Two way file synchronization CCC?

[dpriest]

Hi,
I have a MacBook Pro and iMac where I want to keep files and folders synchronized. I will add or delete files or folders at different times with my iMac as well as my MBP so I don't have one as the "master". I bring my MBP to my office and therefore will change or add files and at home I do the same with my iMac. I currently have CCC 5.0.5 and can turn on file sharing between my both MBP and iMac. My thought process is that once file sharing is on, I would use my iMac to "mount" my MBP and use a synchronization software to do two way file synchronization.

Is this the best way to achieve this and can CCC do this or is there a better choice such as Chronosync or Syncovery?

Thanks for your help in advance.

 

[robgendreau]

I dunno about CCC since I stopped using it quite a while ago, but Chronosync will do that, and it has a nice utilities like ChronoAgent and Interconnex to make synching of other devices even easier.

 

[chabig]

I think the easiest Mac only solution it to to turn on iCloud Documents on both machines. Files will automatically sync. If you need a cross platform solution, use Dropbox. These are automatic and timely sync solutions. Your ideas require manual intervention.

 

[chscag]

Agree with member @chabig. An iCloud solution is easy, just don't forget to increase your iCloud storage if you should decide to go that route.

 

[techwarrior]

Agree with member @chabig. An iCloud solution is easy, just don't forget to increase your iCloud storage if you should decide to go that route.

Ditto that. iCloud will sync everything in Desktop, Documents and iCloud Drive.

 

[dpriest]

Agree with member @chabig. An iCloud solution is easy, just don't forget to increase your iCloud storage if you should decide to go that route.

How would I go about the iCloud solution for two way? I noticed my files and folders are different between both computers. Maybe I have to take the time to have the folders within a folder organized the same at first.

 

[casperes1996]

How would I go about the iCloud solution for two way? I noticed my files and folders are different between both computers. Maybe I have to take the time to have the folders within a folder organized the same at first.

Enable iCloud Documents and Desktop. Now your Desktop and Documents folders become the same on both machines (assuming you have enough space in iCloud). It's that easy. You don't need to prepare them first.

If you want a solution that doesn't require a monthly pay however;

Select a folder you want to sync. Then select Services, and select Folder Action. From here you can set it up so that every time you add something to the folder, it runs a script. Now just make a script that copies what you add to the other Mac, and you're done! Manually created what you want!

 

[dpriest]

Enable iCloud Documents and Desktop. Now your Desktop and Documents folders become the same on both machines (assuming you have enough space in iCloud). It's that easy. You don't need to prepare them first.

If you want a solution that doesn't require a monthly pay however;

Select a folder you want to sync. Then select Services, and select Folder Action. From here you can set it up so that every time you add something to the folder, it runs a script. Now just make a script that copies what you add to the other Mac, and you're done! Manually created what you want!

This sounds like a good option and I would need a walkthrough on how to do this. Let me back up for a moment to see how the two-way works. In a folder called "Real Estate" I want to sync, I have files that exist on my MBP that are not on my iMac and vice versa on my iMac. On my iMac, I have a couple of folders within the Real Estate folder that are not on my MBP and I have moved some of the files that are on both machines to one of those folders on my iMac. What would this look like afterwords whether I use any of the three solutions suggested?

 

[casperes1996]

This sounds like a good option and I would need a walkthrough on how to do this. Let me back up for a moment to see how the two-way works. In a folder called "Real Estate" I want to sync, I have files that exist on my MBP that are not on my iMac and vice versa on my iMac. On my iMac, I have a couple of folders within the Real Estate folder that are not on my MBP and I have moved some of the files that are on both machines to one of those folders on my iMac. What would this look like afterwords whether I use any of the three solutions suggested?

I think I only suggested two solutions....

Anyways, with the iCloud solutions, you can only sync your Documents folder and your Desktop folder. Now if you make the real estate folder inside of the Documents folder that'll work perfectly fine. In that case, if there exists such a folder on both Macs at the time you enable the feature, they won't be merged, but instead both folders will just become accessible on both machines. You can however then merge them after you've enabled the feature and anything you do on one will happen to both.
This is by far the easiest option, but requires that you have enough iCloud storage for all your files.

The second option requires that you set up a script for each folder you want to sync with on both devices, and unlike the aforementioned option, it doesn't exactly merge the files. What it does instead, is that every time you place something in one of the folders you want synced, the computer runs a little program to try and mimic that change on the other computer. Should this operation fail for any reason however, the two will be out of sync, unlike iCloud which will then just make the files accessible once internet or whatever is established again.

If you don't want to write scripts and still have a level of manual manegement iCloud is your best option, in which case it really is just like having a single desktop/documents folder that's the same on both systems.

I use it between my iMac and MacBook . - Files also become accessible on other devices you have like iPhone and iPad.

 

[dpriest]

I think I only suggested two solutions....

Anyways, with the iCloud solutions, you can only sync your Documents folder and your Desktop folder. Now if you make the real estate folder inside of the Documents folder that'll work perfectly fine. In that case, if there exists such a folder on both Macs at the time you enable the feature, they won't be merged, but instead both folders will just become accessible on both machines. You can however then merge them after you've enabled the feature and anything you do on one will happen to both.
This is by far the easiest option, but requires that you have enough iCloud storage for all your files.

The second option requires that you set up a script for each folder you want to sync with on both devices, and unlike the aforementioned option, it doesn't exactly merge the files. What it does instead, is that every time you place something in one of the folders you want synced, the computer runs a little program to try and mimic that change on the other computer. Should this operation fail for any reason however, the two will be out of sync, unlike iCloud which will then just make the files accessible once internet or whatever is established again.

If you don't want to write scripts and still have a level of manual manegement iCloud is your best option, in which case it really is just like having a single desktop/documents folder that's the same on both systems.

I use it between my iMac and MacBook . - Files also become accessible on other devices you have like iPhone and iPad.

The iCloud option seems better for the merging ability. I already have Carbon Copy Cloner and I wonder if that merges both ways. The only issue with the cloud is that the information is on the internet and some folders in my documents folder I don't want on the cloud. I also wonder about Chronosync.

 

[casperes1996]

The iCloud option seems better for the merging ability. I already have Carbon Copy Cloner and I wonder if that merges both ways. The only issue with the cloud is that the information is on the internet and some folders in my documents folder I don't want on the cloud. I also wonder about Chronosync.

Unless you spread links to your data yourself, it's as secure as encryption gets. It uses several layers of RSA-2048 and AES to secure the data transfers.

I have no experience with the other tools. I use rsync and dd (command line utilities)

 

[dpriest]

Unless you spread links to your data yourself, it's as secure as encryption gets. It uses several layers of RSA-2048 and AES to secure the data transfers.

I have no experience with the other tools. I use rsync and dd (command line utilities)

Ok. I'll give iCloud a try and see how it goes. Thanks for your help. Cheers.

 

[simonsi]

Seriously you could have done this by now. Use iCloud or Dropbox as you prefer and space requires, if you have stuff you "don't want on the internet" then either exclude it (place it elsewhere), and make work for yourself or further encrypt it within the iCloud or Dropbox folders.