Is It Possible To Update Folders/Files on El Captain and Snow Leopard Simultaneously

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Level 2

347 points

Is It Possible To Update Folders/Files on El Captain and Snow Leopard Simultaneously

Bottom line - SL is my all time preferred OS and I'll use it until I can't. But, I have some need for the current OS. So, I've partitioned and installed EC on my iMacs. EC seems to work fine, though I've not imported my data, apps, prefs and so forth from SL to EC - will do that with Migration Assistant.

But before doing so, I'd like to run SL until it's bit the dust, and when I update a folder or a file on SL, have it also update on the EC partition, just so that when I'm in EC, or ultimately have to go to EC full time, the EC partition is a current mirror of SL.

My main concern is that I have a folder "Clients" and inside of that folder are over 100 individual client folders (Able, Baker, Charlie ...) and inside of each client folder are numerous sub-folders (e.g., correspondence; documents; drafts; research ....) - so if I change or add a file to "Charlie">"Research">"Contracts" "Venue" in SL for example, is there a way to make that same change or addition "migrate" into the same folder hierarchy in EC?

Is there any easy/reasonable way to make this happen?

iMac (27-inch Late 2009), Mac OS X (10.6.8), Mavericks; El Capitan Partitions

Posted on Oct 7, 2015 2:49 PM

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Answer 1

pcbjr Author

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347 points

Oct 7, 2015 2:54 PM in response to pcbjr

or vice versa - if I'm in EC and if I change or add a file to "Charlie">"Research">"Contracts" "Venue" in EC for example, is there a way to make that same change or addition "migrate" into the same folder hierarchy in SL?

I'd hope to have it cut both ways ....

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Answer 2

BobHarris

Level 9

53,117 points

Oct 7, 2015 4:13 PM in response to pcbjr

You might look at something like Chronosync. Normally it is for keeping multiple Macs in sync. Maybe they have an option to keep another attached file system in sync as well.

You could also search the App Store for "sync" and see if any other utilities pop-up that indicate they may keep files in sync between 2 file systems on the same Mac.

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Answer 3

pcbjr Author

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347 points

Oct 7, 2015 4:32 PM in response to BobHarris

App Store - sync - good idea - and some good looking apps there - unfortunately, they all only work for 10.8 and above ....

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Answer 4

pcbjr Author

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347 points

Oct 7, 2015 4:54 PM in response to pcbjr

I'm even wondering if there is a way to have all of my data files (inside my home folder) be "stand alone" so that whatever OS I'm using, I'm just working from one data set?

Begs the question though about mail coming through on one OS or the other .....

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Answer 5

BobHarris

Level 9

53,117 points

Oct 7, 2015 5:11 PM in response to pcbjr

I'm even wondering if there is a way to have all of my data files (inside my home folder) be "stand alone" so that whatever OS I'm using, I'm just working from one data set?

Maybe "But"...

It is possible to change where your home directory is located, HOWEVER, some apps convert their internal file formats with newer versions of an app, and older versions do not understand the new format.

This is not so bad going from Snow Leopard versions of app to an El Capitan version. But going from El Capitan versions of the app back to Snow Leopard could mean the file is converted such that Snow Leopard cannot read it.

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Answer 6

BobHarris

Level 9

53,117 points

Oct 7, 2015 5:13 PM in response to pcbjr

Begs the question though about mail coming through on one OS or the other .....

If Mail is accessing your mail service via IMAP, then the mail resides on the mail server, and IMAP just access on demand from whatever mail client you are using (Mac, iPhone, web interface if mail service offers that, etc...).

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Answer 7

BobHarris

Level 9

53,117 points

Oct 7, 2015 5:25 PM in response to pcbjr

If you have a subset of folders and files that are NOT affected by different versions of apps on Snow Leopard and El Capitan, then...

You could use an Alias to point the same starting folder from both environments. Or instead of an Alias, you can create a Unix Symbolic Link that is kind-of-like an Alias, but different (symlinks can be created from a Terminal session, or there are GUI apps that can be used to create symlinks).

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Answer 8

pcbjr Author

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347 points

Oct 7, 2015 5:34 PM in response to BobHarris

Just don't want to get 100's of the emails twice on each OS - but I can figure that one out - data sync is my big concern.

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Answer 9

pcbjr Author

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347 points

Oct 7, 2015 5:36 PM in response to BobHarris

The alias idea is a neat thought - which partition would the alias reside on/where would I locate it, how would I set it up, etc... ?????

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Answer 10

pcbjr Author

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347 points

Oct 7, 2015 5:37 PM in response to BobHarris

The data would be governed by the same version of the parent app on each partition.

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Answer 11

pcbjr Author

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347 points

Oct 7, 2015 5:46 PM in response to pcbjr

If it wouldn't be so time consuming and subject to "forgetting", a simple "save" to the correct folder in the operating OS and a "save as" to the idle OS corresponding file/folder would easily work - just hoping there is a way to do this without having to think about it/remember it 50 times per day ....

Seems so simple - save to 2 locations - surprised there's not a "known" way to do it - but my searches have found nothing.

any apple script out there?

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Answer 12

BobHarris

Level 9

53,117 points

Oct 7, 2015 5:54 PM in response to pcbjr

pcbjr wrote:

Just don't want to get 100's of the emails twice on each OS - but I can figure that one out - data sync is my big concern.

IMAP marks emails read by client A. When client B comes along it is not new mail any more. You can move mail to folders on the mail server, and every client sees that same view.

IMAP actually gives you EXACTLY what you want for your other folders. One copy accessible from multiple sources. And the nice thing about IMAP mail is that it is a standard interface that all mail clients work with.

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Answer 13

BobHarris

Level 9

53,117 points

Oct 7, 2015 6:00 PM in response to pcbjr

The alias idea is a neat thought - which partition would the alias reside on/where would I locate it, how would I set it up, etc... ?????

The Alias resides in as many places as you like. The Alias points to the common location. The common location can be anywhere you like. It can reside in a 3rd partition. It can reside in Snow Leopard. It can reside in El Capitan. It can reside on another disk. It can reside on a network attached storage device.

You just have to make sure that "All" software that accesses those files do not change the format in such a way that the other OS X versions cannot access them.

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Answer 14

pcbjr Author

Level 2

347 points

Oct 7, 2015 5:59 PM in response to BobHarris

I'll have to talk to my isp - my email is POP apparently - but it's worked good for 20 years ....

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Answer 15

pcbjr Author

Level 2

347 points

Oct 7, 2015 6:06 PM in response to BobHarris

So - please walk me through setting up the alias-

I select my "Clients" folder, or my "Shared"folder (preferably since all my data is there, including personal stuff) - create an alias (which I know how to do) - then what (???) - from then on, step-to-step, not at all sure what to do -- where does the new alias folder go...how do I access it from one OS or the other.... etc.????

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