(Solved)Synchronising Files between Mint/Ubuntu
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There are no such things as "stupid" questions. However if you think your question is a bit stupid, then this is the right place for you to post it. Stick to easy to-the-point questions that you feel people can answer fast. For long and complicated questions use the other forums in the support section.
Before you post read how to get help. Topics in this forum are automatically closed 6 months after creation.
(Solved)Synchronising Files between Mint/Ubuntu
I currently dual-boot my laptop with Ubuntu 10.04 and Mint 9. All of my working files are currently on Ubuntu and when I boot Mint I have access to these files via the Ubuntu partition. This works fine but I was wondering mainly for security reasons I have duplicated all of my working files to the Mint partition as well. The idea being that should something happen to the Ubuntu partition I would still be able to carry on working in Mint or vice versa. I guess this will make even better sense if I could now also synchronise the files on both partitions so that any changes I make in files on the one partition will also take place in the files on the other? Is such a thing possible and how would one go about it to set this up, and does it even make sense from a practical point of view?
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 2 times in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
Re: Synchronising Files between Mint/Ubuntu
Lot's of options for this, probably only a few would meet your needs.
Personally, I would have a data partition set to be mounted by either OS with only the one copy of the file on the computer. I would then maintain a backup off of the computer.
I have used one Dropbox account to maintain copies of files on two computers so that they could be accessed at home or work and be synchronized when I changed locations. It would be interesting to find out if you could install the same account on two OS installs on the same computer. If you can, it would probably only synchronize at the time you boot into each OS. Still, you would have a disaster fallback.
Symlinks with both partitions mounted would only give you one copy of the file, no security in that. I have read about hard links, but that may have been a Win7 thing and not a Linux option, and I do not know if they would work.
You could try rsync and whatever GUI frontend suits you best. But this may give you backups instead of copies of the files. Even if it can be configured to give you copies of the files, it probably would not be on the fly as you made the changes. You would probably have to schedule sync jobs.
Hope some of this sounds useful.
Personally, I would have a data partition set to be mounted by either OS with only the one copy of the file on the computer. I would then maintain a backup off of the computer.
I have used one Dropbox account to maintain copies of files on two computers so that they could be accessed at home or work and be synchronized when I changed locations. It would be interesting to find out if you could install the same account on two OS installs on the same computer. If you can, it would probably only synchronize at the time you boot into each OS. Still, you would have a disaster fallback.
Symlinks with both partitions mounted would only give you one copy of the file, no security in that. I have read about hard links, but that may have been a Win7 thing and not a Linux option, and I do not know if they would work.
You could try rsync and whatever GUI frontend suits you best. But this may give you backups instead of copies of the files. Even if it can be configured to give you copies of the files, it probably would not be on the fly as you made the changes. You would probably have to schedule sync jobs.
Hope some of this sounds useful.
Re: Synchronising Files between Mint/Ubuntu
Thank you very much for your response to my problem. I really like your idea of the data partition and will consider this. Sounds like the best option. Not so sure though if I could get this done without messing something up in the process. I have an 80 GB disk currently split 40/40 between the two OS, data only about 2 GB, so I have enough space it is just the know-how on how to accomplish this without messing it all up that keeps me from trying to do this. Once again thank you very much. Have a nice day.
Re: Synchronising Files between Mint/Ubuntu
...I would still be able to carry on working in Mint or vice versagermanix wrote:The idea being that should something happen to the Ubuntu partition I would still be able to carry on working in Mint or vice versa.
There are various file sync applications available for Linux, as well as snapshot (image files) and backup programs, which can be used for file differences: that is incremental backup..
http://linuxappfinder.com/backupandreco ... chronizing
rsync is the original, and many programs simply put a front end GUI around it
- Unison
- rsync
- dropbox..
The problem as always is; can you really get the data should the hard drive fail and your system is borked for good..
--NO, not with a normal backup program using the drive(s) that are now toast.
That idea..
Hardlinks and symbolic links are a UNIX/Linux innovation, later adopted in some fashion by other OS types (OS2, NT)
http://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/understan ... links.html
Re: Synchronising Files between Mint/Ubuntu
I thank you for your advice, it is certainly worth looking into.i do back-up my files on a regular basis to an external drive. The dumb thing that I do is as I dual boot with Ubuntu, I sometimes have Ubuntu open and change some of the contents of a file and tomorrow I boot with Mint and open the same file, and then realise that I had the older version in front of me, and then I have to go back to the Ubuntu file which is simple enough but after some time you lose track of which files are the updated ones. I guess at the end of the day I should decide which of the two OS´s I want to use and remove the other. It is just that people are always asking me about Linux and then I have two flavours on my laptop I could show them, also I kind of like both and cannot make up my mind which one to keep.
Re: Synchronising Files between Mint/Ubuntu
Until you decide which OS you wish to stick with...
Boot with a LiveCD (Ubuntu, Mint or some other, it doesn't matter). Do Not open any documents in either the Ubuntu or Mint partitions. Open the partitioning tool, in Mint it will either be called GParted or Partition Manager.
If you are taking space from only one of the OSes; select its partition, click <resize>, enter the amount of free space either before or after then tab out of the entry box. Click OK. In the application's main window click apply. You can now select the free space, format it as you data partition (ext3/ext4/et cetera), and use it.
If you are taking space from both of the OSes, you go to the same steps, BUT for the least manipulation, select the free space to go after the first when you re-size it, and before the second after you re-size it. Format the free space and then start moving data.
Hope this reduces your stress
Is not difficult. First make sure you have up to date backups of all important files. Then decide how much space you need for one copy of your documents. You will be taking this space from either the Mint or Ubuntu partition, or a little from each.germanix wrote:...idea of the data partition and will consider this. Sounds like the best option. Not so sure though if I could get this done without messing something up in the process. I have an 80 GB disk currently split 40/40 between the two OS, data only about 2 GB, so I have enough space it is just the know-how on how to accomplish this without messing it all up that keeps me from trying to do this.
Boot with a LiveCD (Ubuntu, Mint or some other, it doesn't matter). Do Not open any documents in either the Ubuntu or Mint partitions. Open the partitioning tool, in Mint it will either be called GParted or Partition Manager.
If you are taking space from only one of the OSes; select its partition, click <resize>, enter the amount of free space either before or after then tab out of the entry box. Click OK. In the application's main window click apply. You can now select the free space, format it as you data partition (ext3/ext4/et cetera), and use it.
If you are taking space from both of the OSes, you go to the same steps, BUT for the least manipulation, select the free space to go after the first when you re-size it, and before the second after you re-size it. Format the free space and then start moving data.
Hope this reduces your stress
Re: Synchronising Files between Mint/Ubuntu
Wow Dawgdog, thanks for this. It sounds simple enough and this would definitely solve my problem. But please bear with me. I am still somewhat confused and I am trying to understand how this would work in practice. By doing what you suggested, am I in fact now creating a shared "Home Folder" which both OS´s would recognise as "Home"? meaning when I then boot into any system would I then see this newly created data partition as a home folder on my system or will I just see a data partition which I will have to mount in order to see those files? (or do I need to actually set a mounting point for this newly created partition after I created it, and if "yes" how do I do that?) Also, after I have created this space would this mean that I can then copy my entire Home Folder to this space and then delete "Home" from the other two partitions where the OS`s currently are?
Sorry to ask so many questions. I never had a separate "Home" before so I have no experience with this.
Sorry to ask so many questions. I never had a separate "Home" before so I have no experience with this.
Re: Synchronising Files between Mint/Ubuntu
Hey, it's no problem. It just may take a while to answer them all. And, I had never had a separate "Home" until I did.germanix wrote: Sorry to ask so many questions. I never had a separate "Home" before so I have no experience with this.
However, in your case I would not now suggest a separate home partition. Make the third partition and use it strictly for Data. If you chose the default file system with Lucid and Isadora your partitions are ext4, if so, make the data partition the same unless you have a pressing reason to do otherwise. When I installed Mint9 on my old desktop, it automatically recognized the separate Data Partitions on both hard drives. (I am dual booting on that machine with WinXP and all partitions except the Mint partition are NTFS.) Each of your OSes should recognize the Data Partition automatically. You should be able to access the data in this new partition from Nautilus, the file browser, in a manner similar to what you have always done.
Move the data which you wish to access from both OSes from each home folder to the new partition. OTHER than this do not change the home folders. Each "Home" folder contains hidden files that are specific to each OS. (Even though you are using Lucid and Isadora, which is based on Lucid, there are some differences in default apps) If you have different configs on your apps, and you combine your "Home" folders into one folder, you may break an app or two. SO, the data will not be in a home folder, the only change to the home folders will be to move the data files out.
It should not be necessary to set a mount point but if it is, I will help guide you.
If you prefer to access the files through your home folders when in the file browser, Nautilus, you can establish a symlink in the home folders pointing to the data partitions.
Re: Synchronising Files between Mint/Ubuntu
I use Dropbox and keep everything synced (and backed up) automatically between my Win7 laptop and Mint 9 laptop....it's awesome and worth thinking about....I do pay 9 bux a month for 50 gigs and it's worth every penny
DΞLL Precision M6600: "Big Dog" i7-820QM, 8.0GB DDR3-1333, RGBLED, nVidia Quadro 4000M 2.0GB DDR3, Intel 6250//ScientificLinux x64/Win7Pro x64
DΞLL Vostro 3350 "Nirvana" Linux Mint 13 MATE//Win764Pro
DΞLL Vostro 3350 "Nirvana" Linux Mint 13 MATE//Win764Pro
Re: Synchronising Files between Mint/Ubuntu
I thank you Dawgdog, this now makes perfect sense to me. I have done what you suggested and it works just like you said it would do. You have been really a great help and this was a good exercise for me. I now know a bit more about partitioning and also have a better understanding of how the system works. Learning by doing is great but one still needs someone to point one in the right direction so I thank you for taking your time and doing just that. I wish you a good day and may the force be with you
Re: Synchronising Files between Mint/Ubuntu
You are most welcome, and the positive feedback is appreciated.germanix wrote:I thank you Dawgdog, this now makes perfect sense to me. ...Learning by doing is great but one still needs someone to point one in the right direction so I thank you for taking your time and doing just that. I wish you a good day and may the force be with you