Hello fellow selfhosters! I have a laptop and a tablet (both running endeavourOS), and I want a certain folder to be always in sync. I also have a very potato server.
My two options currently are Nextcloud and Syncthing. The laptop and the tablet are rarely online at the same time, so I need the server as middleman (so, no syncthing laptop <-> tablet, but laptop <-> server <-> tablet).
Which one do you recommend? The power consumption (of the client) is also very important, because both the laptop and the tablet are battery-powered
I’m also open to other options as well!
thanks in advance to everyone!
Edit: thanks to everyone for your precious help! I finally set up syncthing and it’s working flawlessly!
The zotero docs recommend against synchronizing by just copying a folder as it can lead to corruption.
They recommend using webdav which nextcloud supports but syncthing doesn’t.
So your workflow is definitely possible with nextcloud and is the preferred option.
Yes I’m aware of that notice :) but it has been rock solid. Because it’s not just a copy. It syncs the folder.
This can happend if you work on both devices with Zotero at the same time (why would you do that anyway??). I already did my tests and with my server as a middelman I never had any corrupted data !
What does this mean?
It’s remarkable to me that you recommended to somebody an option that is the exact opposite of what you know to be true.
Do you think webdav somehow dumps you database? No it’s just a protocol to save your files on your webserver. It’s just a middelman.
Yeah it’s my recommendation from my personal experience. Is that wrong? I use it nearly everyday without any data corruption. Is my personal experience not valide?
The point is, syncthing is rock solid, never had any issue being it with my zotero database or syncing files between my devices. If you’re a Nextcloud advocate or are against my personal opinion so be it :).
Agree that we disagree !
Umn. It allows the application to do its own synchronization and diff resolution. It’s why they recommend it.
Directory synchronization is a “best effort” to copy files back and forth without considering the application’s needs. Copying database files while they’re being written can be problematic for example.
Both Nextcloud and syncthing will synchronize a folder. And it will probably work if you aren’t making lots of changes on both systems. But there is increased risk.
Yes - absolutely. “I’ve been lucky so far” and recommending against what the product you’re using says you should do is TERRIBLE advice.
Why are you getting defensive towards syncthing? It seems fine. It’s the wrong tool for what you’re using it for.