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Wolfpup

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Sep 7, 2006
2,937
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http://www.2brightsparks.com/syncback/

I use Syncback both for backups from my system, and then ensuring I have a backup of a backup drive, since it includes things like download GOG.com games.

Is there anything like this for OS X?

I actually think Time Machine *MIGHT* work for me, if it stores things in a format readable by any PC, which I THINK it does. Like just stores files in a normal director structure and leaves the files alone, doesn't compress them in some proprietary format.

But that still leaves me needing to keep two copies of files I don't store on my PC...
 
There's Carbon Copy Cloner which many of us use. CCC is a great product allowing you to do full or incremental backups. Its much more flexible then TimeMachine and its quick. I recommend this.

There's also ChronoSync that may sound like its a fit
 
I use Chronosync regularly for my main backup and synchronising documents between computers. It is quite flexible and stores files in their original format.
CCC may also work, but I do not use it for this purpose.
 
I use Windows Syncback free, not for periodic automatic backup of the entire hard drive, but for periodic manual backups of specific folders. I create a profile that directs Syncback to check for file differences between folder X on the computer and folder Y on an external drive, and to resolve the differences as directed in the profile (e.g., copy files from folder X to folder Y). I can have as many profiles as I need for respective folders and/or file sets I want backed up. I love it because it has made it very uncomplicated to back up specific files or files in specific folders.

Does Carbon Copy Cloner, ChronoSync, or any other OS X program offer the same functionality - manual, user-triggered backups of specific folders/files using profiles or the like?
 
http://www.2brightsparks.com/syncback/

I use Syncback both for backups from my system, and then ensuring I have a backup of a backup drive, since it includes things like download GOG.com games.

Is there anything like this for OS X?

Try Decimus Synk. I use it to keep a full backup of my work files on an SD card in case my HDD dies. It also allows me to easily move files to another machine.

I use Windows Syncback free, not for periodic automatic backup of the entire hard drive, but for periodic manual backups of specific folders. I create a profile that directs Syncback to check for file differences between folder X on the computer and folder Y on an external drive, and to resolve the differences as directed in the profile (e.g., copy files from folder X to folder Y). I can have as many profiles as I need for respective folders and/or file sets I want backed up. I love it because it has made it very uncomplicated to back up specific files or files in specific folders.

Does Carbon Copy Cloner, ChronoSync, or any other OS X program offer the same functionality - manual, user-triggered backups of specific folders/files using profiles or the like?

Synk does that.
 
Now I feel stupid...I don't think I ever needed a third party program at all under Windows. It looks like Windows NT 6's Robocopy command line command does the job, and is suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuper easy to use.

Looks like it's literally just robocopy [source directory] [destination directory] /mir (for 'mirrior')...and that does it. Throw all my backups in a batch file, and boom, done...actually easier to configure than Syncback is, unless I'm forgetting/missing something lol. Even prints out exactly what changes it's made, and the transfer rate (and has fancy network options too).

So anyway, I'm wondering if this miring can be duplicated in OS X.

Looks like the cp (copy) command MIGHT do it? But not sure it takes care of deleting files.

This has become a bit of a project ;) Spent the last few hours writing batch files to automate my backups without a third party program (since I don't 130% trust them).
 
So anyway, I'm wondering if this miring can be duplicated in OS X.

Looks like the cp (copy) command MIGHT do it? But not sure it takes care of deleting files.

This has become a bit of a project ;) Spent the last few hours writing batch files to automate my backups without a third party program (since I don't 130% trust them).
If you are comfortable with scripting on the Mac then you probably want to look at rsync rather than cp. It will do everything that the rather clunky robocopy will do, and more.
 
Looks like it's literally just robocopy [source directory] [destination directory] /mir (for 'mirrior')...and that does it.
Microsoft created robocopy because their prior copy programs failed to include security and other attributes, where as cp does this.

I'd say cp is much more robust copy program then robocopy is, so I'd not worry too much about this. Don't get me wrong, I use robocopy and I'm using it now to sync a new file server at work.
 
Microsoft created robocopy because their prior copy programs failed to include security and other attributes, where as cp does this.

I'd say cp is much more robust copy program then robocopy is, so I'd not worry too much about this. Don't get me wrong, I use robocopy and I'm using it now to sync a new file server at work.

Thanks! I was wondering if cp could duplicate that mirroring functionality. I'll have to play with it.
 
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