OmniFocus on Multiple Macs
 

I'm tying to find a solution to maintain a single OmniFocus TODO list across mutliple Macs.


I have previously been using unison to sync my kGTD list between Macs using a Linux system as the common storage, since iCal calendars or removable storage are not feasible for me.


Given the modular XML transactions structure of the OmniFocus.ofocus directory, I keep running into errors as changes made on one Mac are synced to another Mac, when I end up with multiple root transactions.


Has anyone managed to get a manageable solution for this problem?

I went out and bought a USB flash drive, and I keep the main database on that. I also have OmniFocus on each machine keep it's own backups, and create a back up on quit. When I'm leaving one machine, I quit OmniFocus, eject the drive, and I'm off. When I arrive at the next machine, I just plug in the drive and fire up OmniFocus.

Getting things set up can be a little tricky, though. If you have an existing database you'd like to use, then you can set up the first OmniFocus and just use the "move" feature to put it on the drive. On each subsequent machine, follow this procedure:
[LIST=1][*]rename the OmniFocus.ofocus file on the drive to "tmp-OmniFocus.ofocus"[*]use the move function in OmniFocus to move its database to the thumb drive[*]quit OmniFocus[*]move the "tmp-OmniFocus.ofocus" over top of the "OmniFocus.ofocus" file created when you used the "move" command.[/LIST]
At this point, both copies of OmniFocus will expect to find their database on the flash drive.

The only problems I've run into is the expected performance degradation from using a USB drive instead of a normal hard drive, but it's not all that noticeable.

[QUOTE=andrewminer;28636]I went out and bought a USB flash drive, and I keep the main database on that. I also have OmniFocus on each machine keep it's own backups, and create a back up on quit. When I'm leaving one machine, I quit OmniFocus, eject the drive, and I'm off. When I arrive at the next machine, I just plug in the drive and fire up OmniFocus.
[/QUOTE]

I'm afraid a USB key isn't a viable solution for me either I'm afraid, it introduces a SPOF which I can avoid with a little caution.


I need a network based solution to reliably copy my OmniFocus DB on and off any of my Macs. Otherwsie, I guess I'll just stick with kGTD for now, since I've already solved this problem with it.

You guys are past me technically, but let me try my question. I have two Macs at home and use an Airport Extreme but not in a network.

I have a hard drive attached to the Airport.

Can I save my omnifocus file on the hard drive and just reach it from either computer? I think your directions in the first post will help me get both computers looking at the hard drive.

bas42,

That will probably work and will likely be fast enough since it's all local networking. (Two computers plus an Airport Extreme [I]is[/I] a network, even if the two computers don't talk to each other directly.) I use a similar set up for Quicken at home, so both my wife and I can access the database from our own machines. It works fine for that.

With this set up you should try to have OF running on only one machine at a time. Omni uses "locks" to keep track of whether a copy of OF is accessing the database. This is to keep two copies from simultaneously making incompatible changes--like both changing the description of an action at the same time. If you get error messages about locks, it probably means the other machine has OF open.