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Thread: Syncing Multiple Linux OS

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
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    18

    Syncing Multiple Linux OS

    Greetings once again, my fellow 'buntus.

    I'll make this quick:

    I multi-boot my computer. I have a few Linux distros, including, of course, Ubuntu. Is there a way to sync programs across these distros directly? I've looked around, but my search-fu was inadequate. I don't want to use my internet connection, so Ubuntu One can't be used, even if it could, because my data usage is a little limited. The goal of this is to eliminate the need to re-install everysingle program that I download on Ubuntu.

    Thank you for your time.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Connecticut, USA
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    Distro
    Ubuntu

    Re: Syncing Multiple Linux OS

    If you don't want to use the Internet, then Dropbox (which is cross-platform and cross-Distro) isn't going to suffice.

    If you can "see" the files in the other distros (are they on the same machine?) then you can use rsync (command-line) or grsync (a gui-front end for rsync) or even easier is FreeFileSync.

    If they are separate machines you will need to do some configuring to get rsync to work over the network, though with FreeFileSync I think you only need to mount the samba drive to be able to synchronize them.

    Another benefit of FreeFileSync (which ultimately uses rsync in the background) is that you can set the sync to work a couple of ways including "Mirror" (files will be copied from source to destination and any files in destination are removed if not in the source), "Update" (only move over files from source if they are not present in destination, regardless of what else is in the destination) and "Sync" (merges and makes the two drives identical). FreeFileSync also comes with "real sync" which like Ubuntu One and Dropbox it monitors a folder for changes and when detected will automatically run whatever FreeFileSync batch job you created.

    For for example, I may use the "Update" to copy digitial pictures I import on my laptop into a central computer (desktop, server, etc.) while my Documents are "Sync" so if I make a change to a document on my laptop then sit down at the desktop, it will be the version I just saved on the laptop.

    Unfortunately to use it on non-Ubuntu systems you'll need to download the source. On the other hand, it only needs to be working on one computer; that computer will manage watching for changes and copy things to/from as necessary.

    For example I use this at work where I am not allowed to install any programs on the server, but am given GB of space to store and backup my system. So I installed FreeFileSync on my laptop and it is the only version running. When I make a change on the laptop, it will Sync with the server. If I make a change to the server version, then when the laptop is connected it will look for changes and download the changes on the server version (it's newer than the version on my laptop). If there is a conflict (both changed) then I can elect to go into the program and tell it which one to keep.

    So, that should be enough shooting in the dark. Can you describe your setup better (how many computers, dual-boot, networked, etc.)
    Friends don't let friends wear a red shirt on landing-party duty.
    DACS | Connecticut LoCo Team | My Blog
    Ubuntu User# : 17583, Linux User# : 477531

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
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    18

    Re: Syncing Multiple Linux OS

    Sorry for not making myself very clear.

    I have a single computer, that has multiple partitions and OSs. What I want to do is to sync apps throughout the Linux distros on that single computer. That way, if I don't have to re-download say like Blender3D on each and every distro.

    Thanks

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
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    22

    Re: Syncing Multiple Linux OS

    List of installed distros would help.
    But in general I don't think it's possible to do that in any reliable way.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
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    1,545
    Distro
    Ubuntu

    Re: Syncing Multiple Linux OS

    Synchronizing apps? If they are all Ubuntu-based and same version you may be able to share .DEB files from the repository or generic .deb files. Same things if you have multiple RPM-based distros (Fedora, Red Hat, CentOS or openSUSE based).

    I thought you meant files.

    Now if you are planning on installing from source, then after downloading you may be able to install on each one individually but that means you'll have to do the legwork to getting each installed for each distro.

    Portable apps may be more flexible but again, you will have to do the leg work for that too.
    Friends don't let friends wear a red shirt on landing-party duty.
    DACS | Connecticut LoCo Team | My Blog
    Ubuntu User# : 17583, Linux User# : 477531

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