9 ms·

"DIY Dropbox" or "2-way directory (r)sync with proper deletion"

82 points by sickill 15y ago

thelema314 15y ago
Unison anyone? http://www.cis.upenn.edu/~bcpierce/unison/ http://www.cis.upenn.edu/~bcpierce/unison/
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
- bryanlarsen 15y ago
  I've been using Unison successfully on critical documents for over 5 years.
- aoisjef 15y ago
  I've just started using Unison and it exactly fits my needs. Unlike dropbox, it only does work when I run it, and I can manually sort through the conflicts when I choose to run it (which is a good thing). It also doesn't require a central server, so I can just use it to sync my laptop and PC. Tarsnap is used for offsite backup, which I trust much more than myself or dropbox.
- gwillen 15y ago
  Unison has mostly been trouble for me. I'm definitely in need of a replacement for it. Doing point to multipoint syncing, it tends to get confused and need to be manually resynchronized; and above a certain total directory byte size, which I've long since exceeded, it can't sync at all (and you have to manually break your directory into pieces and sync them separately.)
icebraining 15y ago
Simple 2 way sync is old news, there are hundreds of applications for it. Dropbox adds "cloud" storage, versioning, web access and more importantly: ease of use.
- est 15y ago
  and DHT for instant uploading.
- Mad_Dud 15y ago
  Sometimes it's not acceptable to store data on external server without root on it. For these kind of uses Unison (mentioned in previous comments) is decent solution, but also AeroFS (aerofs.com), which works much smoother (less collision problems). Anyway syncing data on several devices must became standard soon.
  - eropple 15y ago
    AeroFS also has a Windows port that works, too. I had no end of trouble with the Unison port.
- jpdoctor 15y ago
  > and more importantly: ease of use. I'll take "Business Risk" for $200, Alex.
- joelthelion 15y ago
  Does anyone know how sparkleshare (http://sparkleshare.org/ http://sparkleshare.org/) compares?
  - jsilence 15y ago
    Tried it a couple of weeks ago and could not get it to sync between a couple of Mac machines. Dropped the experiment soon after.
Edootjuh 15y ago
I've been using unison for exactly this for ages. I was wondering whether this will add automatic uploading on file change, but alas, all it suggest is using cron for it.
- lloeki 15y ago
  If you have your DIY solution, maybe you can add GAMIN [0] to the mix. There are quite straightforward python bindings. [0] http://people.gnome.org/~veillard/gamin/overview.html http://people.gnome.org/~veillard/gamin/overview.html
flexd 15y ago
What about Lipsync? [1] I believe it was mentioned here on HN when the project first appeared. 1. https://github.com/philcryer/lipsync https://github.com/philcryer/lipsync
jzb 15y ago
Calling this "Dropbox" is misleading without automatic uploading when files change. Bummed.
- nesquena 15y ago
  You may want to check out our our DIY dropbox attempt: https://github.com/bazaarlabs/gitdocs https://github.com/bazaarlabs/gitdocs Automatic uploading, web front-end and versioning.
deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
Shorel 15y ago
I would take a modified Tortoise SVN client over this about 100% of the time.
swatthatfly 15y ago
Dropbox has also clients for Android and iOS. Mobile sync would indeed be great combined with local hosting. Sparkle Share made an attempt, but it's still far behind Dropbox. This "DIY Dropbox" is not even beginning to scratch the surface of what is available in Dropbox. Perhaps an attempt to start development on a competitive DIY solution, but far from a replacement.
dlikhten 15y ago
Why not use aerofs.com? I mean thats the goal, server-less dropbox. The server is just a communication means, it does not store anything unless you ask it to.
- anddd 15y ago
  > Sign Up for an Invite That's why.
  - cmars 15y ago
    Also closed-source, proprietary software.
    - dlikhten 15y ago
      At some point convenience trumps oss. Ask for an invite, you will get one fairly fast. Unlike dropbox it actually works when I need it (new computer) vs dropbox which coughs blood when I need it, and works fine when I don't [dropbox initial dl speed is 0.01kbps for a few hrs, aerofs caps out my bandwidth].
      - anddd 15y ago
        > Ask for an invite, you will get one fairly fast. ander.faier@gmail.com
slug 15y ago
https://code.google.com/p/lsyncd/ https://code.google.com/p/lsyncd/ "Lsyncd watches a local directory trees event monitor interface (inotify). It aggregates and combines events for a few seconds and then spawns one (or more) process(es) to synchronize the changes. By default this is rsync. Lsyncd is thus a light-weight live mirror solution that is comparatively easy to install not requiring new filesystems or blockdevices and does not hamper local filesystem performance."
- gregholmberg 15y ago
  Lsyncd works pretty well. It was much simpler to install, operate and develop for than the MogileFS solution it replaced. http://code.google.com/p/mogilefs http://code.google.com/p/mogilefs http://danga.com/mogilefs http://danga.com/mogilefs
ericb 15y ago
Are some of these cross-platform?
rhizome 15y ago
I'd say that this could really take off if they implemented federated storage, such that there was sync'ing across multiple storage instances (a semi-cloud, if you will). Furthermore, I see where encryption could be used to facilitate ad-hoc federation among people who might not normally trust each other, like a Tor of storage.
gwillen 15y ago
People are claiming in the comments that this isn't new, but this is the first such _open source_ program I've seen since Unison, which I am badly in need of a replacement for. So I for one will check it out.
- ramy_d 15y ago
  sparkleshare? edit: seems like i'm the only one mentioning sparkleshare, so here are some links: http://sparkleshare.org/ http://sparkleshare.org/ https://github.com/hbons/SparkleShare https://github.com/hbons/SparkleShare https://github.com/wimh/SparkleShare https://github.com/wimh/SparkleShare windows branch
  - viraptor 15y ago
    I couldn't find this on their pages - does anyone know if it clones the whole repo, or just the current versions? Also, can it get rid of old versions of files to save space on the server?
audionerd 15y ago
Pair with a Guardfile and guard-shell to sync whenever a local file changes – https://github.com/guard/guard-shell
nesquena 15y ago
Would be curious how you guys would compare this library to gitdocs, our DIY dropbox attempt: https://github.com/bazaarlabs/gitdocs https://github.com/bazaarlabs/gitdocs Ours includes a full web front-end, versioning, 'cloud' (git) storage, and relatively easy install. Oh, unix cross-platform too (with some windows kinks being worked out).

82 points by sickill 15y ago

thelema314 15y ago

Unison anyone? http://www.cis.upenn.edu/~bcpierce/unison/ http://www.cis.upenn.edu/~bcpierce/unison/

deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
bryanlarsen 15y ago
I've been using Unison successfully on critical documents for over 5 years.
aoisjef 15y ago
I've just started using Unison and it exactly fits my needs. Unlike dropbox, it only does work when I run it, and I can manually sort through the conflicts when I choose to run it (which is a good thing). It also doesn't require a central server, so I can just use it to sync my laptop and PC. Tarsnap is used for offsite backup, which I trust much more than myself or dropbox.
gwillen 15y ago
Unison has mostly been trouble for me. I'm definitely in need of a replacement for it. Doing point to multipoint syncing, it tends to get confused and need to be manually resynchronized; and above a certain total directory byte size, which I've long since exceeded, it can't sync at all (and you have to manually break your directory into pieces and sync them separately.)

icebraining 15y ago

Simple 2 way sync is old news, there are hundreds of applications for it. Dropbox adds "cloud" storage, versioning, web access and more importantly: ease of use.

est 15y ago
and DHT for instant uploading.
Mad_Dud 15y ago
Sometimes it's not acceptable to store data on external server without root on it. For these kind of uses Unison (mentioned in previous comments) is decent solution, but also AeroFS (aerofs.com), which works much smoother (less collision problems). Anyway syncing data on several devices must became standard soon.
- eropple 15y ago
  AeroFS also has a Windows port that works, too. I had no end of trouble with the Unison port.
jpdoctor 15y ago
> and more importantly: ease of use. I'll take "Business Risk" for $200, Alex.
joelthelion 15y ago
Does anyone know how sparkleshare (http://sparkleshare.org/ http://sparkleshare.org/) compares?
- jsilence 15y ago
  Tried it a couple of weeks ago and could not get it to sync between a couple of Mac machines. Dropped the experiment soon after.

Edootjuh 15y ago

I've been using unison for exactly this for ages. I was wondering whether this will add automatic uploading on file change, but alas, all it suggest is using cron for it.

lloeki 15y ago
If you have your DIY solution, maybe you can add GAMIN [0] to the mix. There are quite straightforward python bindings. [0] http://people.gnome.org/~veillard/gamin/overview.html http://people.gnome.org/~veillard/gamin/overview.html

flexd 15y ago

What about Lipsync? [1] I believe it was mentioned here on HN when the project first appeared. 1. https://github.com/philcryer/lipsync https://github.com/philcryer/lipsync

jzb 15y ago

Calling this "Dropbox" is misleading without automatic uploading when files change. Bummed.

nesquena 15y ago
You may want to check out our our DIY dropbox attempt: https://github.com/bazaarlabs/gitdocs https://github.com/bazaarlabs/gitdocs Automatic uploading, web front-end and versioning.

deleted 15y ago

[deleted]

Shorel 15y ago

I would take a modified Tortoise SVN client over this about 100% of the time.

swatthatfly 15y ago

Dropbox has also clients for Android and iOS. Mobile sync would indeed be great combined with local hosting. Sparkle Share made an attempt, but it's still far behind Dropbox. This "DIY Dropbox" is not even beginning to scratch the surface of what is available in Dropbox. Perhaps an attempt to start development on a competitive DIY solution, but far from a replacement.

dlikhten 15y ago

Why not use aerofs.com? I mean thats the goal, server-less dropbox. The server is just a communication means, it does not store anything unless you ask it to.

anddd 15y ago
> Sign Up for an Invite That's why.
- cmars 15y ago
  Also closed-source, proprietary software.
  - dlikhten 15y ago
    At some point convenience trumps oss. Ask for an invite, you will get one fairly fast. Unlike dropbox it actually works when I need it (new computer) vs dropbox which coughs blood when I need it, and works fine when I don't [dropbox initial dl speed is 0.01kbps for a few hrs, aerofs caps out my bandwidth].
    - anddd 15y ago
      > Ask for an invite, you will get one fairly fast. ander.faier@gmail.com

slug 15y ago

https://code.google.com/p/lsyncd/ https://code.google.com/p/lsyncd/ "Lsyncd watches a local directory trees event monitor interface (inotify). It aggregates and combines events for a few seconds and then spawns one (or more) process(es) to synchronize the changes. By default this is rsync. Lsyncd is thus a light-weight live mirror solution that is comparatively easy to install not requiring new filesystems or blockdevices and does not hamper local filesystem performance."

gregholmberg 15y ago
Lsyncd works pretty well. It was much simpler to install, operate and develop for than the MogileFS solution it replaced. http://code.google.com/p/mogilefs http://code.google.com/p/mogilefs http://danga.com/mogilefs http://danga.com/mogilefs

ericb 15y ago

Are some of these cross-platform?

rhizome 15y ago

I'd say that this could really take off if they implemented federated storage, such that there was sync'ing across multiple storage instances (a semi-cloud, if you will). Furthermore, I see where encryption could be used to facilitate ad-hoc federation among people who might not normally trust each other, like a Tor of storage.

gwillen 15y ago

People are claiming in the comments that this isn't new, but this is the first such _open source_ program I've seen since Unison, which I am badly in need of a replacement for. So I for one will check it out.

ramy_d 15y ago
sparkleshare? edit: seems like i'm the only one mentioning sparkleshare, so here are some links: http://sparkleshare.org/ http://sparkleshare.org/ https://github.com/hbons/SparkleShare https://github.com/hbons/SparkleShare https://github.com/wimh/SparkleShare https://github.com/wimh/SparkleShare windows branch
- viraptor 15y ago
  I couldn't find this on their pages - does anyone know if it clones the whole repo, or just the current versions? Also, can it get rid of old versions of files to save space on the server?

audionerd 15y ago

Pair with a Guardfile and guard-shell to sync whenever a local file changes – https://github.com/guard/guard-shell

nesquena 15y ago

Would be curious how you guys would compare this library to gitdocs, our DIY dropbox attempt: https://github.com/bazaarlabs/gitdocs https://github.com/bazaarlabs/gitdocs Ours includes a full web front-end, versioning, 'cloud' (git) storage, and relatively easy install. Oh, unix cross-platform too (with some windows kinks being worked out).