Mathusalem, a very reliable backup solution for Mac OS X, has reached version 1.6 today, adding new features, as well as bug fixes. The software is free to download and use on any Mac (Intel or PPC) running at least Mac OS X 10.1.5.

According to the release notes for Mathusalem 1.6, new features include: FTP support now implements the delete operation; backup data files are now cached locally for faster history browsing; added support for Secure Amazon S3 (HTTPS); French translation. Bug fixes are listed as such:

· Requires 1% of extra free space instead of 1Gb on local drive when creating archive so that backup works on small USB keys
· Passwords can now contain the '?' character
· Backup containing locked files do not fail anymore
· Fixed hang that could happen when editing path exclusion lists
· Path exclusion lists are now case-insensitive instead of case-sensitive.

Whether you want to use Mathusalem as a preferences pane, or directly as a command line tool, the program supports a wide range of destinations. Mathusalem implements the delete operation for FTP, it can generate archives in various formats, restart a download or upload that failed etx. It runs only when necessary, in low-priority mode, so it doesn't hang your CPU or hard drive. Also, Mathusalem generates fully self-contained backups (data and settings which make it possible to access them from any machine or even relocate them). Since the backup data files resulted are plain XML, there are no proprietary file formats involved, meaning you have immediate control over your backups.

Since Mathusalem backups automatically one or more directories of your choice to remote servers, Pol-Online claims its program is complementary to Time Machine. This, of course, ensures extra safety of your most important data, so whether you choose to back up your data to local drives, iDisk, WebDAV, AFP, FTP, SFTP or Amazon S3, you're guaranteed maximum security and reliability. Mathusalem is also an open source alternative to the backup application that comes with .Mac / MobileMe.

Download Mathusalem (Free)

Mathusalem is a Softpedia freeware pick.