automatic backups onto samba drive?

Racer D · #1 March 21st, 2004, 12:11 PM

I decided I need to backup my documents regularly and now I'm looking for ways on how to do it. What I'd like is some application / script, that would check for differences between a folder on my disk and a folder on a mounted share and if there have been differences made it would copy the files over. And I would like the app to run automatically like every day at 5am or something (I can do this via cron if the app can start syncing on its own when it's run).

so, any ideas? maybe I should try finding some unix stuff that does this? doesn't iDisk work like that, can I fake one?

Zammy-Sam · #2 March 21st, 2004, 03:35 PM

Apples backup works just fine. Just one thing to consider when you use samba drives: filename length max 30 (or so) characters.

**fryke** · #3 March 21st, 2004, 03:40 PM

huh? 256 characters, I thought. It's rather the infamous characters that won't work right sometimes... But any backup tool like SilverKeeper (free, see versiontracker.com) should basically do fine.

Racer D · #4 March 21st, 2004, 04:05 PM

apple's backup seems to only work for .mac users
silverkeeper has broken scheduling in panther they say :/
downloaded a trial of tri-backup, but didn't like it :/ seems kinda confusing and not really responsive.

Zammy-Sam · #5 March 22nd, 2004, 02:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fryke

huh? 256 characters, I thought. It's rather the infamous characters that won't work right sometimes... But any backup tool like SilverKeeper (free, see versiontracker.com) should basically do fine.

No, this is not right. I just used a text file with a long filename. Wasn't able to copy it to my samba drive. After reducing the sign to 27 characters it worked. I was just using "a"s.
However, you don't need a .mac account for apples backup. I am using it right now without the .mac account...

**fryke** · #6 March 22nd, 2004, 03:41 AM

Yes, but in order to _have_ it you need a .mac account, Zammy... ;-)

Zammy-Sam · #7 March 22nd, 2004, 03:49 AM

Hehe, then what about this: sign in for the 60days free .mac account and get your hands on backup.

I had my .mac one year ago and still I can update it, even though I canceled it for this year..

egilDOTnet · #8 March 22nd, 2004, 08:36 AM

You should check out Syncronize Pro from Qdea. It has a truckload of options when you really want to tap into its potential, yet is so easy to set up for automatic syncronizations and backups that its plain silly. I use it all the time for both bootable backups, partial backups, backups over SMB (my network shares to a fw backup drive), syncronization between USB thumdrives/pendrives and my laptop disk and so forth... Also, they have excellent customer support.

Yes, its shareware, but worth its price in full.