HomeSync broken- keeps replacing files I intentionally delete.

[JonThompson]

So, I had some issues with the nvidea chip in my macbook pro. I ended up getting a new one. I figure that this would be a good time to:

1) Test my HomeSync to see how close it is to the working machine
2) Eliminate any chance of the various HomeSync problems being issues on the client itself.

A bit of background on my environment:

Server 10.5.5 – Server Side HomeSync OFF
Client 10.5.5

So, I get my MBP all configured and start the sync. A couple hours later and 48 GB and it is done. Now to see what is working and what isn’t.

Problem #1- It looks like my syncs have been sketchy at best, as I have some things that were updated minutes before that are in the sync, but I have some things (pop email, iphoto library) that look like they haven’t synced in a long while. Fortunately I have my hard drive with my old user folder on it that I merge in. I also do some housekeeping- deleting some of the kruft that has accumulated.

So I have a problem in that HomeSync is not working reliably. Not sure what is up with that, and I need to get to the bottom of it, however, it is going in the backlog of things to do. While I am working on this, I notice problem #2- The files that I intentionally deleted are back. Rather than deleting them from the server, HomeSync decided that I do need that crap in my life, and put in back on my shiny new MBP.

So, I know the problem has to be something with the server files that run HomeSync, as anything else would have gone away with the new machine. However, I am at a loss to know how to fix it, as the documentation is anemic at best.

Finally, why doesn’t Apple just admit that their HomeSync technology sucks and replace it with a good rsync-based tech that has nice ties into the gui?

[JonThompson]

So I guess no one will help me. No matter. It seems on the next sync that it took care of my problem, as my stuff is now correct in both places.

[JonThompson]

PHD is a way to get everything a user has onto the server, where the server can be properly backed up. Or at least that’s what it _should_ be.

What I would really like to figure out is how I can have both a PHD and a OSXS Time Machine solution where they work in harmony with each other, but I don’t think that is possible until Apple makes it possible.

[deemery]

[QUOTE][u]Quote by: MacTroll[/u][p]Hmmm, you should be able to have a PHD that’s also using TimeMachine to an AFP share. Although I can’t say that I’ve tried it.[/p][/QUOTE]

When I get my OS X Server machine (older PowerPC G5 2ghzDP) back up (big problems, I think bad RAM caused substantial disk corruption and I haven’t been home long enough to get everything restored. On top of that, I think its monitor went bad, too….), I want to try this. But I’m generally disappointed with Mobile account synching, it takes -way- too long. If I can’t get mobile accounts to work better than they did before the X Server machine crashed, I’ll jimmy something up myself using a tool like Synk. (My laptop’s home directory is FileVault protected, it’s a corporate/program requirement.)

Right now what I’m doing for backup, incidentally, is using a pocket disk drive. There’s a encrypted disk image on that drive, and every night at 4:00 Synk Pro launches, mounts the encrypted backup disk image, and copies/clones/updates it with what’s in my home directory. Of course this does not give me Time Machine’s “backups over time” feature, but it’s a lot better than nothing!

dave

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