All your interactions with Dropbox are encrypted. You can access and manage your files from a web interface. This is my interest, finding a Mac online backup system for my sister and nieces. You can specify users who can access files, or have public folders. Works across Mac, Linux, and Windows systems. Mac OS X - Dropbox online backup featuresĭropbox has some cool features, including: ![]() So the SymbolicLinker tool seems to be the way to go. When you drag this alias to the Dropbox folder and then look at it online, Dropbox just sees the alias as a "document", not a link to a folder. Update: I just tested Dropbox with the Mac OS X "Make Alias" approach in the Finder (right-click a folder, then click "Make Alias"), which I thought would be easier for my sister, but sadly this doesn't work. My only problem with this is why don't the Dropbox people offer a tool like this themselves? Mac Finder "Make Alias" and Dropbox The Dropbox documentation mentions that there is a tool for Mac OS X named SymbolicLinker that lets you do exactly this from the Finder. I just tested this, and it does work fine. However, the online Dropbox technical support, which seems very good, offers a solution for Mac, Linux, and Windows users that involves creating a symbolic link, or shortcut, between the folder you place within your Dropbox folder and the folder's desired location. Okay, I did a little more research here, and indeed, Dropbox can only backup files and folders that are inside the Dropbox folder. (Note: This section needs some work. I just learned a few things here, and I need to consolidate this information.) Mac Dropbox backup - More on that pesky Dropbox folder So the big rub here is whether or not this is the only way Dropbox works? If so, it will never pass my "sister test", meaning, "Can my sister and nieces, who aren't computer experts, use this online backup system?" So far, the answer, as it relates to iTunes, is "no". ![]() I dropped a few files into the Dropbox folder, watched as they were backed up, and then checked online, and saw them on the online Dropbox website, as expected. Other than that major problem, Dropbox seems very smooth so far. This is easy to do for many small things, but as a programmer, I can't easily move my Eclipse workspace to another Folder, and as an iTunes user, I'm pretty sure iTunes isn't going to be very happy when I pick up and move my Music folder. ![]() Here's the Dropbox approach to being a Mac online backup service, and I don't know if I like it:Īnything you want backed up must be moved into the Dropbox folder in your home directory. I always select "Deny" until an app proves that it can't work without it.) The Mac Dropbox online backup service approach (My personal nit here is that if systems need this, application vendors should warn you about this ahead of time in their installation docs. I also got a prompt asking if I wanted to allow incoming connections for Dropbox, and I clicked the Deny button for that. The Mac Dropbox installation requires that you enter your system password, which I assumed they would need. Just visit their website, download the Mac Dropbox application, and then install the application like you normally would. Installing the Mac Dropbox application is simple. Also, the maximum online backup disk space you can rent is 100 GB, and that may not be enough for many "power users".īut first, the good parts about the Mac Dropbox online backup service approach. However, their approach does have one major flaw, especially for non-technical Mac users, and I'll discuss that here. I've reviewed several Mac online backup solutions this year, and while the price seems a little high with all these online backup services, I have to say that Dropbox () is the first Mac online backup service I've reviewed that I've been impressed with. Mac Dropbox FAQ: What do you know about the online backup service for Mac users?
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