Ignore List Sync

[syrys]

Hey Guys,

 

Im new to BT Sync, but after using it for couple of days, im trying to figure out how this ignorelist works. I have come across the documentation here.

 

However, the problem im having is, say you have 3 computers syncing a folder "F1". if you want to add say "*.txt" to the ignore list, you have to goto EVERY computer and edit /.sync/IgnoreList file and add "*.txt". Is there really no other alternative to this, where you can SYNC the Ignore List? As you can tell, this is a real pain. I have quite few folders synced with few computers, and i need to add IDE folders, build folders and other folder/wildcards to ignore list depending on projects stored on these folders, and doing this manually for every folder on every computer (and every time i need to make a change), well, is painful.

 

For example, what im getting to is similar to git's .gitignore. If such exists, can someone please show me?

 

I have also come across mentions of .SyncIgnore (here), which i think essentially does what im wanting, but this was removed in the newer versions?

 

My main questions are, am i missing something (or mistaken)? If not, how come such feature does not exists (removed even)? Was there a huge issue with such implementation? Is there any plans of adding such feature in the near future?

 

Cheers

[GreatMarko]

The documentation you link to (and references to .SyncIgnore) are obsolete.

 

The current documentation on ignoring files in Sync may be found here.

 

.SyncIgnore files have since been superseded by .sync/IgnoreList files.

 

You do indeed need to modify IgnoreList files in each device individually - these files don't sync between your devices, as there may be instances when you wish to exclude certain files for syncing on certain devices.

 

There is, however, a related suggestion over in the Feature Request forum that you may wish to contribute to.

[syrys]

The documentation you link to (and references to .SyncIgnore) are obsolete.

 

The current documentation on ignoring files in Sync may be found here.

 

.SyncIgnore files have since been superseded by .sync/IgnoreList files.

 

You do indeed need to modify IgnoreList files in each device individually - these files don't sync between your devices, as there may be instances when you wish to exclude certain files for syncing on certain devices.

 

There is, however, a related suggestion over in the Feature Request forum that you may wish to contribute to.

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

Yeah, i guessed as much, with the .SyncIgnore being superseded by .sync/IgnoreList. However, besides what you said (which is a fair point, but only affects the minority), there are no real other explanations to why the .SyncIgnore was ditched (not that i can easily find anyway). I can understand adding client specific ignore file, but removing the shared ignore file to do so feels to me like accidents waiting to happen (if you share a project folder with someone and they forget to update the ignore file for example, as opposed to the ignore file coming with the project. git projects/usage are a very good example of this, imagine if .gitIgnore didnt sync with git projects?).

 

Just to recap what im trying to say: Current implementation solves a problem, but i disagree with removing a core feature (Synced Ignore List) to add a "different/new" feature (Unsynced Ignore List) rather than appending the said new feature while retaining the original feature.

 

I will make a post in the suggestions thread you mentioned, but i probably shouldn't hold my breath, since the point seems to have been raised 3 years ago, and still no real update? Are you aware if this "feature" is actually being considered (or under development even), or are the developers busy with different issues/features?

[Helen]

syrys,

 

IgnoreList (or previously named SyncIgnore) was never synced between peers. And it gives more flexibility to ignoring. Example: you share files from A to B and C. And you don't want B to get *.txt files, and you do not want C to get files from "my secrets" subfolder. So you add *.txt to B's IgnoreList, and "my secrets" to C's IgnoreList.

This is the case we've been receiving questions about and asked on how to achieve. 

 

If IgnoreList were synced, this would be not possible. Yes, we understand all the advantages of syncing IgnoreList, but it with what is said above, it'll require additional functionality and options to implement, thus time to discover the best ones. 

[syrys]

syrys,

 

IgnoreList (or previously named SyncIgnore) was never synced between peers. And it gives more flexibility to ignoring. Example: you share files from A to B and C. And you don't want B to get *.txt files, and you do not want C to get files from "my secrets" subfolder. So you add *.txt to B's IgnoreList, and "my secrets" to C's IgnoreList.

This is the case we've been receiving questions about and asked on how to achieve. 

 

If IgnoreList were synced, this would be not possible. Yes, we understand all the advantages of syncing IgnoreList, but it with what is said above, it'll require additional functionality and options to implement, thus time to discover the best ones. 

 

Hey Helen,

 

Oh really? Sorry, im new to BTSync, i didnt actually realise that the old .SyncIgnore file didnt actually sync between the clients. When i googled around, i came across few comments implying that it was synced across the clients, thus my assumption.

 

You have a fair point, but i think one of us understands the ignore file (the current .sync/IgnoreList) incorrectly (likely me, but clarify for me if you can). You, and I have a share folder. If you add "bob" to your IgnoreList on your computer, does that mean:

 

1. if you create a folder called bob in our shared folder, bob and its content will NOT be shared/synced to MY client/computer.

 

2. If I added folder called bob in to our shared folder, bob and its content will not sync to YOUR client/computer.

 

Assuming the answer is 1 (i hope), then your example seems invalid. Because adding *.txt to B's ignore list means If B creates txt files, A and C will not see them, and adding "my secrets" to C's list means, A and B wont see "my secrets" folder and its content if added/created by C. 

 

But if the answer is 2, then well... Shouldn't the point of an "Ignore List" is a list of stuff you dont SEND, not a list of stuff you refuse to RECEIVE/DOWNLOAD? If a client doesnt want to download these folders, shouldnt this be a feature of selective sync and not added as an "ignore list"?

 

I might be wrong, but im under the impression that if you look at almost all file share platforms (lets take git/svn/seafile as an example), the ignore list is a list of items that the client does not send (outgoing), not a list of items that the client rejects (incoming). Does BTSync really does it the other way around?

[Helen]

syrys,

 

1 yes, bob will not be uploaded to any peer connected to me, nor will it be downloaded to my computer from other peers.

2 yes, but bob will be synced to all other peers connected to your computer, apart from mine. 

 

Assuming the answer is 1 (i hope), then your example seems invalid. Because adding *.txt to B's ignore list means If B creates txt files, A and C will not see them, and adding "my secrets" to C's list means, A and B wont see "my secrets" folder and its content if added/created by C. 

Why? seems valid. Yes, B's txt files and C's "my secrets" folder will not be uploaded, well, cause Sync there ignores these items. But C will sync txt and B will sync "my secrets" all right. IgnoreList works for both - downloading and uploading. 

 

I don't know how exactly Seafile works, but isn't server-client architecture? Sync is not. Perhaps this is where the difference in ignoring comes from?