Tomboy + Dropbox + Tomboy Reminder = Pure Awesome

[Steven Edwards]

Tomboy (http://projects.gnome.org/tomboy/download.html) is awesome note taking software. (Available on Linux, Mac, and Windows, though Windows users need Gtk# (http://ftp.novell.com/pub/mono/gtk-sharp/gtk-sharp-2.12.9-2.win32.msi) to run it and Mac users need Mono (http://www.go-mono.com/mono-downloads/download.html).)

Dropbox (https://www.getdropbox.com/) is an awesome service that lets you sync up to 2GB of [whatever] files across multiple computers. (For free. Encrypted.)

Tomboy Reminder (http://flukkost.nu/blog/tomboy-reminder/) is an awesome plugin for Tomboy that lets you set reminders and forces you to take notice by making itself the active window. (Passive notifications are lame. This actually works.)

Together, these three things let you keep an up-to-date list of notes and/or reminders wherever you have a computer. (Useful for me, possibly others.)

To do so, follow these instructions:

If you use Windows, install Gtk# (http://ftp.novell.com/pub/mono/gtk-sharp/gtk-sharp-2.12.9-2.win32.msi); Mac users, install Mono (http://www.go-mono.com/mono-downloads/download.html).
Install Tomboy (http://projects.gnome.org/tomboy/download.html).
Download the Tomboy Reminder (http://flukkost.nu/tomboy-reminder.dll) DLL. (Windows users save it in %APPDATA%\tomboy\addins, everyone else in ~/.tomboy/addins.)
Restart Tomboy.
Install Dropbox (https://www.getdropbox.com/), then create a Tomboy folder in your Dropbox.
Right-click Tomboy's system tray/dock icon, open Preferences.
Click the Addins tab, then open the Tools menu. Click Reminder, then Enable.
Click the Synchronization tab, click Browse, choose your (newly created) Tomboy folder, click Save.
Open a note, click Tools->Synchronize. You'll have to do the last step every time you want to sync your notes (e.g., when leaving one machine, starting on another), but it's very convenient.

(To add a reminder, add "remind yyyy/mm/dd @ hh:mm" to a new line in the relevant note. Add 0's where appropriate for the date [e.g., 2009/09/09] and minutes portion, but not the hours: "2009/08/14 @ 5:30" will work, "2009/08/14 @ 05:30" won't.)

</instructions>

:)

[Lazlo]

Excellent tip Steven. Linux users will need mono too, though Tomboy is available in all common package managers so they'll take care of the dependency. Dropbox is a fantastic service. Like you said, no charge for 2G of free, effortless backup across any number of computers, and only a few $$ for more G.

[Steven Edwards]

Thanks Zero.

Do you use Tomboy? or use Dropbox for any other general tasks?

[Lazlo]

I don't use Tomboy but it (and it's mono-less successor Gnote) are certainly quite useful. As for Dropbox, I'm not using it at the moment but when I did I had it set up to sync a directory encrypted with encfs. Very secure and no hassles at all.

Dropbox also has the useful "Public" directory that allows you to store files then serve them up on the Internet. You can also share files between Dropbox "friends". Overall a really neat service.

[Steven Edwards]

As for Dropbox, I'm not using it at the moment but when I did I had it set up to sync a directory encrypted with encfs. Very secure and no hassles at all. Now that sounds interesting (and safe). Do you know if an encfs directory from Linux would have trouble syncing with one on Windows? (Looks like the answer is no, but I'm still looking for Vista instructions for installing EncFS.)

Dropbox also has the useful "Public" directory that allows you to store files then serve them up on the Internet. You can also share files between Dropbox "friends". Overall a really neat service. I may make use of those in the future. For now I'm just using it for the purposes laid out in this thread.

[Steven Edwards]

Now that sounds interesting (and safe). Do you know if an encfs directory from Linux would have trouble syncing with one on Windows? (Looks like the answer is no, but I'm still looking for Vista instructions for installing EncFS.) Meh--looks like it will have issues. http://blog.bprog.no/index.php/2008/09/dropbox-encfs-fast-and-secure-synchronization-of-data/

[Steven Edwards]

Thanks for the EncFS tip, Zero—I now feel safe enough to use Dropbox for synchronizing my local Git repositories. :)

As a side note, it looks like you can get an extra 250mb of space for each person you refer. (You max out at 5gb total, but it's better than GitHub's free service if you're just interested in sync'ing files.)

Full disclosure, my Dropbox referral link: https://www.getdropbox.com/referrals/NTE3Mzc5OTg5 (The Dropbox link in the initial post isn't a referral link.)