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Sneaker-net

Rsync with removable media as transport.
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I have many files/folders I'd like to synchronize between work and home, but using network bandwidth for it would probably be unwise. I have a 256 MB USB flash drive, but keeping track of which files have been modified, manually copying them over to the drive, and then moving them to the correct place on the target PC would quickly get tedious.

There are solutions out there that will synchronize between two filesystems, but they require a network connection between the machines. I could run a synchronization program at work and another at home, and synchronize each with the contents of the flash drive, but that limits me to 256 MB total of synchronized files. I'd rather that only new/modified files be on the flash drive at any given time.

What I want to do is come home from work with a list of files and their modification dates on my work PC stored on the flash drive. I want to plug in the drive, issue a "synchronize" command, and have all files on my PC that are newer than their equivalents on the work PC copied to the drive. Then when I next go to work, I issue another sync command and the work PC files are overwritten with their equivalents from home. New files on the work PC would likewise be copied to be taken home.

Features:

Specify equivalent for file/folder on remote machines.

Watch file for changes and update on all machines.

Watch folder for changes and update only changed files on all machines.

Compare file's date to that on target. If target is older, overwrite it. If target is newer, either report conflict and let user resolve, or simply delete file from offline media and add target to queue instead (behavior is configurable).

Where possible, files should be usable while on transport media.

Files too large for remaining space on transport media should be split, and completed during a later drop.

Should be possible to set update priority, to ensure some files/folders are updated before all others.

If file is deleted on source, delete it from target.

Give option to apply compression/encryption to files on transport media.

spook, Aug 30 2004

Rsync http://samba.anu.edu.au/rsync/
Network-based synchronization tool. [spook, Oct 04 2004]

Briefcase http://www.microsof...n/bfc_connected.asp
Microsoft's file synchronization utility. [spook, Oct 04 2004]

Zincsync http://www.zincsync.com/
Synchronizes files between a USB drive and only one PC. [spook, Oct 04 2004]

[link]






       Isn't this precisely what the "Briefcase" feature in Windows was supposed to do?
krelnik, Aug 30 2004
  

       Zincsync.com check it out - has much of what you need..
ootleman, Aug 30 2004
  

       Briefcase, as far as I know, will require me to keep a copy of the files on the flash drive permanently. I want to use the drive as a shuttle to move gigabytes' worth of files between two PCs, piecemeal. Correct me if I'm wrong there.   

       Zyncsync is close, but I see this snippet on the purchase page:   

       '"# PCs" represents the number of computers with ZincSync installed. (Each USB drive should be connected to ZincSync on only one machine, though you can access the sync'd files on the USB drives from any computer).'   

       ...So I don't think I could pull the files off the USB drive at work, at least not without ZyncSync trying to re-load them next time I'm at home. Again, correct me if I'm wrong.
spook, Aug 30 2004
  

       You might be right, I've never really used Briefcase. Just noticed the goofy icon for it many times.
krelnik, Aug 30 2004
  
      
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