will make syncing faster as well since it doesn't need to sync to Dropbox's servers and then back down to your other computer before the files are available. The Macs are on the same wifi network, and having the Mini up all the time, as a server, wouldn't be a problem.ĭepending on what files you are wanting to syncronize in your home folder you could get away using Dropbox and symlinks. ![]() Also, an external NAS might be the ultimate solution in a way, but for now I'd like something that involves only these Macs (besides, I've had bad experiences with a Maxtor network drive: too noisy software for controlling it was crappy it couldn't automount when coming out of sleep, etc). NB: MobileMe might help here but I'd prefer a free option. So what's the best way to share or (automatically) sync home folders between two (or more) Macs? Either the whole home directory or just certain subdirectories of it (if that's more feasible) - both would be fine. And manually copying files around to have the most recent version on each computer does not sound very attractive either. ![]() Simply keeping and using the files on both computers will obviously get them out of sync pretty soon. But with local files (text documents, photos, etc), it's a little more problematic. Thanks to many web services like Gmail or Google Notebook, it often doesn't matter at all which computer I'm on. ![]() Now, I use both machines pretty randomly, at whim. When setting up the Mini, I copied mostly everything (in target disk mode) from Macbook to it that was a really smooth way to get up and running. I've had a Macbook for some time, and recently got a Mac Mini too (both as desktop & media player computer). ![]()
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