However- once you've got it working, it's fairly robust. It's just when you start trying to go nuts, sync to two devices, two machines, when all holy HELL breaks loose.
Couple of thoughts before the fun begins:
a) If you're using a Palm, buy Missing Sync, sorry, you need to, deal with it. www.markspace.com If you don't then you cannot sync multiple categories/etc. for Tasks. Even if you have an older palm that doesn't do "multiple calendars" you still need it for task segregation by category.
b) Missing Sync is very powerful. Missing Sync is fragile. Missing Sync will crash if you look at it cross-eyed. Should you get into a weird situation with redundant data on the device, data not syncing, multiple calendars being created, or other really crazy $@%t happening, you've got a problem with Missing Sync and Sync Services. You need to follow the steps below. (Quick fix: try setting Missing Sync to "desktop overwrites handheld) - this should help, if you're still having trouble, get a Coke, you're headed through the list below.
c) Sync Services is the process by which data talks from app to app i.e. iCal to iGTD, to your Palm, iPod, cell phone, etc. The database that holds all this data is called "the truth database" Each computer has its own version of the truth
d) If you have a cell phone/PDA/palm/iPhone/etc. I'd highly recommend only syncing this to ONE computer
ONLY. Seriously. If you do more than one, really bad things tend to happen, for each computer has it's "own version of the truth" which, when syncing with another device leads to multiple entries, deletions, and frustration. The only good way to sync more than one computer without wanting to put your eye out is .Mac. Deal with it. Think of it as investing in Steve's retirement. I don't like it either, but d@mnit, it works! Hint: Sign up for a free account for 60/90? days, then buy it. Hint 2.0- Order it from Amazon.com, it's 20-30 bucks cheaper than from Apple. Same product. You can do this every year by the way-you just type in the codes/id from the box you got at Amazon.
e) Grrr. . . I just discovered why I had the "opportunity" to revisit this aud nauseum multiple times in the last 48 hours. Your milage may vary, but I'd reccomend using no palm earlier than the Tungsten T with Missing Sync 6.0. I thought I'd be cool and update Missing Sync as I wrote this, and update my system to have "everything" on my Treo, as well as sync my m515 for general Task Management and note-taking. For some reason Missing Sync no like-y the older Palms. Many erratic and crazy issues happened with syncing, Hard resets on the device, data disappearing and being deleted from iGTD, iCal, etc. Corrupt databases, multiple events/data/entries/you name it. I just tonight figured this out, and synced up with a Tungsten T, and so far no problems at all. WOW. Interesting. This did not "seem" to be happening with Missing Sync 5.x, but no guarantees here, just one man's hours of frustration.
f) By paying serious "stupid tax" and spending hours wanting to punch myself in the genitals, I have finally found a system that works. I hope my frustration will help you, but I cannot be held responsible for anything that might happen to your system. "But my data is . . . . " "You Dirty SO#$@%" This will work, but be patient (ha! sorry, but I can't heed my own advice here. . . grr.. . .) and be sure to See Step #1 below, (Backup, Backup, Backup)
1 BACKUP! BACKUP BACKUP!
iCal and iGTD- hey, as long as you're doing it, be double safe-Address book, trust me, mine got hosed twice today!
2 Backup Palm/PDA/device of choice if possible - in Missing Sync, click on Backup, and run this once
3 iGTD Prefs: disable .Mac
4 iGTD Prefs: disable Syncing (auto)
5 iGTD Unregister from Sync Services
6 iSync->Preferences: "Reset sync history"
7 Restore iCal database (if yours was corrupted)
8 Delete ALL iGTD CALENDARS from iCal (i.e. @Whatever, Inbox)
9 iGTD Sync (This will Re-create calendars in iCal)
10 Go to Missing Sync- task conduit- Select @Categories, and Desktop overwrites the
handheld
11 IF YOU HAVE A PALM DEVICE: Go to the Palm, under the Tasks/ToDo area, create categories for each context -making sure to name them EXACTLY as they appear in ical. i.e. @Inbox @Contact @Errands @Whatever (This is odd, sometimes MissingSync will create them for you, sometimes not. I'd not risk it- create them for the first sync. After that- if you do not have a task in a particular field then it may not appear on your device after sync- don't panic- it'll come back after you have something assigned in iGTD. I've found it best not to mess with this.
12 Cross Fingers, Wave around a rubber chicken, pray to the god Shan-Goh, drink a bottle of aged Fresca, shout "Buoey Buoey Buoey!!" While dancing naked, upside down, and waving a Popsicle. You may choose the flavor.
13 Sync Tasks on Palm (recommend only sync tasks, then add conduits one at a time)
14 Test a few times to make sure things are going back & forth
15 If working, then enable Auto Syncing in iGTD
16Enable .Mac - Regardless of .Mac use before, MAKE SURE YOU say this is the "First time" you've used it (this will overwrite .Mac with the current "good" data)
Do not sync PDA with more than 1 machine- if you do, you are playing with fire. The cause is that each machine contains it's own version of a "truth database" - .Mac writes back and forth to this, hence other apps sync to it easily. When you try and sync a device to each, you can do so, but you will start to get multiple entries, really nasty phonebooks, and worse.
I sucked it up and bought .Mac for this purpose alone. I used to manually keep iCal, Mail, and Address book in sync by manually copying the files back & forth, but once you start using Sync Services to move data around to the "truth database" (i.e. this is how iCal and iGTD talk to each other) - things are very fragile. Don't mess with it! $0.02
General Thoughts 2.0
a) Backup- DAILY!, HOURLY!, or realistically, before you do anything touchy! Seriously!
b) Keep a few around for good measure- Zeb has given a great guide to Automating this process:
Zeb's Great quide to Automator Backups!
Automator steps:
1. Applications]Finder
2. Action]Get specified Finder Items. Drag your source file to window
3. Action]Copy Finder Items (double click or drag). In dropdown, select target location.
4. Action]Rename Finder Items. I went with Current Date and Time, added after name and used hyphens - it's up to you.
5. Action]Open Finder Items. This will open a Finder window so you can make sure all went well. (optional)
6. Run to make sure it works and then save as an application. You may want to save a workflow version if you need to tweak something later.
c) If you do have trouble, simply restore your iGTD file by copying your "iGTD_backup.sql" file into the User->Application Support->iGTD directory, and renaming it "iGTD.sql"
d) Enjoy, have fun, and go get things done!
