4.10.1 mailsync

Usage: mailsync [ OPTION ] ... [ EMAIL_ADDRESS ] [ DIRECTORY ]
   or: mailsync [ OPTION ] ... SYNC_DIRECTORY

Option -i simply sends a ihave package, with no bulk files. Option -n inhibits any destructive operation and mailing.

In the first form of the call, find a synchronisation directory in DIRECTORY aimed towards some EMAIL_ADDRESS, then proceed with this synchronisation directory. EMAIL_ADDRESS may be the name of a file containing a distribution list. If EMAIL_ADDRESS is not specified, all the synchronisation directories at the top level in DIRECTORY are processed in turn. If DIRECTORY is not specified, the current directory is used.

In the second form of the call, proceed only with the given synchronisation directory SYNC_DIRECTORY.

For proceeding with a synchronisation directory, whatever the form of the call was, this script reads the ident files it contains to set the local user and directory and the remote user and directory. Then, selected files under the local directory which are modified in regard to the corresponding files in the remote directory are turned into a synchronisation package which is mailed to the remote user.

The list of selected files or directories to synchronize from the local directory are given in the list file in the synchronisation directory. If this list file is missing, all files under the local directory are synchronized.

What I usually do is to cd at the top of the directory tree to be synchronized, then to type mailsync without parameters. This will automatically prepare as many synchronisation packages as there are mirror systems, then email multipart shars to each of them. Note that the synchronisation package is not identical for each mirror system, because they do not usually have the same state of synchronisation.

mailsync will refuse to work if anything needs to be hand cleaned from a previous execution of mailsync or resync. Check for some remaining `_syncbulk' or `_synctemp' directory, or for a `_syncrm' script.

TODO:
- interrogate the user if `ident' file missing.
- automatically construct the local user address.
- create the synchronisation directory on the fly.
- avoid duplicating work as far as possible for multiple sends.
- have a quicker mode, depending on stamps, not on checksums.
- never send core, executables, backups, `.nsf*', `*/_synctemp/*', etc.

This document was generated by Bruce Korb on June, 3 2006 using texi2html 1.76.