Automator: Only copy newer files / timestamp check

Consider using rsync. If you want to wrap it in Automator, use the Run Shell Script Action.

Try this in Terminal:

rsync -n -aEv "~/Documents/" "Tony@diskstation.local/Home"

[You need to replace Tony with the User on your destination]

Note: I used the -n ( —dry-run) flag to do a "trial run". If the report show that it works as intended, remove the -n flag

To see more rsync options, type man rsync in Terminal, or see:: https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Darwin/Reference/ManPages/ man1/rsync.1.html

You can also add additional directories (and files) to the source:

rsync -aEv "~/Documents/" "~/Desktop/" "Tony@diskstation.local/Home"

[Note: Use a trailing slash on the source to avoid creating an additional directory level at the destination.

You can think of a trailing / on a source as meaning "copy the contents of this directory"

as opposed to "copy the directory by name"]

Also, if you don't want to copy all files (or Folders) in the source directory, see the —exclude and —include options.

JSD1985 wrote:

What does the -aEv option do? Are these multiple options?

Good to see it worked. rsync is a great tool.

The -E option will copy extended attributes and resource forks.

The -a is the rsync "archive" option (same as same as -rlptgoD)

-v will show the progress in Terminal.

Not sure if you're copying to a FAT system, but if you are, look at the --modify-window option:

--modify-window

When comparing two timestamps, rsync treats the timestamps as being equal if they differ by no

more than the modify-window value. This is normally 0 (for an exact match), but you may find

it useful to set this to a larger value in some situations. In particular, when transferring

to or from an MS Windows FAT filesystem (which represents times with a 2-second resolution),

--modify-window=1 is useful (allowing times to differ by up to 1 second).