Automatic backups with Dropbox and SugarSync

Backing up to a separate hard drive with Time Machine brings some peace of mind, but things can still go wrong. What if it is stolen? What if it malfunctions? What if it is destroyed by fire?

So it’s good to know that services such as Dropbox and SugarSync offer 2 GB of free storage that can be used for off-site backup. Dropbox has a slick, easy-to-use interface, but using it for automatic backups requires a bit of tinkering. On the other hand, SugarSync is a bit awkward to use, but it’s still easier to make a folder on your Mac sync with one in the cloud.

Dropbox and symbolic links

The thing about Dropbox is that it is designed to be a “box” (actually a folder on your Mac) where you drop files so that they are synced with Dropbox on the Internet. But you have to do it yourself.

That’s why I was happy to come across this article at Frugle that shows how to use Terminal to create symbolic links in the Dropbox folder so that any changes made to a file in the linked folder would be reflected in the cloud. (A symbolic link is similar to an alias, but apparently an alias won’t work.) And so I made a symbolic link for Documents.

Steamed up

This method was working fine until I downloaded a game called Portal, which (as I write this) is being given away free as way of promoting the Steam gaming website. The trouble is that Steam insists on storing the data for Portal in the Documents folder. If you take it out, it loses track of the data and asks you to download the game again.

Needless to say, this data quickly maxed out Dropbox’s free 2 GB limit. The solution was to take out the symbolic link to the Documents folder, and replace it with several symbolic links to subfolders. But doing that in Terminal would be just plain tedious.

Where there’s a will, there’s freeware

Luckily, freeware once again came to the rescue in the form of SymbolicLinker. You add it as a service in your Mac’s Library folder, and when you right (or control) click on a file, you see the option of making it a symbolic link.

I got busy and did that with the folders I really wanted backed up, and now have plenty of space in Dropbox.

But why not avoid this fuss by using SugarSync?

SugarSync is not as well known as Dropbox, but it too offers 2 GB of free space. This service is poorly promoted, but if you hunt around the site, you’ll find it.

SugarSync, although a bit gangly, has a lot in common as Dropbox in the way it is implemented. The big advantage is that it will automatically backup changes to your files without the rigamarole of creating symbolic links. You simply use the free file manager to point at the folders you want synced.

So which is better?

Of course, there’s nothing to say you have to choose one service over the other. If you’ve got a lot of data to backup, why not use both?

date posted Posted Saturday, May 15, 2010 in

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  1. If you haven’t gotten Dropbox, get it now. Dropbox is a backup tool that lets you sync your files between multiple computers. You simply install the software on all computers you want to sync your files on. Then simply drag and drop your files into a folder that Dropbox software creates on your desktop and voila the files are now also on your other computers. No more need for a usb stick.

    Sync your files online and across computers with @Dropbox. 2GB account is free! http://db.tt/dw2gacy

    simon





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