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lra / mackup

Keep your application settings in sync (OS X/Linux)
GNU General Public License v3.0
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Xcode and new /Library/CloudStorage Dropbox folder #1891

Open godbout opened 1 year ago

godbout commented 1 year ago

wondering if it's just me. i remember the first time i played with mackup i tried both iCloud and Dropbox and i had issue with iCloud where some plist wouldn't be read or recognized by some apps. switching to Dropbox solved this issue.

now Dropbox has updated its macOS integration by moving to the /Library/CloudStorage folder. things start breaking again for me. i'm not talking about symlink issues, my symlinks are correctly updated. but for example (at least) Xcode doesn't seem to be able to read/write its general plist from the Dropbox folder. each time i start it, all my settings are back to zero. if i remove the symlink and copy the plist file instead, it works. Xcode reads it and all my settings are back. as soon as i use again a symlink though, it seems Xcode doesn't "get" it.

so, wondering. is it me? is it the switch to the /Library/CloudStorage from Dropbox? if it's not just me, i guess there's something to be updated on mackup's side, even if it's just the support for Xcode overall, and the xcode.cfg.

Amparose commented 1 year ago

I would guess that with Dropbox's move to a mounted drive architecture instead of just a folder, the plist files aren't available fast enough during boot (drive now has to mount vs files that exist even when Dropbox hasn't loaded). When that happens, an app will assume its new and write new settings files. Some apps like Bartender will likely never work well with mackup as they use macOS's caching, which overwrite the disk version.

Overall, mackup is a bit fragile and you really have to do housekeeping to check what is still working. If an app offers its own sync, it's better to use that. Another option I have done with Mailmate, which kept replacing mackup symlinks between computers, is write a script to push/pull settings files from synced place. Works well for apps that you customise once and rarely fiddle with again.

godbout commented 1 year ago

@Amparose your guess is probably right. i used to have the same problem when i was using iCloud as the sync system. and it was failing for the exact same reason. a pity tho. thanks for taking the time.

jamnaughty commented 1 year ago

@godbout Do you know if you keep your symlinks always enabled?

godbout commented 1 year ago

@jasmeet2dhiman what do you mean? i set up the symlinks (though mackup) and that's it. they're there. but Xcode doesn't pick them up anymore.

jamnaughty commented 1 year ago

I usually back up the files once in a while and then uninstall them to avoid constant syncs.

yes | mackup backup and yes | mackup uninstall

godbout commented 1 year ago

i see. no. the whole point for me to use mackup is 1) to get the stuff synced 2) to not think much about it. only when i need to sync new apps. so i keep the stuff running all the time.

but in this specific case the issue i think was mentioned earlier. the way Dropbox now works, the files are not available somehow to some apps. that's just the way it's gonna be from now on. and that will probably affect every sync apps as this seems to be a new macOS requirement.