Syncthing
I’m going back to my roots here with Syncthing. My tech blog started as a way for me to record my projects so that when they blew up I could reconstruct them.
When you crack that code and then six months later you realize you forgot that code you have to start back at square one. Here’s my back story.
I have a QNAP server and use Qsync Client to back up my important files to that NAS. I just deployed another NAS (Beelink Me Mini with TrueNAS) recently. Additionally, I thought that Qsync Client software could be used to back up to TWO NAS devices. It couldn’t. Well technically it can but not from the same computer. That won’t do.
So I hit the Google and one name for synchronization software kept popping up. Syncthing. So I installed it on my Mac which was no problem at all. Then I went to set it up on TrueNAS. Not as easy. Read on for more fun…..
Once I got the hang of it and FINALLY got some files showing up in my SMB Shares I then noticed my 108 GB folder, yep I have a 108 gig folder, and it was also backing up to some other folders I was trying to back up to. Somehow or another I mangled the dataset, host addresses, and mount points which was backing stuff up all over the place into folders I didn’t intend them to go to.
I’ve got it squared in my mind and it is working flawlessly. The particulars of my install will be mostly in a YouTube video and I hope it helps someone else.
TrueNAS and Syncthing
I WILL NOT swear that this is the most pure deployment of Syncthing on TrueNAS. In fact I may be making some very inelegant mistakes. If that is the case, and you read this I WELCOME your input on how to do it better or install and deploy it better. Here is what I am doing.
Setting Up TrueNAS And Adding Shared Folders
Here is how I did it. There are a few steps involved but it isn’t horribly tedious and once you do it for the first time……..That’s it.
Wrap Up
This was a quick primer on why I wanted to use Syncthing to back up important files and folders to my NAS Appliance. My first few attempts were wonky with files syncing in all the wrong places.
My advice to you is to start with a couple of folders that have just a couple files in them. If you cross pollinate your folders it is no big deal.
Syncthing is probably the most well known location to location file sync program there is. You want to use it.