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Forum Discussion
Why does Apple FileProvider force files into the ~/Library folder which is hidden by default?
Sorry if I’ve misunderstood this article but is it true that Apple’s upcoming FileProvider saves files into the ~/Library folder?
If so, could someone help me understand what the advantage is bec...
Jay
Dropbox Staff
Dropbox StaffHi RickCurran, the updated Dropbox for macOS on File Provider experience was developed to adhere to the requirement as set out by Apple and to ensure the best possible experience for our Mac users long into the future.
It is safe to assume that our goal is to have the same experience for all our Mac users, so the rollout will slowly take place to all of them.
Jay Thanks, the requirement to move the Dropbox folder to "~/Library/CloudStorage" is pretty big change though, one that means I will be reluctant to upgrade the Dropbox client unless I really have to. As Ben S.31 points out in his original message the "~/Library" folder location is hidden by default so the change from an easily accessible / visible "~/Dropbox" folder in your user account to what is effectively a hidden location is definitely a step backwards.
I do understand that these changes are prompted by requirements that Apple is making of cloud storage providers due to future OS versions deprecating kernel extensions, but the changes are quite significant and the side-effects / consequences are fairly significant. E.g. for users like Ben where they have their Dropbox folder located on an external drive. I don't think it's that uncommon for people to run Dropbox configured that way. With a 2TB Dropbox account and only a 1TB SSD in my Mac I only make it work by only having a particular folder stored locally on my Mac, the rest of the files stay online only, so if I want all my Dropbox folders locally I would need to use an external drive, so this is a pretty significant shortcoming of FileProvider.
As I understand it I don't believe it is possible to use a symlink to connect the Dropbox folder in "~/Library/CloudStorage" to an external drive, can you confirm that this is the case? What will happen for people who need to keep all of their Dropbox files locally and therefore need to use an external drive? Does this mean Dropbox will be unable to support this configuration?
