Mac OS X 10.4 Home Sync Feature

[BWhaler]

When I first read this, I was hoping Apple had a better implementation for us up their sleeves for the whole syncing train wreck that is Tiger...kinda like how they shipped Tiger without 2D quartz.

But my hopes are dashed as I learn this is just a Tiger Server feature.


Bummer.

 

[virividox]

Hold on a second here -- .Mac already does do this with its iDisk feature, which you can keep synchronized across multiple Macs... and you can continue to use the contents of your iDisk even when you don't have an Internet connection! (See your .Mac system preferences.)

The ONLY problem with using iDisk for storing all of your documents is that it is limited in space -- your maximum amount of space is 1 GB. That's a huge bummer.

haha and ur home folder is rarely one gb...

 

[qubex]

My home folder is 32GB.

I like this feature. I'm thinking of setting up OS X Server 10.4 on my 1.42 GHz Mac mini just to take advantage of it. Now, if only Server weren't so damned expensive...

 

[Foocha]

Works with Panther and Tiger server

Just to clear some things up.

We're using Home Sync already at work. We haven't got Tiger server, just Panther Server. Home Sync is completely client side functionality, but Workgroup Manager can "enforce" mobile user accounts just as with many other System Preferences settings.

How it works:
You need to set up the Open Directory user accounts. E.g. all uid/gid/home folder information is available in LDAP. Then you need to get the automounting home folders to work. With this in place you can then log onto any workstation attached to the directory with your roaming user account. When you log on, your home folder is AFP-mounted off the server, no user data is stored locally.

Once you have a proper roaming user, you can log onto a Tiger client with it, and in the System Preferences Accounts screen, you now have a new tickbox option "Create mobile account".

When ticking this, you will be requested to log out and log in again to enable it. Next time you log in and choose to enable, two things happen: Your directory information in LDAP is synced into your local NetInfo database and your homefolder is created locally in /Users and the contents of your roaming home folder on the server is synced into it.

Now you are using a completely "local" account and every now and then (either Manually or Automatically) you sync your local home folder with the server (changes can go both ways).

One interesting point to note is that your Library folder (and as such your Preferences) can't be synced (when selecting folders to sync it is not there). I assume that this is because Library contains lots of "scratch" data (Safari cache etc) as well as your settings. If you have folders that change a lot on both the server and locally, you will end up with many "resolve conflict" dialog boxes. I would like Apple to move this kind of scratch data out of the home folders. This would help also in the case of a completely roaming user account since storing cache over a network connection is kind of pointless.

 

[BartVB]

Ah, this is really good news. I really, really, really need to get a hold of a dump of a Tiger LDAP server so I can try to get the Portable Home Directories working from my Linux server. A decent syncing solution is what I miss most since my switch to the Mac... Would be nice if someone could make a nice howto for this

 

[centauratlas]

I like that too and did when they discussed it for 10.3.

BUT, they need a iPod Photo 250gb for me to do it. I'd gladly pay even a premium for a huge iPod, but have to wait on Apple.

And they need to make sure the drives are fast enough and cool enough to handle it.

Add a phone and camera to it, and I'll carry it instead of my Nokia.

I would prefer a simple home on iPod feature, so you can go from Mac to Mac bringing your home dir with you, and leaving no trace on each computer.

No synching or anything - there is nothing to sync, since there is only one copy: your iPod.

Edit: ideally you wouldn't have to reboot the Mac. You just plug your iPod in to the Firewire port, and your name is added to the Fast user switch menu. You switch users, do your thing, and log out. The other user who was there before you plugged in can then resume.

 

[Fender2112]

On my XP machine at work I use a featured called "Briefcase" to store and sync files to a flash drive or to .Mac account. I can then bring those home and work with them on my Mac. These are mostly Word and Excel files and some web pages.

I think Apple should steal a few ideas from this. It's really simple and does not require "server" software.

I sure somebody already has an Automator for this. I does seem too hard to script.

 

[centauratlas]

... your maximum amount of space is 1 GB. That's a huge bummer.

Exactly. If it was > 200 GB that would be more reasonable for those of us with big home directories.

 

[36183]

does this work in the non-server version of mac os x tiger?

if so i cannot wait to try it out when i get my sister is done with my powerbook.

 

[Foocha]

does this work in the non-server version of mac os x tiger?

if so i cannot wait to try it out when i get my sister is done with my powerbook.

Although the functionality is built into the client, you'll need the correctly configured server in order to use it (works with both Panther and Tiger server).

 

[36183]

Although the functionality is built into the client, you'll need the correctly configured server in order to use it (works with both Panther and Tiger server).

is it possible with out the use of the server cleint? is anyone working on a guide or a walkaround for non-server users?

 

[Foocha]

is it possible with out the use of the server cleint? is anyone working on a guide or a walkaround for non-server users?

Since Home Sync functionality is for syncronising the home folder of a global and local user account (a new kind of a account called "Mobile") it seems unlikley that it will work without a correctly configured server.

The only obvious alternative is syncing your iDisk.

 

[Isidore]

I would prefer a simple home on iPod feature, so you can go from Mac to Mac bringing your home dir with you, and leaving no trace on each computer.

No synching or anything - there is nothing to sync, since there is only one copy: your iPod.

Edit: ideally you wouldn't have to reboot the Mac. You just plug your iPod in to the Firewire port, and your name is added to the Fast user switch menu. You switch users, do your thing, and log out. The other user who was there before you plugged in can then resume.

You can do this now, it works in both Panther and Tiger. you use netinfo manager to change the location where the operating system looks for your home folder from /Users/your user name to /Volumes/portable drive name. Then, you just carry your home folder around in a small portable drive or ipod and plug it in to your home or work mac BEFORE you log in (otherwise you get into all sort of trouble). It's in David Pogues' book 'The Missing Manual' for Panther. Been doing it for a year and it works fine.

 

[Jesus]

Hmm...

Isidore, can you explain to all of us who don't know haw you use complicated system applications how to configure Netinfo Manager to make the system look in monted external HDDs for start-up disks instead of internal ones.

Jesus

 

[pounce]

with three macs at home, and my main powerbook on the go, i'd think this would be stellar. i suspect that when i hop between machines i loose things i'd like such as safari bookmarks and access to any documents of mine. i also have an ipod, so however they all sync is fine with me. i think it's a great time to acknowledge that many average folks like me have multiple computers and have to have some smart way to deal with them. bring it on apple, i'm more than ready.

 

[Crunchy]

Tiger server

I still don't understand if what's being said about Tiger server could be part of a solution to my problem: synching the Documents folder of my on-the-road PowerBook and my at-office PowerMac. It would be better if it could be set to synch only selected folders. I have about 150 GB of AAC/MP3s and wouldn't be able to synch those to my 20 GB TiBook hard drive. Ditto for others with movies or pictures. But the bottom line is: when I write notes at the library or at someone else's house on my PowerBook, it should be straightforward to have that synch up with my files on my PowerBook.

It's my impression that this has been possible with PDAs for many years. But I've never had one, so I'm not sure. If this is all already possible with iSync for Safari bookmarks, addresses, iCal items, and so on, why isn't this possible with text files, Word docs, PDFs, and their folder structures?

And if it's possible, wouldn't this be a great spur to get folks to buy multiple Macs? I used my TiBook as my office computer for 3 years, and now have a desktop, and much prefer the larger screen real estate and speed to that of the PowerBook. Laptops make great second computers as well as great first computers. So it would seem to make good business sense to implement this.

 

[Jesus]

Another idea

In the past I have used Disk Utility to Restore my Laptop, while in Target Disk Mode, from my iMac. This essentialy makes my TiBook a clone of my iMac.

Jesus

 

[Crunchy]

In the past I have used Disk Utility to Restore my Laptop, while in Target Disk Mode, from my iMac. This essentialy makes my TiBook a clone of my iMac.

This is still more of a hassle than it needs to be. Ideally I'd synch up every couple of days, without rebooting. It should just take a minute on each machine. Over the 'Net would be great too. Ideally both would share the same interface, both iPod and 'Net synching. That would be more Mac-like, which is why we plunk down all the change for these boxes.

Maybe I should send a feature request to Apple on this...although I thought the original iPod @ Home description for Panther matched what I'd like.

 

[wdlove]

Reading the thread still don't think I understand this function. Other than it seems that it isn't a program to be able monitor functions of a house.

 

[manu chao]

I would prefer a simple home on iPod feature, so you can go from Mac to Mac bringing your home dir with you, and leaving no trace on each computer.

No synching or anything - there is nothing to sync, since there is only one copy: your iPod.

Edit: ideally you wouldn't have to reboot the Mac. You just plug your iPod in to the Firewire port, and your name is added to the Fast user switch menu. You switch users, do your thing, and log out. The other user who was there before you plugged in can then resume.

I would be even glad if this just worked with external firewire (2.5") drives. With firewire 800 this should be as fast as a Mac Mini or Laptops. However there are some security questions with this. You would not want that I could log into your computer locally just by plugging in my firewire drive. But this could be solved by requiring that any 'mobile' account be approved by a local admin account before they show up the first time in the FUS menu. This would leave a trace on the computer, a trace probably containing your username and password.

 

[manu chao]

I still don't understand if what's being said about Tiger server could be part of a solution to my problem: synching the Documents folder of my on-the-road PowerBook and my at-office PowerMac. It would be better if it could be set to synch only selected folders. I have about 150 GB of AAC/MP3s and wouldn't be able to synch those to my 20 GB TiBook hard drive. Ditto for others with movies or pictures. But the bottom line is: when I write notes at the library or at someone else's house on my PowerBook, it should be straightforward to have that synch up with my files on my PowerBook.

It's my impression that this has been possible with PDAs for many years. But I've never had one, so I'm not sure. If this is all already possible with iSync for Safari bookmarks, addresses, iCal items, and so on, why isn't this possible with text files, Word docs, PDFs, and their folder structures?

And if it's possible, wouldn't this be a great spur to get folks to buy multiple Macs? I used my TiBook as my office computer for 3 years, and now have a desktop, and much prefer the larger screen real estate and speed to that of the PowerBook. Laptops make great second computers as well as great first computers. So it would seem to make good business sense to implement this.

There are third party synchronising apps which should be able to do this (with the help of an external drive). However, complete automation might be difficult and synchronisation will take some time.

 

[dhave_config]

People seem to be a bit confused....

This feature doesn't make much sense unless you've used network user accounts before.

Quick background:

* By network user account, I mean where you have your user account exist, not on your local computer, but in a directory service like LDAP, Active Directory, whatever.

* By 'Mobile Account', I mean the feature of Open Directory where you can designate a user account to be 'mobile'. This is intended for laptop users, and it effectively takes a clone of your network user account and 'copies' it to to the local machine, into the local NetInfo database.

* This Mobile Account will be kept in sync with the network account when the machine is connected to the network and able to talk to the directory service. ie, change the network account password, and your machine will copy that password to your local cloned account.

* Now, what Home Sync does is allow you to keep the home directory of your cloned local account in sync with the *network* home directory of the network account.

So to fool an OS X machine into using it, you would need to convert your existing local account such that your machine believed that it was a mobile account. This probably isn't that hard, just a matter of putting the right fields into NetInfo, ie setting something like:

authentication_authority: ;LocalCachedUser;(the rest of your original authentication authority for the network account)

Oh you'd also have to set the 'original_node_name:' property I reckon.

You would then also have to define the original home directory to be a network share that you could connect to with the same username/password with the 'original_home' property.

If this sounds like a lot of work, well it kind of is.

You can use something like RsyncX or psync to achieve the same thing really. It's also just a bit more work.

I'd like to see Apple come out with a 'Home Server' edition of OS X Server that was cheaper than the 10 user version and oriented towards home users. It would sell quite well I reckon, but would have to be absolutely seamless.

Now that's a project someone could probably do... just come up with an LDAP etc installer pkg for OS X client that achieved the same thing and had some simple admin tools.

 

[morrisce]

This whole idea of syncing has nothing to do with .mac or any type of ipod syncing. It's not for the home user, it's a really good feature to have in a school district with laptops.

The idea of network home directories is just not efficient with laptops, hence why apple gives you the opportunity to set up a LDAP server and designate a Mobile account to that user or their computer. So when they log in they have the option to create a copy of their home folder from the server to their laptop. When someone takes a laptop off the network and uses it and makes changes to files on their mobile home folder, the home folder is synced up on the server when they log into the network again.

It's a "I can take my computer home and work on my files at work and know they will be available anywhere on the network when I sync it up again." type idea. lol

I wrote this really quick, hope it makes sense.

 

[sonyrules]

This would be an awsome idea if it was to come out, I know alot of my customers would love it

 

[wrldwzrd89]

This would be an awsome idea if it was to come out, I know alot of my customers would love it

What do you mean "if it was to come out"? It's already here (with Tiger and Tiger Server).