Portable SyncApp On Windows

[MRACHINI]

1. First Create a SyncApp folder on your PC or portable USB device
   
2. Put the "SyncApp.exe" inside the folder you created
   
3. Inside the same folder create a new empty "Text Document" file and rename it from "New Text document.txt" to "settings.dat"
   
4. Start the SyncApp.exe
   

If you want to transfer you old settings, search for them in c:\.......\SyncApp and copy them to the same folder without creating the new Text Document and then start SyncApp.exe.

[affinity]

It would be helpful if you can run multiple copies of BTSync.exe -- then perhaps you could do a sync operation b/w two directories on the same computer.

You need to have BTSynce.exe in two different locations, with perhaps 2 different names, but the internal name seems to stop this working as two separate instances.

Firewall needs consideration too.

The settings.dat file lives in this directory:

"%APPDATA%\BitTorrent Sync"

I actually tried running multiple copies of BTSync.exe, but the second copy would not start. I was hoping to be able to set each copy with it's own port too.

[GreatMarko]

It would be helpful if you can run multiple copies of BTSync.exe

This could potentially be quite dangerous and result in data loss! ...which is why only single instances of BTSync.exe are permitted to run.

I do agree, though, that being able to sync from one location to another on the same computer would be a very useful thing to have (for backup-type scenarios from one drive to another, etc) - but I think, if implemented, this should be done within a single instance of BitTorrent Sync, rather than by just allowing multiple instances to run at once, as this could cause BitTorrent Sync all kinds of confusion and conflicts!

[affinity]

Yes, but if it is using different instances and different ports, then each instance can behave as a distinct computer.

[rdebath]

This could potentially be quite dangerous and result in data loss! ...which is why only single instances of BTSync.exe are permitted to run.

That would be a bug then. If another instance of BTSync can make a change to the file system that causes this copy to destroy data the same change could be made by a third party application.

In fact IMO two copies of BTSync running on exactly the same directory should be one of the test cases, if they sync to different keys they should together merge the two secret shares into one. If they are on the same key they should work inefficiently, but correctly. (Efficiently and correctly would be nice but not really worth doing, however, if it comes as a side effect of making two clients behind the same low bandwidth connection work efficiently that's a different matter)

The obvious problem is the use of a fixed name *.!sync IN the share for the temp files. IMO this should be outside the share or at least use a random name (IIRC Unison does the former, rsync the latter). It does seem to be a source of corruption right now; if you change the base file while there is a *.!sync file there strange things happen. (The other is the .SyncID file; but that's just a lock file)

... KOS ... I think this might actually be a bug report; or a feature request ... not sure though, it ain't a good one.

If you can run multiple btsync's with different keys on the same directory that becomes an easy way of revoking access to one user; just give each user a unique key.

[freigeist]

Would a portable Copy be an option if I want to provide data to a friend? It would need to include a read Only key and a generic target directory. But would it be a plug and play solution for him?