UNISON Replication
UNIX Utilities for Windows
Directory Synchronization
If you use two or more different computers that are sometimes disconnected from one another, then the need may arise to have some directories on each computer synchronized with one another. Some components of Windows (such as Windows Explorer and the Briefcase) can be used to streamline a "manual" approach to keeping the computers synchronized, but none of these methods can automatically prevent losing changes in the case where both computers' copies of the file were updated while the computers were disconnected from one another.
The UNISON program allows you to synchronize directories of two computers by intelligently copying the files that were changed on just one computer to the other computer, and by deleting files that once existed on both computers, but now exist on only one computer.
Directory and AUTOEXEC.BAT Changes
The following directories are added:
C:\UNISON
C:\UNISON\BIN
C:\CYGWIN
C:\CYGWIN\BIN
The following lines are added to AUTOEXEC.BAT:
REM CYGWIN AND "HOME" ARE NEEDED FOR UNISON DIRECTORY SYNC TO WORK
PATH C:\UNISON\BIN;C:\CYGWIN\BIN;%PATH%
SET HOME=C:\UNISON
http://www.cis.upenn.edu/~bcpierce/unison/
Unison is a file-synchronization tool for Unix and Windows. It allows two replicas of a collection of files and directories to be stored on different hosts (or different disks on the same host), modified separately, and then brought up to date by propagating the changes in each replica to the other.
This web page has full installation instructions. I recommend you download both the graphical and command-line versions of Unison, and then do the following to make them available to your programs:
For the graphical Unison program, create a shortcut to it in a folder under c:\windows\Start Menu\Programs.
For the command line Unison program, create a folder named UNISON\BIN in the root, and include it in the Autoexec.bat PATH. Rename the program UNISON.EXE.
To make a clickable (but otherwise automatic) synchronization, create a file called AnyNameYouLike.BAT, and put it under c:\windows\Start Menu\Programs. In the BAT file, put a single Unison command, such as
@echo off
rem Unison Synchronization
rem -auto will prompt for unresolvable conflicts
rem -batch will skip unresolvable conflicts
unison SyncMyDoc -auto
notepad C:\UNISON\unison.log
And a profile called SyncMyDoc.prf in C:\UNISON\.unison that looks like this:
# Unison preferences
root = C:\My Documents\
root = P:\My Documents\
#ignore = Path ExtraInstructions
ignore = Name temp.*
ignore = Name *~
ignore = Name .*~
ignore = Name *.o
ignore = Name *.tmp
To synchronize windows directories to one another (including mapped drives that can be on other systems), all you need is the Unison program. But if you want to synchronize windows and UNIX directories with one another, you'll need a secure shell, such as OPENSSH from Redhat.
UNISON options
Usage: unison [options]
or unison root1 root2 [options]
or unison profilename [options]
Root:
A replica's root tells Unison where to find a set of files to be synchronized, either on the local machine or on a remote host. For example,
relative/path/of/root
specifies a local root relative to the directory where Unison is started, while
/absolute/path/of/root
specifies a root relative to the top of the local filesystem, independent of where Unison is running. Remote roots can begin with ssh://, rsh:// to indicate that the remote server should be started with rsh or ssh:
ssh://remotehost//absolute/path/of/root
rsh://user@remotehost/relative/path/of/root
If the remote server is already running (in socket mode), then the syntax
socket://remotehost:portnum//absolute/path/of/root
socket://remotehost:portnum/relative/path/of/root
Options:
| -addversionno | add version number to name of unison executable on server |
| -auto | automatically accept default actions |
| -backups | keep backup copies when propagating changes |
| -batch | batch mode: ask no questions at all |
| -debug xxx | debug module xxx ('all' -> everything, 'verbose' -> more) |
| -defaultpath xxx | path to synchronize by default |
| -doc xxx | show documentation ('-doc topics' lists topics) |
| -dumbtty | do not try to change terminal settings in text UI |
| -force xxx | force changes from this replica to the other |
| -group | synchronize group |
| -height n | height (in lines) of main window in graphical interface |
| -killServer | kill server when done (even when using sockets) |
| -log | Record actions in file specified by logfile preference |
| -logfile xxx | Log file name |
| -numericIds | don't map uid/gid values by user/group names |
| -owner | synchronize owner |
| -path xxx | path to synchronize |
| -perms n | part of the permissions which is synchronized |
| -prefer xxx | choose this replica's version in case of conflict |
| -root xxx | root of a replica |
| -rshargs xxx | other arguments (if any) for remote shell command |
| -servercmd xxx | name of unison executable on remote server |
| -socket xxx | act as a server on a socket |
| -sortbysize | list changed files by size, not name |
| -sortnewfirst | list new before changed files |
| -statusdepth n | Status display depth for local files |
| -testServer | exit immediately after the connection to the server |
| -times | synchronize modification times |
| -ui xxx | type of user interface ('text' or 'graphic') |
| -version | print version and exit |
OPENSSH
http://sources.redhat.com/cygwin/
The Cygwin tools are ports of the popular GNU development tools and utilities for Windows 95, 98, and NT. They function by using the Cygwin library which provides a UNIX-like API on top of the Win32 API.
Click the link labeled "Install Cygwin Now", and then do the following:
 | When asked whether to save the setup.exe file or run it from its current location, chose to run it from its current location. |
| When given a choice to "install from Internet", do so. |
| Choose "Dos-Style Text Files" |
| If you have Internet Explorer version 5 installed, then choose to use the "I.E. 5 settings" |
When you are given a menu of several dozen programs to install, you can go ahead and install all of them, but if you have a slow line, you should click the special icon that changes each program (except the ones you really need) to "SKIP". The programs you really need to implement OPENSSH are:
ash,
bash,
cygwin, and
openssh.
SSH options
| -l user | Log in using this user name. |
| -n | Redirect input from /dev/null |
| -A | Enable authentication agent forwarding. |
| -a | Disable authentication agent forwarding. |
| -X | Enable X11 connection forwarding |
| -x | Disable X11 connection forwarding. |
| -i file | Identity for RSA authentication (default: ~/.ssh/identity). |
| -t | Tty; allocate a tty even if command is given. |
| -T | Do not allocate a tty. |
| -v | Verbose. Multiple -v increases verbosity. |
| -V | Display version number only. |
| -P | Don't allocate a privileged prot. |
| -q | Quiet; don't display any warning messages. |
| -f | Fork into background after authentication. |
| -e char | Set escape character; "none" = disable (default: ~). |
| -c cipher | Selet encryption algorithm: "3des", "blowfish" |
| -p port | Connect to this port. Server must be on the same port. |
| -L listen-port:host:port | Forward local port to remote address |
| -R listen-port:host:port | Forward remote port to local address. These cause /usr/bin/SSH to listen for connections on a port, and forward them to the other side by connecting to host:port. |
| -C | Enable compression. |
| -N | Do not execute a shell or command. |
| -g | Allow remote hosts to connect to forwarded ports. |
| -4 | Use IPv4 only. |
| -6 | Use IPv6 only. |
| -2 | Force protocol version 2. |
| -o 'option' | Process the option as if it were read from a configuration file. |