Unable to Jupyter sync project directories with python environments on macOS

[welr]

I am having trouble opening Jupyter notebooks created on one macOS computer (source) on another macOS computer (target) synced through Dropbox.  The Dropbox app on the target computer shows that all files are up to date.  The Dropbox app on the source computer, however, lists six folders that have not synced correctly which are all tied to python projects and (it appears) the virtual environments associated with those projects.  Specifically, the folders identified as failing to sync on the source machine are 'python', 'python3', 'python3.9', 'myenv', and 'bin', and a python project directory.  Clicking to view any of these directories, however, directs me to the Dropbox.app in the macOS Applications directory. 

I discovered this issue from trying to open a jupyter notebook on the target machine that is not (obviously) in any of these directories, however.  This notebook was created on source computer but cannot be opened from the synced directory on the target computer.  However, I am able to send a version of the notebook saved on the source computer through another channel and open and run the notebook on the target computer. 

Any guidance or help would be very much appreciated. 

[Jay]

Hi @welr, thanks for messaging the Community.

Is the error message appearing in the Dropbox desktop application itself? 

Are the folders listed and selected in the selective sync window?

This will help me to assist further!

[welr]

Hi Jay,

Yes, the error appears in the Dropbox desktop application, the folders are almost certainly included in the selective sync window, as all of my folders in my Dropbox directory are selected. (I assume therefore that all subdirectories are included as well.) 

[Jay]

Are the folders definitely synced on the Dropbox site?

[welr]

Yes.  Furthermore, I can download the afflicted file from the Dropbox site and run it on the target mac.

I should perhaps draw attention again that the afflicted file (an "i-python} notebook) is not located in any of the folders that are identified as having sync issues by the destop app on the source computer.

The specific error (with part of the file path removed) the file raises on the target machine when I attempt to open it from the synced Dropbox directory is:

File Load Error for small-dataset-validation-methods.ipynb

Unreadable Notebook: /Users/.../small-dataset-validation-methods.ipynb NotJSONError("Notebook does not appear to be JSON: ''"

[Здравко]

Hi @welr,

Did you make sure desired files are available offline in advance? 🧐 If not, give it a try. You'll need to repeat in advance this whenever you want to do something with your project.

Good luck.

[welr]

Hi @Здравко,

Yes, I believe they are available offline insofar as if I download them and send them through a chat or email, they run fine on either machine.  It is peculiar that the source machine's Dropbox app is raising a sync error, but not for the directory of the afflicted ipynb file; everything runs fine on the source machine, but not on the target machine, for which there is no indication of a syncing error in the Dropbox app running on the target machine.