Author Topic: Mac: creating an automatically synced folder  (Read 1217 times)

Mac: creating an automatically synced folder
« on: 17 April, 2022, 09:25:27 pm »
I used to know this, and indeed previously had such a folder, but need some pointers to bring it back to me. All I want to do is create a folder that updates its contents to match another folder when changes occur.

Automator? Smart folder?  ???

PaulF

  • "World's Scariest Barman"
  • It's only impossible if you stop to think about it
Re: Mac: creating an automatically synced folder
« Reply #1 on: 17 April, 2022, 11:08:01 pm »
A tool like ChronoSync set to run every few minutes or even Dropbox?

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: Mac: creating an automatically synced folder
« Reply #2 on: 18 April, 2022, 12:06:09 am »
Is this two folders on the same volume, or effectively a back-up on another volume?
It is simpler than it looks.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Mac: creating an automatically synced folder
« Reply #3 on: 18 April, 2022, 12:10:33 am »
Sounds like a job for rsync, but no doubt there's a more fruity way to achieve it.

Re: Mac: creating an automatically synced folder
« Reply #4 on: 18 April, 2022, 07:02:31 am »
Is this two folders on the same volume, or effectively a back-up on another volume?

Both folders are on a NAS, one public, the other not.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Mac: creating an automatically synced folder
« Reply #5 on: 18 April, 2022, 12:13:07 pm »
In that case, a symbolic link might be sufficient (I'm assuming the NAS is Linux and supports such things).  Should be easy (ln -s command) if you can get a shell on the NAS.  I believe there are hacks for making such things possible over a samba share (mfsymlinks), but I think that tells samba to do the interpretation, rather than creating a link on the underlying filesystem.

Re: Mac: creating an automatically synced folder
« Reply #6 on: 18 April, 2022, 06:21:45 pm »
Would just making an alias work?

Re: Mac: creating an automatically synced folder
« Reply #7 on: 18 April, 2022, 08:06:20 pm »
I don’t think so. It’s needed for Sonos so I think it needs to access the files themselves directly.

Re: Mac: creating an automatically synced folder
« Reply #8 on: 19 April, 2022, 03:30:27 pm »
Just a thought - easy enough to try. Perhaps something like Chronosync Express? Seems like it would do the job for not a lot of money. I did use the heavy duty version years ago for back ups, but back then the interface was confusing at best and I moved to SuperDuper! which has worked perfectly ever since. Just one guy though, which is always a slight worry if he decides to retire, or gets ill.
https://www.econtechnologies.com/chronosync/what-is-chronosync.html