Back up key files via rsync and ssh

If you find online backup solutions expensive and heavy on your system, you might be pleased to hear there is a cheap, easy way to create a mirror backup your Mac (or other UNIX variant) to a secure online server using a program named rsync. And as of Mac OS X Leopard, rsync will even transfer metadata associated with your files like tags and comments. 

This method does not allow you to roll back to previous dated backups like certain backup solutions do (Time Machine, for example). What it does is create a mirrored backup of your Mac on a remote server, so it's best used in conjunction with a local hard drive-based incremental backup solution. Still, if the house burns down, your files will be safe and once you've done the initial backup, rsync is very efficient at keeping your remote backup mirrored with your disk. 

In this example, we're going to backup the currently logged-in user's Documents folder.