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39
File Synchronization
Today, many people use several computers—one computer at home, one or several
computers at the workplace, and possibly a laptop or PDA on the road. Many files are
needed on all these computers. You may want to be able to work with all computers
and modify the files and subsequently have the latest version of the data available on
all computers.
39.1 Available Data Synchronization
Software
Data synchronization is no problem for computers that are permanently linked by means
of a fast network. In this case, use a network file system, like NFS, and store the files
on a server, enabling all hosts to access the same data via the network. This approach
is impossible if the network connection is poor or not permanent. When you are on the
road with a laptop, copies of all needed files must be on the local hard disk. However,
it is then necessary to synchronize modified files. When you modify a file on one
computer, make sure a copy of the file is updated on all other computers. For occasional
copies, this can be done manually with scp or rsync. However, if many files are involved,
the procedure can be complicated and requires great care to avoid errors, such as over-
writing a new file with an old file.
File Synchronization
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Troubleshooting
