file_sync

Synchronize your files to a git repository automatically.

When you have modified your files, files will be pushed to a remote git repository.

With git, you can know every change with your files by commits.

Setup

• Install git

• Install Python

• Install watchdog

  in OS X or *nix:

   pip install watchdog
  

  in Windows:

   python -m pip install watchdog
  

How to use

Make a new git repository for synchronize your files

I made a new git repository named configs in Github.

Setup your git repository locally

cd ~/Documents ## REPLACE ~/Documents TO WHATEVER DIR YOU LIKE

mkdir configs
cd configs

git init

## REPLACE [email protected]:iWoz/configs.git TO YOUR GIT REPOSITORY CREATED BEFORE
git remote add origin [email protected]:iWoz/configs.git 

## add submodule
git submodule add [email protected]:iWoz/file_sync.git

## stage all, commit and push to remote
git add -A
git commit -m "First commit."
git push -u origin master
## make sure you pushed successfully before you start the  next step

Setup your file_list.txt for files to synchronize

Make a new file name file_list.txt in root of your git repository.

For example, contents in my file_list.txt are :

/Users/Tim/.zshrc
/Users/Tim/Library/Application Support/Sublime Text 2/Packages/User/Default (OSX).sublime-keymap
/Users/Tim/Library/Application Support/Sublime Text 2/Packages/User/Preferences.sublime-settings

Make sure one line one file in its absolute path.

Test

Run file_sync.py in submodule file_sync

cd file_sync
python file_sync.py

Now modify one of your files mentioned in file_list.txt.

For example, I modified .zshrc, and then logs are:

And when I check the remote git repository, all worked ok:

Auto run when system startup

• OS X
  • make a file named com.wuzhiwei.filesync.plist in ~/Library/LaunchAgents/
  • fill the plist with content below

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC -//Apple Computer//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd >
<plist version="1.0">
  <dict>
    <key>Label</key>
    <string>com.wuzhiwei.filesync</string>
    <key>Program</key>
    <!-- REPLACE BELOW TO YOUR file_sync.py PATH -->
    <string>/Users/Tim/Documents/configs/file_sync/file_sync.py</string>
    <key>RunAtLoad</key>
    <true/>
    <key>KeepAlive</key>
    <true/>
    <key>UserName</key>
    <!-- REPLACE BELOW TO YOUR USERNAME -->
    <string>Tim</string>
    <key>StandardErrorPath</key>
    <!-- REPLACE BELOW TO WHAT EVER PATH YOU LIKE -->
    <string>/Users/Tim/Documents/configs/file_sync/file_sync_error.log</string>
    <key>StandardOutPath</key>
    <!-- REPLACE BELOW TO WHAT EVER PATH YOU LIKE -->
    <string>/Users/Tim/Documents/configs/file_sync/file_sync_output.log</string>
  </dict>
</plist>

* replace to your real path or username in lines below `REPLACE BELOW TO ...`
* load the plist to system service: `launchctl load ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.wuzhiwei.filesync.plist`
* *if you want to unload the autorun service:* `launchctl unload ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.wuzhiwei.filesync.plist`
* check if the service is run in back: `launchctl list | grep com.wuzhiwei.filesync`

• Windows

  I rarely use Windows, there is an ugly way to do this:

  • make a bat file named file_sync.bat
  • write python UPPER_DIR\file_sync.py in this bat
  • put this bat to your startup folder C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
  • more infomation can be found in here

• *nix

  I'm pretty sure you can make it happen by yourself when you use *nix :)