How to locally sync an iPhone with OS X Mavericks? iCloud is NOT an option.

jayv,

As you've used both OS X Server as well as SyncMate ... I'm wondering ...

As you know when you set up OS X Server you end up with both the local original data, as well as the cached server data that you then need to migrate your local data to.

Does SyncMate only allow you to only sync your local data to the iPhone, or can you also sync the cached OS X server data?

thanks.

With Mavericks, the syncing of contacts and calendars is accomplished only through iCloud or a competing service outside the control of Apple.

Throughout this thread and others dealing with this issue you've been playing the pedant with little to show for it. What is your goal here?

echelon3 wrote:

With Mavericks, the syncing of contacts and calendars is accomplished only through iCloud or a competing service outside the control of Apple.

That "competing service" can also be a server you run yourself, be it OS X Server, Baïkal, or some other. And no, it is not difficult to run one of those servers. Once installed, there is nothing more you have to do with it.

You can keep all of your data local to your Mac and still sync with all your iDevices via WiFi.

echelon3 wrote:

With Mavericks, the syncing of contacts and calendars is accomplished only through iCloud or a competing service outside the control of Apple.

That's what I said, thanks for seconding it.

echelon3 wrote:

With Mavericks, the syncing of contacts and calendars is accomplished only through iCloud or a competing service outside the control of Apple.

Unless syncing is accomplished with Mac OS X Server (inside the control of Apple).

I was a user of Apple's Sync from early on.

Presumably you are referring to Apple's iSync - with an "i", as Apple never had a program called Sync.

I used it with 40+ Sony Ericsson phones over a 6 year period, and it did work well for me (over Bluetooth at least - USB was a bit dodgy due to bugs in earlier OS X USB drivers). However, during that period I was technical support for a company providing iSync Plugins, and it certainly didn't work well for a lot of people.

It was fine, until it went wrong, and then it was a nightmare getting back to a working sync again. Most problems were caused by users attempting to sync their phone with more than one Mac, using the phone as a conduit to keep their contacts and calendars in sync across multiple Macs. iSync was not designed for this purpose, and didn't like it at all. It just couldn't keep track of the changes, and would very quickly end up corrupting people's contact data.

snozdop wrote: "Most problems were caused by users attempting to sync their phone with more than one Mac, using the phone as a conduit to keep their contacts and calendars in sync across multiple Macs. iSync was not designed for this purpose"

Thank you. That's is the most cogent explanation of why Apple removed the iSync capapability from Mavericks. I finally see why they did it and why they absolutely will not reinstate it. It's gotten away from them and they can't make people not use iSync with multiple computers (and also as a conduit) so it will just continue to be a headache for them. Especially as more and more people have multiple computers/devices that have calendars and contacts. Better just to pull the plug.

beninabox wrote:

Thank you. That's is the most cogent explanation of why Apple removed the iSync capapability from Mavericks. I

iSync was never in Mavericks. It was removed with the introduction of Lion. What was removed from Maverics was Sync Services.

Thank you for setting me straight. Substitute sync services for iSync in my comments and it's how I see it. I owners of only one computer and one calendar/contact device are a dying breed...I feel like a Luddite here!

beninabox wrote:

Thank you for setting me straight. Substitute sync services for iSync in my comments and it's how I see it. I owners of only one computer and one calendar/contact device are a dying breed...I feel like a Luddite here!

Oh, there are probably more of you than there are of nuts like me with two cell phones (one iPhone, one Android), two iPads and a computer. 🙂

Barney

You had helped me some time back, to get the OS X Server going. After staying up all night for 3 nights in a row, that server did not do its thing and finally never got it to work.

I really would like to give it an other shot.

Question:

Is there step-by-step instruction, other then the one I could find until now, which would expane how to setup the server, for people like me, for users that have no programming knowlage? Something like "...for Dummies"?

Instructions that would begin explaining from the beginning and not from somewhere in the middle of the process. Including all the little details that regular people might not know about unless told...

Would be grat help.

fogr4 wrote:

Does SyncMate only allow you to only sync your local data to the iPhone, or can you also sync the cached OS X server data?

As far as I can tell you can only sync data directly from the Mac to the iPhone.

I don't have any experience with OS X Server, but jayv has posted that he had set it up.

I tried to write my user tip such that all you had to do was follow the step-by-step instructions, but that hasn't worked for some. After writing them, I reverted my system and went through it step-by-step and had a functional server running, so I assume that it should be possible to achieve the same result. I did make a few modifications with the feedback I received from others (perhaps you, too).

The instructions assumes a clean web server install, and I think many have tried to install Baïkal over the top of other Web server modifications like MAMP. I'm pretty certain that will fail every time.

I set up OS X server and followed these steps. A few things to keep in mind:
- At the time a bug in OS X server (confirmed by Apple Support) force users to set up a separate CardDAV rather than connecting to the server and checking all services you want synced. I needed one account for calendars and another for contacts. We are now in OS X 10.9.2 and I do not know if that issue has been resolved, I'd have to start from scratch and test it.

- While Apple Support explained that setting up an Open Directory server is not needed, others swear by it. Everything runs fine for me using local users and keeping Open Directory disabled but I do not know if I will run into limitations because of this down the road. So far File Sharing, Contacts, Calendars, Notes, Reminders, VPN, Caching and NetInstall all work great.

Anyway as the page mentions:
"These pages may get updated soon as I have learned new things after using OS X Server for a few months. For now this step-by-step guide should still get the job done."

wiredancer wrote:

Question:

Is there step-by-step instruction, other then the one I could find until now, which would expane how to setup the server, for people like me, for users that have no programming knowlage? Something like "...for Dummies"?

Instructions that would begin explaining from the beginning and not from somewhere in the middle of the process. Including all the little details that regular people might not know about unless told...

Would be grat help.

http://www.tompkins-macqueen.com/Site/TechnoBlog/Entries/2014/2/21_Instaling_OSX _Server_for_local_sync.html

Have a look at my bloge I tryed to put evey little step.