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Symlinks
11 Topics
How to make Dropbox ignore node_modules folder with symbolic links (aliases)
PROBLEM Dropbox does not currently provide an ignore file/folder feature that enables a locally-unique instance to exist on each machine. One important use of this is the “node_moduels" folder used for node javascript development. The node_modules folder sees thousands of file changes during the development cycle. If this folder is allowed to sync, the important files you need (outside of it), are so far down in the sync queue that you never have the important files when you need them on your other systems. SOLUTION A better way to sync projects with Dropbox while ignoring the node_modules folder is to use a “properly” formed symlink (alias).At this time npm and yarn support a property formed symlink.HOWEVER, IT IS CRITICAL THAT THE LINK (ALIAS) AND TARGET HAVE THE SAME NAME! From shell prompt (terminal): cd YOUR_PROJECT_NAME mkdir -p ~/Downloads/node_modules_for_YOUR_PROJECT_NAME mv node_modules ~/Downloads/node_modules_for_YOUR_PROJECT_NAME ln -s ~/Downloads/node_modules_for_YOUR_PROJECT_NAME/node_modules Now create the same target node_moduels folder on each of your other systems **AFTER** Dropbox syncs the ENTIRE project direcotry. The old node_modules folder should be removed and the symlink (alias) added before running these steps. cd YOUR_PROJECT_NAME mkdir -p ~/Downloads/node_modules_for_YOUR_PROJECT_NAME/node_modules yarn install SUCCESS Dropbox WILL sync the symlink/alias file itself, but NOT the contents it points to. This seems to work well for file syncing across several of your own development systems, and then use git to push to the repo for others on the team. CAVEAT The tiny symlink (alias) file itself IS sync’d on all systems, but will point to a non-existent / empty folder on the other systems. This is most applicable for a single user, but can also be useful for teams if an individual variant of the ignored data is appropriate, such as for node_moduels. Hope this helps. 🙂 ..sebastianSolved20KViews5likes19Comments
Trouble with internal symlinks
Hello, I am struggling with symlinks. I can't get them to work. I have a folder structure like this: Fotos/jpeg/ [files] Fotos/colecciones( [links to some files] The links are defined like "../jpeg/[file]", so those links are pointing to files that are in Dropbox - I tried before linking to the full path, with the same results I describe below. What is happening: - In the web browser, I cannot preview the files - In an Iphone and an Android, same thing, can't preview the files - In a raspberry pi where I download the files with rclone, they appear empty to, even with the follow symlinks option. - In a Mac where I have my dropbox account linked, I can see the files no problem - In my wife's Mac (the folders are shared), I can also see the files. According to the documentation, what I am doing should be working as the symlinks are symlinks to files in Dropbox. https://help.dropbox.com/es-es/installs-integrations/sync-uploads/symlinks How can I get those symlinks to work?Solved3.7KViews0likes6Comments
Best practices for using symlinks (symbolic links)
Hi there, I use dropbox on linux with symlinks, but am not sure which is the best/preferred way to use them. Is there a best practice for using this type of configuration? Currently I use symlinks in my home directory that point to the actual folders in my Dropbox folder, but I have heard of doing the inverse: placing symlinks in the dropbox folder pointing out into the home directory. Are there pros and cons to symlinking from the Dropbox folder to the home directory vs. placing a symlink in the home folder linking to inside the Dropbox folder? What happens during a catastrophic failure triggering a need for data restoration, which method is preferred? Is there a way to dynamically create links for new entries (like .* folders)? Is there an advantage/disadvantage to using soft vs. hard linking? Any links/posts with regards to the above would be most appreciated. I acknowledge that Dropbox does not fully support symbolic links, but find them so useful I am committed to using them. Thanks in advance!Solved23KViews1like32CommentsSyncing when using symbolic links
Hello, I am having an issue concerning dropbox syncing when using symbolic links. Using Windows 10 and the Dropbox app, recently downloaded / installed so I believe it is fully up to date. On the "host" machine, rather than copying (and thus duplicating) all files to the Dropbox folder, I create a symbolic link in the Dropbox folder, using the command prompt: >mklink /d Documents C:\<path_to_real_documents_folder> This works fine, except that when files in _real_documents_folderare changed, they do not get "synced" on Dropbox unless I "force" it. I click the Dropbox icon, the lower left says "Up to date" . Hover mouse and it changes to "Pause syncing". I click that, then it says "Syncing paused". Click again, and it then updates and syncs the files. The result is that, without remembering to do this, the Dropbox copy never updates, (unless exited and restarted) either by "logging on" through the web site, or on another computer using the app and same login credentials. If I do remember to do this, everything is fine. Is there a way to get this to happen automatically? Thanks.Solved17KViews0likes10Comments
Every time I open a Powerpoint file I get an error message from DB for no reason
I have powerpoints in unshared, regular folders that are synced to Dropbox as I've always done before. But now when I open the files (without moving them at all), I get a message If you move this file to (the folder it currently resides in with everything else), it won't be available in Dropbox or on any devices." This is maddening. The Don't Ask Me Again checkbox doesn't work if I hit Cancel and if I hit Move Out of Dropbox, then it isn't synced with Dropbox, which is not what I want. Why am I suddenly getting these messages on files that are definitely in my Dropbox and indeed accessible on my iOS devices and the Web, and are not being removed, just opened? It sounds like Dropbox thinks I'm removing each file by opening them, but I'm not. I'm running v56.3.90.Anyone have any ideas? Thanks.Solved7.3KViews0likes13Comments
MacOS, high CPU usage by open directory, symlinks in Dropbox
Hi, I just wanted to share how I solved this high-CPU-usage problem. The short story is: delete all your symbolic links from under the Dropbox folder. Long story: I'm on macOS High Sierra and I found that a system process ("daemon") called "opendirectoryd" keeps using 50--100% of CPU all the time as long as the computer is up. I don't know exactly when this started, but it started recently, say a few weeks. I searched the Net and found a lot of discussions about the daemon using a lot of CPU time. Apparently there are so many different causes. Some of the discussions pointed to Dropbox. I indeed found that Dropbox is the cause: when I pause syncing, the daemon's CPU use immediately drops well below 1% and as soon as I resume Dropbox syncing, the daemon's CPU use shots up and stays there forever. But all the Dropbox-related answers say that you should delete dead symbolic links. I did delete the few dead symbolic links I had in my Dropbox folder but the problem persisted. Then I came across this document in the Dropbox help: https://www.dropbox.com/help/desktop-web/high-cpu-usage which says that Dropbox uses a lot of CPU time to hand symbolic links (dead or not). Although I didn't want to do that, I bit the bullet and deleted all my symbolic links under the Dropbox folder and moved the files and folders from my main directory to Dropbox. Now, the opendirectoryd daemon stays calm.5.3KViews0likes0CommentsDropbox doesn't sync symbolic links anymore
Hi, until this summer I was able to sync folders outside Dropbox using simbolic links. I just tried again to sync a folder with this tricky method and it's not working. I tried to create simbolic link with normal and admin user rights, I tried to sync a folder in another disk partition, it just doesn't work anymore. The "fun fact" is that the old symbolic links I created are working, but if I create a new one it shows a red X on it. I know it's not a feature but a tricky method, but I read that Dropbox doesn't support simbolic link anymore. Just....WHY. It was so useful, the only drawback was that the sync wasn't in real time with the great advantage of being able to save any folder you want without moving it into Dropbox. In OneDrive I'm still able to use it (I use it even at work to backup (backup, not syncing, because it's not syncing in real time) my user folders), in Dropbox the old ones are working, but why not the new ones? The command I use to create simbolic link is like this: mklink /J "F:\Dropbox\TRANSFER\PC GAME\USERDATA_links\Pictures" "F:\USERDATA\Pictures" Note that I could try with any folder, even in C: but it doesn't work anymore. There is a method to make it working again?13KViews3likes20Comments
creating a desktop link to a Dropbox folder in Linux Mint
I have just moved from Mint 18.2 (64 bit Cinnamon) to Mint 20. On my old desktop I had folders that were links to my Dropbox folders making saved changes automatic. I cannot find instructions for doing this to some additional folders and can't remember how I did it last time.Solved1.8KViews0likes2CommentsHow can I keep my symlinks in the Dropbox folder on my Mac OS?
For years I have used symlinks in my dropbox to the subfolders of my home directory in Mac OS (e.g./Users/myname/Music, Documents, Pictures etc.) so the the files I'm working in in /Music, /Pictures, and /Documents get automatically synced to dropbox, and it's worked really well. But I got a message from dropbox today that the way it handles symlinks is changing, and that now if you have a symlink to a folder in your dropbox the contents of that folder won't sync if the original files aren't also in your dropbox folder. What's the best workaround for this? Mac OS doesn't seem to like you moving the subfolders of your home directory so I don't know if I can just swap the folders around so the orginals are in dropbox and the symlinks go in /Users/myname/Folder. Has anyone managed to do this and make it work? The other thing I thought to do was to put copies of the folders in dropbox and use smart sync to make them online only to avoid filling my hard drive with duplicates, but doing this means things wouldn't go to dropbox automatically whenever they changed. Has anyone been working this way and got a good solution?Solved6.5KViews0likes24CommentsSymlink changes - Mac OS sync desktop to Dropbox broken
I have tons of working files on my Mac desktop which I need to access on iOS and this worked well with symlink between desktop and dropbox folder.With the recent change where symlinks don't sync folder content, I am stuck. Mac OS doesn'tseem to allow the Desktop folder to be placed in Dropbox folder. Appreciate any tips!8.8KViews3likes10Comments