Use Drobox To Synchronise Multiple Rainlendar Calendars
Lifehacker reader Madlin found a useful synergy between folder syncing service Dropbox and the embeded desktop calendar Rainlendar. Since they both work on all platforms, it’s easy to synchronise calendars between every desktop.
If you’re looking to synchronise Rainlendar with your online Google/Yahoo/Exchange calendar, you’re probably out of luck, unless you’ve got a client that can keep a local file in sync, like Outlook. That said, if you’re using Rainlendar for a particular calendar, or don’t really need web access, this trick works great, with Dropbox or any service that keeps particular files updated across systems.
And it’s not too complex a trick, actually. Whether you’re downloading an iCalendar (.ics) file from Google/Yahoo/et al., copying an existing calendar, or creating a new one, simply place it somewhere in your My Dropbox folder. Alternately, you could synchronise a file outside Dropbox with a little symbolic link magic. However you do it, every system you install Dropbox and Rainlendar on, you’ve got a constantly synced calendar up and running on your desktop.
Looking for a more web-savvy solution? Try our guide to sync any desktop calendar with Google Calendar, which might just provide a work-around solution that keeps Rainlendar and Google Calendar in sync. Rainlendar itself does have, of course, a Google-syncing Pro version for 19.95 in Euros, but this handy little solution might make one of our readers’ five favourite calendar apps a bit more convenient for no money. Thanks Madlin!
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Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)
I use Dropbox to sync my Samurize install folder and whatnot, including todo lists (which I can then access through my iPhone via Dropbox's iphone interface)!
bsrome
I paid for the pro version of Rainlendar last year and it's been great for me. I use my google calendar to sync my home and work desktops and my blackberry too. Rainey is always updating it and adding new features, the latest build adds a url box to the events. Handy stuff :D
or you can support the developer and pay 10 euros for one that syncs with gcal...
garbanzo-bean
I've been using dropbox to sync my todo.txt list for a while, the only problem is dropbox opens after my todo list during boot, so it doesn't always get the most current version without closing and re-opening it.
I have an Outlook computer and a Lotus Notes computer I wanted to sync together. I went out and bought a tool* to sync 'em both to google. Found out the hard way that sync'ing two calendars together with disparate rule and archiving engines was a bad move... there were deletions all over the place. I now sync them to two different calendars within Google, which is better because google shows them side by side with different colors. * - tool was CompanionLink but this isn't an advert, I'm sure there are plenty of tools that can do the same.
WilonaMyrtilus
Too bad--it's Intel-only in OSX
Dan Butcher
@jeromy: arhg, I was trying to point out that the preferred method of announcing typos was email.
@[lifehacker.com]
@brumey:
I MEAN: UBUNTU ONE not ubuntu
nahhhhhhhh....
switched to kuki-linux! no dropbox without nautilus! perhaps ubuntu will do the job for me, but i am still on the waiting list for UO!
want my dropbox back!
perhaps i'll just install nautilus, i'll see!
I got excited for a sec when I saw exchange. Then mentally heard whan whan whan while reading "your probably out of luck". :> Great idea though!! (wish I could use this tip)
Is there anyway to sync Lotus Notes (from work) calendar with Rainlendar at home on a PC and with my MacBook Thunderbird?
EVEs_Mako
Smart idea. FYI, Rainlendar Pro is only 10 Euro now, and their Google plug-in seems to work flawlessly. You can also try the Pro version for free, with the only limitation is that on the event pop-ups it says "unregistered". Lastly, if you're looking to sync it with an iPhone, calendar.google.com works great.
EverettLlama
I use GCalDaemon and it works great for syncing GCal --> Rainlendar (although there are some limitations)
[lifehacker.com]
I have actually been doing this for the past couple months. The system works rather well BUT I have found that if you want to sort the content of your TO DO list you have to manually establish the "Sort Order" on the different Rainlendar clients.
Other than that, it is a lean, clean way of keeping synchronized.
Cheers.
Zenzo
You accidentally misspelled dropbox in the title. Good idea though.
Just use Rainlendar Pro, it syncs with the online .ical ;)
Chris4
Synchronizing Rainlendar and Google Calendar is possible and easy with GCALDaemon.
No need for outlook there.
DanielRie
These days, any calendaring solution needs some form of smartphone sync and cloud sync (with "major" cloud calendars, such as google calendar -- proprietary web calendars don't count).
aj_robins
I read somewhere about a guy that made a hatch behind his fridge that could open to the outdoors in the winter. It hardly used any power at all for half the year.
macrumpton