Syncing Documents

mpw_amherstmpw_amherst
Posted:
in macOS edited January 2014
I've got both an iMac and a Powerbook and am often creating a document or editing an essay on one and then wanting it on the other. I'm also signed up to .Mac and have back up. I'm not really sure of the most efficient and easiest way of doing this, but I'd love my Documents folder (in the Home folder) to sync automatically so that whenever I edit a file I know that it's the most up to date version, regardless of which machine I'm working on and that if I start a new essay on my iMac that I will find it on my Powerbook. Do i need to use my iDisc for this or what?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 4
    zenarcadezenarcade Posts: 126member
    I think so. This is at least how I am doing it.



    very easy. painless. ultraCOOL



    Zon
  • Reply 2 of 4
    mpw_amherstmpw_amherst Posts: 563member
    But I can see how I can edit and save a version and always use it from my iDisc. What I want is a hard copy in my Documents folder on my iMac then updates my iDisc with every update and adds any new files so that when I switch on my laptop it updates the Documents folder from iDisc. Can I do this? And if so how?
  • Reply 3 of 4
    xoolxool Posts: 2,460member
    Ok, here's what you do, or at least try. Be sure to backup your iDisk first.



    Enable iDisk syncing on both macs. This makes it operate like a local disk but syncs your changes in the background to the .mac servers. If both machines are enabled like this, they should be able to pick up each others' changes and sync them up locally.



    The problem is I don't know how quickly the other macs will see your saved changes. Also, I don't know which programs are smart enough to detect outside edits to trigger a reload of the document (BBEdit does). I haven't really played around with this feature of iDisk, as I only use server-based iDis myself.



    An alternate option is to use a collaborative text editor like SubEthaEdit. Two connected users can edit a shared document at the same time, just as you share a chat via iChat. You could use a program like this to keep the same document open in both machines and always see the changes.
  • Reply 4 of 4
    lundylundy Posts: 4,466member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by mpw_amherst

    But I can see how I can edit and save a version and always use it from my iDisc. What I want is a hard copy in my Documents folder on my iMac then updates my iDisc with every update and adds any new files so that when I switch on my laptop it updates the Documents folder from iDisc. Can I do this? And if so how?



    Yeah, there is iDisk syncing, and then there is the dot-mac syncing. I think what you are looking for is for the Documents folder to be able to be synced like the Contacts or the Bookmarks. So far, the items able to be synced only include the ones in the list of the dot-mac preference pane under "Sync". Too bad we can't add folders to that list, but I think the storage-space issue is the problem.



    If you want a kludge, try putting your essay in the comments field of an address book entry, calendar event, or keychain note, or the signature of one of your email accounts. That would be cool to see.
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