Dropbox Sync (migrating from Sente)

[MattN]

Dear Jon,

I have scoured the forums and also read the manual, but I am still confused about setting up a synchronisation. I use DropBox Pro for all my file syncing purposes, but I am aware that this may not be ideal for databases.

With Sente, I used their custom server sync solution (now dead).

For Bookends, please can you clarify how I should proceed? I would like all my PDFs and the library to be synchronised across 4 devices (all Macs running El Capitan or Sierra). And possibly an iPad in the future.

When I launched Bookends, and added some PDFs it generated an Attachment folder in my home directory, and another folder within Application support.

Should I move BOTH of these folders into Dropbox? If so, how do I tell the database where the attachments are?

Is there any risk of database corruption this way? There is a strong possibility that two machines will be on the network at the same time.

Many thanks - I'm hoping that Bookends can become a long-term Sente replacement.

[Jon]

Please see the User Guide (Help menu) for setting up cloud sync for Bookends, it's quite specific (with images).

For attachments you use a file sync service -- Dropbox is fine if you prefer it. If you're going to sync with iOS you'll need to use iCloud Drive ( see the User Guide for Bookends for iOS as well).

http://www.sonnysoftware.com/bookendsontap/docs/

You should *not* use Dropbox to sync libraries -- use the cloud sync service built into Bookends (which uses iCloud Drive, but you don't see any files, it's not a file sync, it's metadata sync).

Bookends will move or copy all freshly made attachments (if you want) to the default attachment folder specified in preferences. If you change the location you should move the PDFs to the new folder in the Finder.

Jon
Sonny Software

[MattN]

Thanks Jon. I've got this sorted now (I think), and just purchased a licence. There are at least two fellow academics in my Centre that also currently use Sente. I'll suggest they look at Bookends too.

I was a bit confused in the user guide, because I interpreted it to mean that I could use Dropbox *or* iCloud to sync the library. If that is not the case (as you indicate in your post), then I think the text could be made clearer.

I've now managed to import my SenteXML library into Bookends, I have moved/linked the PDF attachment library inside Dropbox, and I have the new BE database file inside Application Support, and iCloud turned on.

Hopefully, when I arrive at work tomorrow, I can log into iCloud on my office computer and the database should link/sync. Yes?

Overall - I am really pleased. When I discovered that Sente was no longer syncing and looks to be discontinued, it filled me with dread. But Bookends seems to do at least 90% of what I used Sente for. A minor annoyance of mine has also disappeared: Bookends opens *way* faster than Sente!

[Jon]

You can use Dropbox or iCloud to sync the database, although we strongly recommend the latter (the former can occasionally cause problems with file collision). We say you shouldn't use *both* at the same time.

From the User Guide, p. 31.

For users who previously used a file-sync service like Dropbox to sync your libraries, note that you should not combine cloud- and file-sync. That is, use one or the other (Bookends cloud sync or Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, etc.). There is no advantage to using both, and there is the possibility that there could be some unexpected conflict if both are operating at once. We strongly recommend that you use Bookends cloud sync, which is much faster, transmits only changes that need to be updated, is independent of your local database internal schema, and which is compatible with Bookends for iOS.

I think you'll find that Bookends does many things that Sente doesn't, actually. But yes there are some things Sente did that Bookends doesn't (or they do differently).

Jon
Sonny Software

[iandol]

Just to confirm that I use only Dropbox to sync my database and PDFs and I've never had a problem in years of use. If I fail to close Bookends on one computer then Dropbox automatically renames the open database, and you then have to manually comapare the two, but this is usually quick to do. To alleviate this (forget to close Bookends, also Scrivener as that also can cause a collision) I made a script which closes Bookends when I leave my computer, and this forces Bookends to write to the database and close it so collisions do not occur.

[MattN]

I have cloud sync up and running between two Macs now - using iCloud for the library, and Dropbox for the attachments.
After a small hiccup that Jon helped me sort out (required a "Force Sync" ), the two machines seem to be nicely in sync.

The next job is getting an iPad synchronising. At home I managed to use Wifi Sync to pull across about 1/6th of my library (500/3000 refs) from an iMac.
However, whenever I tried to Wifi sync the entire library, the iPad appears to stall. It may be doing something (very slowly), but I can't tell. No progress bar. Moreover, back at work today with the iPad and I can't get Wifi sync to work at all across my Uni network.

So, I now just upgrading the iOS app to Pro subscription, and also increased my iCloud storage quota to make space for references on iCloud.

This is where I am confused. I have initiated the cloud sync from the iOS app...but I can't tell if this working, or if it has finished. My ref database appears to list all of the required references, but many do not have viewable attachments. The iPad also keeps going to sleep.

When checking iCloud storage usage via my Mac, 661MB is being used by Bookends, but this is no longer increasing (my attachment folder visible in the finder is 3.5 GB). Is this because the library on my iPad did not contain all of the PDFs? Is there a way to use the Desktop software to upload the attachments to iCloud? And then I assume the iPad could download them from iCloud.

So, two questions:

1. How can I get the library synchronised on the iPad?
2. Do I need to now remove the attachments from within my Dropbox folder, or can I leave them there?

I've read the Bookends manual, but it doesn't mention much about the iOS app.

EDIT: I've tried to set the attachment folder to the "iCloud Folder for iOS sync" in desktop Bookends app, but this doesn't seem to make a difference. When I navigate to that folder, it is empty. I have also redone the "Force Sync" trick, but that had no effect either.

[Serge]

Bookends Wi-Fi Sync: if you send me your Bookends library to bookendsontap@sonnysoftware.com and I will try to sync it locally to see if the problem is reproducible.

Cloud sync: Bookends for iOS tries to download all attachments after every sync, but iCloud Drive makes the final decision… So, if some of the files weren’t downloaded automatically they will be downloaded on demand, when you tap on the attachment icon for the current reference or when you try to open the file from the Bookends folder in iCloud Drive (Files.app).

If you decide to go with Cloud Sync for both (Mac and iOS) then you should manually move all your attachments from Dropbox to iCloud Drive/Bookends folder (the folder with Bookends icon).

Also, you can always compare if both iCloud folders were synchronised by looking at the content of both folders on Mac and iOS.

If there is no Bookends folder (with Bookends icon) in iCloud Drive on Mac, but it's there in iCloud Drive on iOS please use a helper app from this thread.

[MattN]

Thanks Serge. Since I've moved over to iCloud sync, I won't follow up on the Wifi sync issue - unless you explicitly need me to?

Regarding the iCloud sync. I was making a few mistakes, the primary one being that I hadn't enabled iCloud Drive on my Mac (As a DropBox user, I have never used it for anything).

The iCloud folder is now visible and I copied the 3GB of attachments from DropBox to iCloud Drive Bookend Folder. It has now launched a massive Network sync - hopefully these will now start to download onto the iPad.

Should I now delete/archive the Dropbox copy of the attachments?

Also: The iCloud drive is "virtual" correct? Thus where on my Mac are the REAL copies? Or were none made locally?

Thanks!

EDIT: What/where is the "Files" App on iOS? Do I need that as well?

[Serge]

Here is a link about Files app.
Yes, files from dropbox can be deleted. There are not any copies, just original files are stored in the iCloud Drive/Bookends folder and synced across all your devices.

[MattN]

I'm back at home. I've switched on iCloud Drive, changed preferences so that the default location for attachments is now the Bookends iCloud folder, and then synced my Bookends library on the Mac.

Problem: 95% of the attachments are unavailable to Bookends - even though I can see them in the iCloud Drive folder. They have a cloud icon with arrow in it. Surprisingly (to me), Bookends requesting the file appears not to be triggering the OS to download the file from the cloud. Perhaps this can be corrected? Or maybe it is a macOS limitation?

Solution: go to iCloud Drive preferences and turn OFF "Optimize Mac Storage". (This was on by default). It does suggest, though that if I were to turn this feature on again in the future, new attachments will not sync between iCloud and Bookends, even though they have been recently added and are new files.