(NetDrive)Webdav-Cloudme connectivity to Zotero attachment files

Graham Nixon · July 17, 2014

The instructions for setting up webdav for file syncing pdf attachments on the Cloudme site result in a webdav error stating that the site does not exist. The syntax is: https://webdav.cloudme.com/gnixon/xios/Documents/zotero in the zotero sync preferences box. I am using Windows 7, the latest (trial) version of Netdrive (2.2) and Zotero for Firefox 4.0.21.5. Webdav connectivity through Netdrive appears to be working. I am also using the most recent Zotfile plugin with an apparently correct path: X:\CloudDrive\Documents\Zotero. I am trying to connect to pdfs (4Gb) in the Zotero folder on Cloudme. Syncing of data files on the Zotero server was no problem! Any suggestions?

dstillman · July 17, 2014

a webdav error stating that the site does not exist

Please provide the exact error that you're getting — don't summarize. If you're referring to Zotero WebDAV verification, provide a Debug ID for a verification attempt that fails.

am also using the most recent Zotfile plugin with an apparently correct path: X:\CloudDrive\Documents\Zotero. I am trying to connect to pdfs (4Gb) in the Zotero folder on Cloudme.

I'm not sure what you mean here. WebDAV syncing doesn't apply to ZotFile or linked files, only files stored within your Zotero data directory.

Graham Nixon · July 18, 2014

OK. Dan. Thanks for the quick reply. The Debug ID is D1451517375. I gave info about the plugins I am using in case this is relevant. The problem may well be a WebDAV-cloudme issue and not Zotero. To clarify what I am trying to do, I have pdf files stored in Cloudme that were placed there and linked via Zotfile on another computer. I am setting up Zotero on a new computer and trying to re-establish those links with attachments. After successfully syncing the data on the Zotero server, right-clicking an attachment and choosing "show file" results in the attachment not being found in the Zotero directory residing on the Cloudme server. I hope that clarifies the problem.

Graham Nixon · July 18, 2014

OK. Dan. Thanks for the quick reply. The Debug ID is D1451517375. I gave info about the plugins I am using in case this is relevant. The problem may well be a WebDAV-cloudme issue and not Zotero. To clarify what I am trying to do, I have pdf files stored in Cloudme that were placed there and linked via Zotfile on another computer. I am setting up Zotero on a new computer and trying to re-establish those links with attachments. After successfully syncing the data on the Zotero server, right-clicking an attachment and choosing "show file" results in the attachment not being found in the Zotero directory residing on the Cloudme server. I hope that clarifies the problem.

dstillman · July 18, 2014

We can deal with the WebDAV issues if you want, but linked files don't sync. The files that WebDAV uses are not human-editable, so if you're trying to point Zotero at the directory where you've stored your normal linked files, that's not going to work.

If the files are already available on both computers due to some other syncing system (I don't know exactly what CloudDrive does), then you don't need to using file syncing in Zotero. They'll either just work (if they're at the same path) or you can set a linked attachment base directory in the Advanced -> Files & Folders pane of the Zotero preferences.

Graham Nixon · July 20, 2014

Well it took some time but I now have things working properly. The issue is a Cloudme-WebDav-Netdrive configuration problem. Since Zotero attachment connectivity is working on my old computer I decided to uninstall the new version of Netdrive (2.2.0) and reinstall the older version (Netdrive 1.3.4) on my new machine. In the CloudMe link on Netdrive I configured the site/URL:

webdav.cloudme.com/gnixon/xios

and left the other parameters the same. Voila! The attachment files in Zotero were now correctly linked to their parent data records. Netdrive automatically installed CloudDrive as a local drive on my computer. The Zotero folder is actually a subfolder under a Documents folder on the CloudDrive but I did not need to specify this in the URL above (e.g. xios/documents - where xios is equivalent I believe to CloudDrive). The CloudMe website has a download button for the new Netdrive version 2.2.0, which did not work for me, and of course links to attachments were not maintained. I am hoping CloudMe will pick up the ball and try to sort out this connectivity issue with NetDrive/WebDav. I would be interested to learn if other Zotero users have experienced the same issue.

dstillman · July 20, 2014

OK, but note my messages above. If something mounts as a local drive, it's not necessary to use WebDAV — and if you see human-readable files, though aren't the WebDAV-synced files. Linked files also don't sync, so if you're using ZotFile to store linked files, those don't have anything to do with WebDAV syncing either.