best way to synchronize laptop and server?

[Christopher Browne]

On 10/19/05, Evan Leibovitch <evan-ieNeDk6JonTYtjvyW6yDsg at public.gmane.org> wrote:
> I have a laptop and a server, both running current Mandriva, and want
> top be able to synchronize two directory hierarchies.
> After a while of the laptop being disconnected from the network, when I
> reconnect I can make sure that both systems contain current versions of
> files in these hierarchies.
>
> When connected to the network, the laptop mounts the server directories
> using SMB (it's a mixed-client network).
>
> There must be a better way to do this than  `cpio -p`. Freshmeat has a
> number of projects listed that seem to suit, but I'd like to know what
> people here are using.

There are two approaches to this:

1.  Use some SCM system, like CVS, Subversion, Darcs, Arch, or such.

2.  The notable two-way file synchronizer is called Unison
<http://www.cis.upenn.edu/~bcpierce/unison/index.html>

Default behaviour is for it to list changes on each side, show the
expected direction of propagation, and let you control what to do. 
You can also submit command line options to make it perform specific
default behaviours...
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