A simple three-step process for creating an off-site backup for Aperture using DropBox in OS X

What if you could share Aperture libraries without using your own server? The use of Dropbox in this set of instructions automates the process of backing up and sharing Aperture libraries for you (set it and forget it). This is a “cloud” (off-site) solution. To use this three-step process you MUST (as in do NOT do this if you have not) exit Aperture before doing ANY of it. Here’s how:

Move ~/Users/my_user_on_the_system/Pictures/Aperture Library.aplibrary to /Users/my_user_on_the_system/Dropbox.
Create an alias of /Users/my_user_on_the_system/Dropbox/Aperture Library.aplibrary.
Move the alias of the Aperture Library back to ~/Users/my_user_on_the_system/Pictures/

What this does:
All Aperture library files now exist in Dropbox AND on the computer. If anything goes wrong (HD fails), recover Aperture libraries by reinstalling Dropbox (on the new HD/OS/Computer), syncing Dropbox, and repeat step 3 (above). As it is just a symlink, you do not have to wait for files to move. They will have already moved from the cloud (Dropbox) back to the computer.

Some notes:
As an example the home network uses a MacMini as a server. OpenDirectory is running. Users on the Laptops in use are local network users. This means that a copy of each users /User folder (and Libraries among other things) are on the server. This way any user can log in to the same account on the desktop, server, and the other laptops in the house. Aperture and Dropbox are running on each machine (with the same configuration). At this time there is a copy of the Aperture library (for each user) on each Laptop, on the server, on the Win7 part of any Laptop (I’m unaware of an app that can open an Aperture library however), and in the cloud in Dropbox. That means it’s spread across 3 different computers, 2 different OS’s, and 2 different cloud services (remember I use iCloud too).

There is another method for pointing Aperture directly at the new library location. If you MOVE the library to the DropBox directory stated above, and then start Aperture, Aperture will ask you for the current location of the library. The advantage is that you don’t have to worry about a symbolic link breaking. The disadvantage is, if you have other Aperture libraries, Aperture will prompt you to use one of these. It is assumed that if YOU created more than one library, you know which one you want to use.

**As always YMMV. Do NOT attempt to use this as a method for having two or more people edit the same photo in the same library at the same time. When one editor saves the photo, the next editor will overwrite the previous save. You CAN use this as a method for multiple people to display photo’s in the same library.

A simple three-step process for creating an off-site backup for Evernote using DropBox in OS X

Like iftt.com but don’t want to hand out the credentials to your accounts for Dropbox and Evernote to another service? The use of Dropbox in this set of instructions automates the process of backing up Evernote for you (set it and forget it). This is also a cloud (off-site) solution. To use this three-step process you MUST (as in do NOT do this if you have not) exit Evernote before doing ANY of it. Here’s how:

Move ~/Library/Containers/com.evernote.Evernote/Data/Library/Application Support/Evernote to /Users/my_user_on_the_system/Dropbox.
Create an alias of /Users/my_user_on_the_system/Dropbox/Evernote.
Move the alias of Evernote back to ~/Library/Containers/com.evernote.Evernote/Data/Library/Application Support/

What this does:
All Evernote files now exist in Dropbox AND on the computer. If anything goes wrong (HD fails and Evernote servers are down), recover Evernote files by reinstalling Dropbox (on the new HD/OS/Computer), syncing Dropbox, and repeat step 3 (above). As it is just a symlink, you do not have to wait for files to move. They will have already moved from the cloud (Dropbox) back to the computer.

Some notes:
Consider creating an automator task to copy/zip the directory /Users/my_user_on_the_system/Dropbox/Evernote and then move the zipped directory to iCloud. That would be triple offsite redundancy. This is bordering on insane as your computer, Evernote, AND Dropbox will have all had to fail to not be able to get to your Evernote files. However, the observation that Evernote is the kind of service that only becomes more valuable the more you use it, is correct, and might call for this level of paranoia.

As an example the home network uses a MacMini as a server. OpenDirectory is running. Users on the Laptops in use are local network users. This means that a copy of each users /User folder (and Libraries among other things) are on the server. This way any user can log in to the same account on the desktop, server, and the other laptops in the house. Evernote and Dropbox are running on each machine (with the same configuration). At this time there is a copy of the Evernote directory (for each user) on each Laptop, on the server, on the Win7 part of any Laptop, in the cloud in Evernote, and in the cloud in Dropbox.That means it’s spread across 3 different computers, 2 different OS’s, and 2 different cloud services.

The advantage of using this solution is that you maintain control and security. This also removes iftt.com as a point of failure.

**Locate the equivalent directory in Win7 and do the same thing (erase the Evernote directory and make an alias from the DropBox directory to where the erased Evernote directory existed). YMMV

Lion devours my functionality

Why, oh why, does the OS X Lion upgrade have to suck so bad? It took away used functionality (NFS, network boot, network install, MySQL, etc) during the server upgrade. Apple software does not work (Mail, textedit, keep in mind, this is software bundled with the operating system written by Apple), the keychain repair malfunctioned, and finally, Lion itself will not install through the App store on a couple of iMac’s. Compare this bunch of fail to the greats (ME, Vista, Microsoft Bob..)
The nice thing about this situation is, Apple is willing to fix the fact that their OS will not install on:

Apple’s expectation is $50 more (than what the OS cost), for them to consider troubleshooting why the purchased OS will not install. Apple wants more money to figure out why their product does not work.
UPDATE:
If you update Apple Remote Desktop, before you update the client side (any servers or clients that you access with ARD), you will be unable to get into the device with ARD to update the client. This causes a problem for people running servers headless. Apple REALLY thought this one through.

UPDATE:
The result of the 10.7.1 update on my server was a reboot, a spinner, and then the Apple was replaced with a not symbol (circle with a slash through it).

Then this screen:

followed by:

20 minutes later and the “signing in to the app store…” barber pole is still spinning.