Synchronizing Hazel rules across machines

I am using Hazel on two machines. Is there a way to synchronize hazel rules across machines? I am using Dropbox so if that is an option, I could use that as well.

Thanks.

Even if you make a symlink of the rules in the hazel support files, I do believe that to have any change actually happen rules will have to be imported manually.

In case you want to try, make a symlink (good luck) of every file in ~/Library/Application Support/Hazel into your dropbox. Then make a symlink of those from your dropbox to your 2nd machine's support folder.

(You could also try syncing using the hazel "sync" option, not sure how that will work).

Thank you. I didn't know that Hazel had a sync functionality. I can't find it either; can you please elaborate?

Sure. Make a rule that matches your file, then as one of the actions choose 'sync' (its the 5th item from the top of the dropdown menu). Then you just have to choose which folder to sync into. To be able to sync both computers, just sync hazel to Dropbox and Dropbox to hazel using the folder I showed you earlier for hazel and a folder in dropbox.

Got what you mean now; thanks. I'll give that a try.

I almost forgot, make sure you backup your files before, as I'm not exactly sure what each one does and it would be a shame to have an app that doesn't work anymore

Actually, I would not recommend implementing any sort of sync of Hazel's rules automatically. The rules files aren't really set up to be shared and may contain machine-specific references in it which won't carry over well to another machine. Also, doing any sort of syncing outside of Hazel won't take into account any sort of concurrent access so you may end up with either changes lost or corrupted rules. For now, I'd suggest manual syncing via the export/import functions.

OK. Can this please be a feature request for some future (hopefully not too far off) release?

It's on the feature list but understand it's difficult. Also, Apple removed the syncing infrastructure that existed with MobileMe and replaced it with iCloud which (a) does less, as far as syncing goes and (b) is not available to non-MAS apps anyways.

In addition, there are Hazel-specific issues that complicate things greatly. For instance, if all the machines involved do not have the same folder layout, that complicates things a ton. I'd either have to require the exact same folders on all machines or allow some way to map them, the latter case being tricky to pull off. Also, if it's going to allow syncing some rules and not others, then you have further issues when they are mixed together in a ruleset.

So yes, it is on the feature list but it's not something that will just get cranked out in a maintenance release soon.

As a help until rule syncing is available, may I propose a possibly easier enhancement. I recently was traveling and made changes to several rules on my MacBook. I am now home and want to make the same rule changes on the iMac. I have forgotten which rules I changed. If I had a column that shows the date changed on each rule, I could determine which rules I need to go and make changes on the iMac. These changes would be manual, but to me it would safer to manually make the rule changes on the iMac for the few rules I changed than to use the import/export process and have to find those rules that are specific to one machine or the other. It might be a checkbox that displays/hides the date/time stamp column in the rules list.

I'll consider it though it seems like it would clutter up the interface for something that is rarely used. At best, it would have to be tucked away somewhere.

Dear Mr_Noodle,

let me reassure you, syncing rules is really an important feature for people with a laptop and a desktop. I am also using "Mail tags" by Indev. They implemented syncing through iCloud very quickly and their product does not go through AppStore either. It is a "tick-box" option, so you do not have to use it if you only got one computer or if your desktop setup is hugely different from your laptop setup lets say, to avoid problems.

Thank you for your consideration, Harald

I am just curious here - why is rule syncing a requested feature? The point of Hazel is a set and forget organization system.

How often are you changing your rules such that an import-export is inconvenient?

manofwy wrote:As a help until rule syncing is available, may I propose a possibly easier enhancement. I recently was traveling and made changes to several rules on my MacBook. I am now home and want to make the same rule changes on the iMac. I have forgotten which rules I changed. If I had a column that shows the date changed on each rule, I could determine which rules I need to go and make changes on the iMac. These changes would be manual, but to me it would safer to manually make the rule changes on the iMac for the few rules I changed than to use the import/export process and have to find those rules that are specific to one machine or the other. It might be a checkbox that displays/hides the date/time stamp column in the rules list.

Now this is interesting. I like this idea.

I also like manofwy's suggestion for optionally displaying last modified date/time stamps of rules.