application to sync folders to USB key

[CrzyCanuck72]

Does anyone know of a (stable) freeware application that will automatically sync certain folder to a USB key when it is connected? What I'd like to do is save Word documents onto my Macbook's harddrive, and then have the folders those files are saved in automatically transferred over to my USB key when I connect it.

TIA

 

[panoz7]

Unix has a built in file syncing command. It's called rsync and is accessible through the terminal. You can combine it with applescript and create a backup/sync action that fits your situation exactly.

 

[CrzyCanuck72]

except I have no idea how to do that..

 

[panoz7]

except I have no idea how to do that..

neither did I... but I figured it out eventually (minus the applescript part)

Search around the forum and you'll find a bunch of threads about rsync. There's also some graphical clients for it (I think one's called rsyncx but I'm not positive).

Here's the first rsync thread that came up. The OP uses an applescript to mount a network drive and then uses rsync to backup all the files. The great thing about rsync is that you can set it up to only backup those files that have changed / been added. It's very powerful.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/186142/

EDIT:

Here's another thread from a few days ago: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/241175/

And here's another graphical rsync client (this is the one I couldn't think of): http://arrsync.sourceforge.net/

Hope that helps!

 

[CrzyCanuck72]

And here's another graphical rsync client (this is the one I couldn't think of): http://arrsync.sourceforge.net/

Hope that helps!

that is great! if only it could run automatically when I connect my USB key though...if anyone else has any ideas, that would be appreciated, but thanks!

 

[mkrishnan]

that is great! if only it could run automatically when I connect my USB key though...if anyone else has any ideas, that would be appreciated, but thanks!

I actually wonder if there's a way for Automator to be used for this...it would seem like "on mount" folder actions could be very useful.

I use RSyncX (as discussed in one of the linked posts). It's not bad... it definitely works quickly, reliably, and easily for things like document transfers. It's a little more problematic for full hard disk backups. It does have a "sync" mode though where it can combine and reconcile two versions of the folder.

There are a few other apps that are even easier to use but lack the industrial-weight backend of rsync, which have been discussed previously here on MR.

There's Chronosync (not free).

Synchronize Folders is a very simple free one, although it seems to have a number of negative comments.

I've heard of others on MR.... might have to go digging for them.

The auto on mount seems like an obvious good idea, though.