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10.4: Sync iTunes via rsync, python, and Automator
Authored by: sdrubbins on Mar 02, '07 10:28:15AM

Very good idea... though personally I'd just use Applescript rather than Automator.

Unison or rsync, there's not much difference; the main benefit in the original post is the python script that allows iTunes to see and reflect any changes resulting from the sync.

Ideally, and without too much work, you want to wrap all of this up in an Applescript (which can call rsync, python scripts and Automator workflows), adding in a

try
tell application "itunes" to quit
end try

...in the beginning and a

tell application "itunes" to activate

...in the end. Then save it as an application and use it every time you want to launch iTunes. You can run a variation of it on both local and remote machines, and both copies of iTunes will be up-to-date every time you use them.

It might take a little work to separate syncing different media (e.g. one of my copies of iTunes has a bunch of videos, the other doesn't, but I want the music to always be the same for both) but it's totally doable.



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10.4: Sync iTunes via rsync, python, and Automator
Authored by: neuralstatic on Mar 02, '07 01:07:06PM

is there a big value for you to have 2 copies of your entire library?
i have my shared vids and music on a 500gb share, and then just update the podcasts and prefs.

when you have a big library, you definitely don't want to have to build your itunes list of tracks more than you have to, so i do a DSW auto launch of a sync script.



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10.4: Sync iTunes via rsync, python, and Automator
Authored by: tirerim on Mar 05, '07 12:36:02PM

There is when one of the machines in question is a laptop, and you don't want to be carrying around an extra drive.



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10.4: Sync iTunes via rsync, python, and Automator
Authored by: berndtj on Mar 06, '07 06:29:34PM

I agree that it most likely could all be an applescript. Sadly, I know nothing about applescript.

It could also become 1 automator action by adding the rsync stuff in. It would be interesting to use remote apple events to do this on the remote machine. Currently I'm VNC'ing in to run the automator script.

The reason that I chose automator, is the built in add files to iTunes playlist action. As everyone knows, just syncing the files, does nothing for your library.



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