Syncing with dropbox in Zotero 4.0

baxterj
Please redirect this to another thread if appropriate.

With the release of Zotero 4.0 there is now relative paths for linked files. Does this mean that one could store all of their attachments in a dropbox folder with the relative path dropbox\papers\ and have it sync appropriately across multiple computers?

Also, if this is true, would there be a way to have group libraries sync with the zotero provided space?

thanks.
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  • dstillman
    With the release of Zotero 4.0 there is now relative paths for linked files. Does this mean that one could store all of their attachments in a dropbox folder with the relative path dropbox\papers\ and have it sync appropriately across multiple computers?
    Yes, for personal library attachments. Group libraries don't currently support linked files at all, though with relative path support this should be possible at some point.
    Also, if this is true, would there be a way to have group libraries sync with the zotero provided space?
    Yes—that's the only option right now, since group library files have to be stored within the Zotero data directory.
  • adamsmith
    1. yes - you'd have to use linked attachments though - note that files that Zotero attaches automatically are always stored in the Zotero storage folder. (You can probably best automate this via Zotfile).

    2. There are separate sync settings for Group file attachments, so unless I'm misunderstanding your question, yes (and that has always been the case).
  • flamerie1
    Hi,
    I haven't fully understood the way to use the new functionnality of relative paths for attachments.
    Is there any documentation or example? The page http://www.zotero.org/support/preferences/advanced hasn't been updated yet.
    Thanks,
    Frédérique
  • Gracile
    edited April 5, 2013
    It works only with linked files, not all attachments (fr: un lien et non pas une copie du fichier).
    In Preferences -> Advanced -> Files and Folders, you set a "base directory" and, then, all the files in this directory that you attach as a links (using "Attach link to File"/"Joindre un lien vers le Fichier") to Zotero items will have relative paths.
  • jasonmcewen
    This functionality doesn't seem to work for me with Zotero 4.0.5.

    I set the base directories on two Macs and one Ubuntu machine and then add links to files in these directories. However, when I try to open the file from within Zotero on one machine it cannot locate files that were added on any other machine. Nothing works for any combinations of machines. I get the error:

    'The attached file could not be found. It may have been moved or deleted outside of Zotero.'

    The base directories are sync'd with Dropbox.

    Am I missing something totally obvious?
  • dstillman
    Can you provide a Debug ID for a file-opening attempt that fails?
  • jasonmcewen
    Thanks for your rapid response Dan.

    The Debug ID is D1428643314.
  • jasonmcewen
    I just viewed the debug report myself. The path refers to the file location on my Mac (the machine where the file was linked). Zotero hasn't picked up the base directory on the Ubuntu machine where I am trying to now open the file.
  • dstillman
    Just to be sure, you've synced both machines since setting the base directories?

    Can you provide a Debug ID for linking to a file within the base directory on one of the machines?
  • jasonmcewen
    Thanks Dan. Yep, I sync'd both machine. I've deleted all entries in my Zotero library and performed the following tests.

    On Ubuntu machine:
    - Set base directory
    - Add link to pdf1
    - Debug ID D610658364

    On Mac machine:
    - Set base directory
    - Add link to pdf2
    - Debug ID D1126862193

    Sync Zotero on both machines

    Try to access pdf2 on Ubuntu machine:
    - Debug ID D958631704

    Try to access pdf1 on Mac machine:
    - Debug ID D1172052164

    Let me know if there are any other tests you would like me to try.
  • dstillman
    OK, well this was definitely broken. Should be fixed in the latest 4.0 Branch dev XPI, if you want to test it now. The fix will be included in 4.0.6.

    You'll need to clear and reset the base directory on one computer to get the relative paths to sync properly.

    Thanks for reporting this.
  • jasonmcewen
    Thanks. What's the release schedule for 4.0.6?

    I'm running the standalone versions of Zotero on Ubuntu and Mac. Is there a development branch I can install for the standalone versions?
  • dstillman
    4.0.6 should be out today.

    There are no dev builds for Standalone currently, but Zotero for Firefox will share the same data directory by default, so switching between the two is as easy as closing Standalone.
  • jasonmcewen
    Great, I'll wait for 4.0.6.

    Thanks for your help with this!
  • jasonmcewen
    Thanks Dan! Just tested with recently released 4.0.6 and works a treat!

    Now just need to determine best method to access on mobile devices (OS X and Android). I use iAnnotate for PDF annotation, which syncs with Dropbox. Thus just need a way of searching the Zotero library on mobile devices and then launching iAnnotate. Might not be straightforward with linked PDFs and Zotero base directory functionality. I'll look into ZotPad and Zandy to see what's feasible. Let me know if you have any tips!
  • adamsmith
    (IIRC Zandy doesn't work well with dropbox synced attachments - and isn't much maintained in the first place. ZotPad does should work nicely, though)
  • jasonmcewen
    Thanks Adam. Now that I am using the standalone clients on Mac and Ubuntu, I set the base directory to be a Dropbox folder. All pdfs in Zotero entries are then linked (rather that having data attached). I have the pdfs already sync'd on my iPad in iAnnotate using Dropbox. Using ZotPad, can I somehow directly open on my iPad the linked pdfs in iAnnotate? I'm guessing probably not. I suppose I will have to search for the document of interest in ZotPad, and then manually find and open it from within iAnnotate. At least in ZotPad I will have a more powerful search, with access to tags (my main reason for moving to Zotero). Not an ideal solution but workable.
  • adamsmith
    right, I guess the link wouldn't make sense on an iPad. You can ask though if this is possible in the medium run:
    http://zotpad.uservoice.com/
  • arjunghosh
    I have directed my zotero folder to be stored inside Dropbox. Works great.
  • dstillman
    arjunghosh: If you mean that you moved your entire Zotero data directory into Dropbox, you absolutely don't want to do that. You'll quite likely corrupt your database and other parts of your data directory, and you won't receive any support here.

    If you mean just the 'storage' directory via a link or the linked attachment base directory (which is what this thread is about), that's OK.
  • mronkko
    ZotPad 1.3 will fully support links to relative paths if the paths is inside Dropbox folder. Currently (version 1.2.x) there is very limited support for linked files. There is some information here http://zotpad.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/111706-what-is-the-difference-between-stored-files-linke and some more information in the user manual that comes with the app.
  • cmbarton
    This is all very good news, since I have a closely related question. Up til now, I've stored my PDF's in a folder, called "digital papers" which I've sync'ed across multiple computers using SugarSync. I've linked the PDF's to Zotero using the "Attach link to file" option.

    This has worked prior to the new syncing option. But I'd now like to move all these PDF's to DropBox now. So, can I

    1. activate the new "Linked attachment base directory" option in Zotero,
    2. specify the "digital papers" folder I now use, and
    3. move that folder to DropBox?

    if this works, do I need to do this independently on all 3 of my computers in different places or can I do it just once?

    Michael
  • adamsmith
    edited September 8, 2013
    After moving the folder to dropbox, you would then, as 4., have to specify the path to the digital papers folder in dropbox as the base directory. (edit - actually, you can skip step 2 if you want to)

    You will need to set the base directory on each of your computers individually (the main reason this was introduced is, after all, that filepaths typically vary between computers).
  • cmbarton
    Thanks Adam. I was hoping that I would not be faced with reconnecting a few thousand PDFs to my Zotero database.

    Michael
  • adamsmith
    Not sure I understand - you only need to do this once per computer, not once per file. Or was that an expression of a hope fulfilled?
  • cmbarton
    A hope fulfilled.
  • cmbarton
    OK. I've started this process. So far so good. One thing to add. After changing the base directory, you need to quit Zotero and restart it for this to take effect.
  • cmbarton
    Sadly, this does not work. It is fine for the computer where I initially made the switch. But when I change my base directory to the dropbox location for another computer, it loses track of all my PDFs. ... even though all the files are the same and the directory name is the same.

    It looks like I will have to relocate a couple thousand one by one. Not something I'm looking forward to. I might try a sync to see if that fixes it. Of course, it might make things worse.
  • cmbarton
    Good news. Syncing made Zotero recognize the new base directory. Don't know why but I'm happy it worked.
  • adamsmith
    edited October 28, 2013
    This definitely works and many people are using it. You definitely do want to sync, but don't do any reconnecting by hand - that's just going to make it harder to troubleshoot and, if necessary, fix.

    Edit: syncing is necessary because it provides Zotero with the correct relative link. Only then will setting the base directory work.
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