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About DirectSync

DirectSync is an application for Mac OS X that was written to allow people to keep sets of information consistent between multiple Macintoshes. It is not only a file/folder synchronization application (though its getting pretty good at that ;) ) nor is it a cloning/ghosting utility. Instead it is focused primarily on "merging" data files for common applications such as Mail, iCal, Safari and potentially many others. The advantage of this approach over simple file synchronization is that certain types of files can be modified simultaneously and later merged together into a composite. I did this because I found that I often forgot to use a file synchronization utility and by the time I remembered it was too late.

You may now be thinking of a certain application that offers similar capabilities. There are important differences between iSync and DirectSync, however. iSync allows you to synchronize with pdas, DirectSync does not. iSync requires you have a .Mac account to synchronize 2 Macintoshes and uses iDisk as an intermediary, DirectSync synchronizes the files directly. iSync only synchronizes Address Book and iCal, DirectSync can synchronize Mail's mbox files, iCalendar files, Safari's bookmarks, and folders at this time. Further, users can easily add to DirectSync's capabilities through its plugin system as more file types and applications become supported (see plugins).

DirectSync offers considerable levels of safety for the user. Multiple logging verbosities are available. Before synchronization takes place users can see what modifications are to be made and they may veto them or, in certain cases, reverse their direction (partially implemented). A disk image based one-generation back backup feature is planned so that synchronizations that go wrong may be reversed (not currently implemented). DirectSync also allows users fine control over exactly what is and is not synchronized and different synchronization profiles can be saved (in an open xml based format).

Finally, DirectSync is offered completely free and entirely without any guarantees or warranty. You are welcome and encouraged to look at the source.