I just start using Toucan. Very impressive w/ the software thus far. I'm running into this scenario and I'm not sure if it's a bug or it's the way Toucan work.
I setup sync profile (equalise option) with a source directory, namely A, on my usb drive and a destination directory, namely B, on the hard drive. Whenever I add a new file to either source/destination directory, the syn profile works great. However, let's say there is an old file on the source/destination directory that is no long needed. When I delete this file and do the syn, the file got copied again from the other source/destination directory over. Is this the way Toucan Sync (equalise mode) suppose to work? That means no file(s) ever got deleted? It was not the case for Ms Briefcase (the file is deleted in both source/destination directory).
Just want to check if this is intended.
Thanks.
Chuong
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sorry for nit replying sooner, I must have missed this post yesterday. I think what you are trying to do is what Toucan calls mirror, i.e. make and exact copy of one folder in another, am I right? If not could you draw a small diagram like the one below,
Mirror Before
Dir 1 Dir 2
File1 File1
File2 File 3
Folder1
Mirror After
Dir 1 Dir 2
File1 File1
File2 File 2
Folder1 Folder 1
*Edit* Reading your comment again I don't think that you want mirror at all. To achieve what you want you will need to remove the file from both directories before syncing.
___
Author of Toucan
'...and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard...' JFK
What I'm trying to do is similiar to this posting https://portableapps.com/node/8395
which has no reply.
If I have to go to both folders and delete the file, it is defeated the purpose of synchronize, isn't it?
Could you please let me know if the "mode" describe in the above posting is possible with the current software? Thanks.
at the moment you cannot do a two way mirror process as described in the post you linked to, however, I am considering a way of doing this in an upcoming version.
___
Author of Toucan
'...and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard...' JFK
thank you for your reply. Hopefully such feature will be part of the software in the near future. Beside this issue, the software is great !!!
Cheers,
Chuong
There is a Freeware app named DSYNCHRONIZE from Italy that does this. You may want to check it out for ideas:
http://dimio.altervista.org/eng/
Thanks for your reply. I used the software to do 2-way synchronize but still not work. When I delete a file in the destination folder and then try to synchronize again, the file got copied back to the destination folder again. Am I overlooking something here?
Chuong
In Dsynchronse, if you use the synchronize switch, it will not delete in the destination (2nd) folder aand it will recreate a deleted file in the source (1st) folder. If you leave the synchronize switch off, if you delete a file/folder in the source, it will delete the same in the destination.
I use this app to make an ongoing backup of a client work folder onto my external drive for backup. I KNOW it deletes in the backup. If you need to do two-way synch AND Deletes, I'd suggest deleting in both source and destination befor syncing.
I'm looking for the synchronize switch but couldn't find it? where can I find it?
What is the exact name of the switch? Could you please clarify how you do it as you describe in the 1st paragraph of the previous post.
As mention earlier, if one delete a file in a destination folder and do a sync, it should delete the same file in the source folder, not re-create the same file in the destination folder. If one has to go to delete the file in BOTH source and destination folder, it defeats the purpose of synchronization, doesn't it?
Thanks.
Chuong
At the moment, I'm using Briefcase for synchronization my source folder w/ my destination folder on my usb. Briefcase has it + and - features. One of the benefit of Briefcase is that I don't have to worry about which file/folder whether on the source or destination folder got deleted. When I click update, it knows which file/folder got deleted on my usb and does the same thing on the source folder.
Consider this scenerio: I got my usb sync with a folder at work. When I use the usb at home, let say there is a file I deleted because I no longer need or I decide to rename them ... Then at work, I do a sync between the source folder and the usb drive. With Briefcase, it updates both folder by knowing exactly what to deleted and what is new, so that I don't have to worry or remember what got deleted on which folder of the source or destination.
Could you please verify if Toucan or Dsynchronize has the capability to do the above. There are some features that I don't like about briefcase. Hence, I'm looking for other alternatives and Toucan & Dsynchronize both seem very promising, except I'm yet to discover if it can do the same as Briefcase.
Thanks.
Chuong
In my copy of DSynchronize (v.2.30) the switch is under 'General Options' and is the second checkbox, it is labeled 'Bidirectional synchronization'.
If this is NOT checked, files and folders no longer existing on the source will be deleted from the destination. The danger in this is you may lose a backup if you accidentally delete the original. For most of my purposes, this risk is significant. I choose the extra work method of manually deleting on both source and destination to prevent data loss.
Just making an echo of what the other user asked for: the ability to delete files when "equalizing". I was using Windows "Briefcase" tool, but it seems a little buggy, since it does not work well when you try to move folders around and in other circumstances too...
Also "echoing" the complements to your software and work! Great job! Great initiative!
Just one more suggestion to the next version: have a look at the "Briefcase" tool, because it really has one thing that is great: the ability to fast sync (by sync i mean your´s "equalize") with just a one-button-click. No config, no setting, no choosing. Of course, in the first time, you must do the config work, but after, it could be more quick and automatic.
And don´t let us waiting too long! Is an incredibly useful software!
Thanks!
EDIT!!!!: Oh, and one more thing. In "Briefcase" there is another great feature that should be included in your software: when you ask for a "equalization" it always shows you a preview and let´s you to change actions before really proceeding with the synchronization... Thanks again!
Hi There,
Could this be achieved by simply using the mirror update feature and reversing the Master/slave drive labels depending on which folder has been updates more recently?
Just my 2 cents....
P.s. great app, but i agree with others when i say that the full sync feature would make this app soooooooooooo much better.
Thanks!!
My perfect way of working would be a function that also deletes files that are deleted in source, toucan could do that with mirror, but i dont want to copy all files with every mirroring. It should update only. It should probably recognise moved files and move them as well, because my sync drive is a slow network drive. And it should also recognise renamed files. And it should not delete files in destination actually, my perfect feature would be Thrash folders with date and file size in their filename in my destination Place for keeping the "deleted" files. There could be rules for this folders in size and time for automatic deleting or I could delete this thrash folders if i looked through them from time to time and would have all files when toucan runs automatically and i accidentaly had deleted files of my source.
I think an important role of a backup program has to be the protection of the user from himself!!-) Of course i can trick me out if i want but one level of security should be there.
Could you imagine to implement such a feature? That would be the perfect combination of safety and conveinience for me.
Anyway, great program!!
Ciao Konze
there is already a mirror update feature in the latest beta. As for trash features that is something I'm investigating for Toucan 2.
___
Author of Toucan
'...and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard...' JFK
You stated earlier in this thread that delete and move functionality would probably be added to Toucan shortly. Can you say when this might be?
JohnE
they'll be added in 2.0, this release it currently on schedule for the beginning of next year some time. Basically the new GUI is pretty much finished (bar the new icons), the bits that connect the front and back ends are working, so its just the backend to go, along with the command line and scripting stuff.
Steve, I think the feature people are requesting is similar to what Unison does today (see it at http://www.portablefreeware.com/?id=979). As I understand it, once it's done the first sync, it takes a snapshot of the synchronized directory structure, then it can figure out deleted files on both sides. I believe renaming is just a special case of deleting - A.TXT no longer exists, B.TXT is new.
Unfortunately, Unison seems to hiccup when the drive letter of my USB drive changes, which it does rarely, but often enough. It's also not nearly as nice to look at, or
Syncexp also provides a whole bunch of nice options, including a radio button to include or exclude specified folders, configurability of synchronization options,
Obviously this post is late, given that it sounds like work on 2.0 is well underway, but I hope you find it helpful. If not, please ignore.
Jeff