Seeking remote file synch tool

On 2007-08-11 08:26:49 -0500, Wes Groleau <groleau+news@freeshell.org> said:

> Until recently, I maintained my websites by editing local files
> and running 'sitecopy -u <site>'
>
> But now, I have PHP actually changing files on the server.
>
> What I would like to find now is a Mac OS 10.3.9 binary or
> some open source, BSD-compilable code that will query the
> server for file dates, compare them with local files AND with
> synch records, and update both sides.
>
> So if I edit A and B, and the server edits B and C, the code
> should upload A, download C, and tell me I need to merge B.
>
> Free or cheap, unfortunately, is also a requirement for me.
>
> I already verified that Fetch can't do it.

I seem to recall that Interarchy has a mirror / sync tool, and I
believe they released a command-line version of Interarchy as well.
Maybe it will do what you want?

--
Apply rot13 to this e-mail address before using it.

JR

This message is not archived

Michael Vilain wrote:
> Wes Groleau <groleau+news@freeshell.org> wrote
>> So if I edit A and B, and the server edits B and C, the code
>> should upload A, download C, and tell me I need to merge B.
>
> man rdist
> man rsync

Sorry, I should have been more clear.

The remote is a webserver, and I cannot execute anything there
other than PHP or perl CGI. So it will probably have to be a
wrapper around FTP.

So rsync is out.

It's been ages since I used rdist, so I'm not sure there.
It's not a normal part of OS 10.3.9

--
Wes Groleau

You're all individuals!
Yes, we're all individuals!
You're all different!
Yes, we are all different!
I'm not!

("Life of Brian")

Wes Groleau wrote:
> The remote is a webserver, and I cannot execute anything there
> other than PHP or perl CGI. So it will probably have to be a
> wrapper around FTP.
>
> So rsync is out.

Why? All the webservers I work on are Linux-based, and they all allow
ssh connection and rsync.


--
As we enjoy great advantages from inventions of others, we should be
glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours;
and this we should do freely and generously.
--Benjamin Franklin

In article <ecpvi.73624$Io4.26373@edtnps89>,
johnny bobby bee <useraddshine_eh DeleteThis @yahoo.ca> wrote:

> Wes Groleau wrote:
> > The remote is a webserver, and I cannot execute anything there
> > other than PHP or perl CGI. So it will probably have to be a
> > wrapper around FTP.
> >
> > So rsync is out.
>
> Why? All the webservers I work on are Linux-based, and they all allow
> ssh connection and rsync.

Linux based does not imply SSH enabled.

--
Tom Stiller

PGP fingerprint = 5108 DDB2 9761 EDE5 E7E3 7BDA 71ED 6496 99C0 C7CF

johnny bobby bee wrote:
> Wes Groleau wrote:
>> The remote is a webserver, and I cannot execute anything there
>> other than PHP or perl CGI. So it will probably have to be a
>> wrapper around FTP
>
> Why? All the webservers I work on are Linux-based, and they all allow
> ssh connection and rsync.

I just checked. My ssh command is still sitting there.
That means the server is discarding the packets on that port.
Update: timeout message just appeared.

But I will start looking at some of those FTP variants
Michael mentioned. And Interarchy.

Of course, if worse comes to worse, I could get the sitecopy
source and enhance it a little. It already does most of
what's needed, only it won't do it all in one operation.

Thanks, all!

--
Wes Groleau

A UNIX signature isn't a return address, it's the ASCII equivalent
of a black velvet clown painting. It's a rectangle of carets
surrounding a quote from a literary giant of weeniedom like
Heinlein or Dr. Who.
-- Chris Maeda

Ha, ha, Dr. ..... Who's Chris Maeda?
-- Wes Groleau

Wes Groleau wrote:
> Until recently, I maintained my websites by editing local files
> and running 'sitecopy -u <site>'
>
> But now, I have PHP actually changing files on the server.
>
> What I would like to find now is a Mac OS 10.3.9 binary or
> some open source, BSD-compilable code that will query the
> server for file dates, compare them with local files AND with
> synch records, and update both sides.
>
> So if I edit A and B, and the server edits B and C, the code
> should upload A, download C, and tell me I need to merge B.
>
> Free or cheap, unfortunately, is also a requirement for me.
>
> I already verified that Fetch can't do it.
>

If you can address the security issues satisfactorally, and these remote
sites are in a machine of YOURS, you can in fact stuff samba on the
server and edit them directly..

I remember doing precisely that at the end of a 600 mile link I had
setup..well I controlled the firewalls at each end two..my two exact IP
addresses (work/home) were the only ones that could reach that server
that way.

When I was done I reset the firewall remotely.


Since your pages are public, and one hopes backed up, its hardly a
security issues if someone snoops the content in transit..and if the
shares are setup to be the public website only, the machine security
isn't badly compromised..

Theres something nice about grabbing a while remote website with a GUI
and dropping it into a local backup directory, and going off for a
coffee while it does its stuff.

We did years ago write a load of scripts to do ripple updates of (in our
case DNS and RADIUS servers) using IIRC rcp, and/or rsync..I forget,
cos I didn't personally write them. It worked extremely well, but O
wouldn't call it an easy solution, nor a particularly secure one. Things
are probably better these days. At least web servers don't require to be
sent KILL -HUP signals to reload their data files..

Wes Groleau wrote:
> Michael Vilain wrote:
>> Wes Groleau <groleau+news@freeshell.org> wrote
>>> So if I edit A and B, and the server edits B and C, the code
>>> should upload A, download C, and tell me I need to merge B.
>>
>> man rdist
>> man rsync
>
> Sorry, I should have been more clear.
>
> The remote is a webserver, and I cannot execute anything there
> other than PHP or perl CGI. So it will probably have to be a
> wrapper around FTP.
>

Bummer. Thats makes it harder work.

You probably need to hope the clocks are synched, and use FTP do do a
directory file listing and compare dates..


Unless you right a perl demon that listens on a well unknown socket


> So rsync is out.
>
> It's been ages since I used rdist, so I'm not sure there.
> It's not a normal part of OS 10.3.9
>

Tom Stiller wrote:
> Linux based does not imply SSH enabled.

I didn't mean to imply that it would be enabled by default. Just ask for
the service. If you host on Linux based webservers and they don't offer
SSH, then there's something weird going on.

--
As we enjoy great advantages from inventions of others, we should be
glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours;
and this we should do freely and generously.
--Benjamin Franklin
(remove _eh to email)

The Natural Philosopher wrote:
> If you can address the security issues satisfactorally, and these remote
> sites are in a machine of YOURS, you can in fact stuff samba on the
> server and edit them directly..

There is no security issues. The files are either data I'm serving
or the public domain PHP scripts that serve them.

But the servers are not mine. they belong to GoDaddy,
who is not likely to be willing to jeopardize their
low costs for a single customer who has the gall to
actually know what FTP stands for.

If I don't solve the problem, I may look for another host.
But since I can't really even afford this one.....

--
Wes Groleau

Is it an on-line compliment to call someone a Net Wit ?

johnny bobby bee wrote:
> I didn't mean to imply that it would be enabled by default. Just ask for
> the service. If you host on Linux based webservers and they don't offer
> SSH, then there's something weird going on.

Nothing weird. I wouldn't be surprised if 90% of their
customers have never heard of SSH outside of a library.

I'll see if they offer SSH, but they'll probably make
the same lame joke I just made. They offer FTP--and
one of those asinine CGI-based "control panels"

On the other hand, they also offer low prices and
tech support people who don't think fast food when
I say "Mac"

--
Wes Groleau

Those who make peaceful revolution impossible
will make violent revolution inevitable.
-- John F. Kennedy

Wes Groleau wrote:
> The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>> If you can address the security issues satisfactorally, and these
>> remote sites are in a machine of YOURS, you can in fact stuff samba on
>> the server and edit them directly..
>
> There is no security issues. The files are either data I'm serving
> or the public domain PHP scripts that serve them.
>
> But the servers are not mine. they belong to GoDaddy,
> who is not likely to be willing to jeopardize their
> low costs for a single customer who has the gall to
> actually know what FTP stands for.
>
> If I don't solve the problem, I may look for another host.
> But since I can't really even afford this one.....
>

I went round that loop, paid nothing for a fixed IP address, and hosted
a public server on the computer by my right knee..

Sure its low bandwidth, but its fast enough for the traffic it gets.

And I edit it directly: the web server is a SAMBA export..and in fact
its an appletalk export too, for when my wife was using it for her web
site developments under OS/9> Its a real boon to say 'you site is up and
running HERE' and let them chew all over it and even download it all
without you having to push megabytes at them on the Email.

I looked at shared hosting - heck I built one of the first shared hosts
in the UK - but the restrictions are a tad severe..Colocation is good,
but that costs almost as much as a 2mbps bi-directional pipe into the house.


Unless you site is expecting HUGE traffic, or is terribly graphics
intensive, one has to question the need to have it hosted anywhere but
at home, or where you work, at all...bandwidth is getting cheaper faster
than big iron ISP machines are. And even a humble G4 mac with a couple
of hundred megabytes of RAM will saturate a 1Mbps link...