Relative Linked Attachment Filepaths and Dropbox

realtime99
It used to be recommended that users not store Zotero files in Dropbox (although some people stored attachments there using symbolic links).

Now that Zotero has relative linked attachment filepaths, is it safe to store attachments in Dropbox (inside ..\Dropbox\storage\) without risking library problems? I keep my Zotero library in my Firefox profile.
  • adamsmith
    It has always been safe to keep attachments in Dropbox - the warning is, and remains, about placing zotero.sqlite in Dropbox.
    Relative Paths for linked files make it easier to work with Dropbox (e.g. in combination with ZotFile), though I'm worried by your mention of ./storage: Files stored with Zotero (i.e. the zotero/storage folder) must remain in the Zotero data directory, else you're breaking the link to all attachments. Relative paths only apply to linked files, not to stored files.
  • realtime99
    I see - I got linked and stored files confused.

    I store my files in Dropbox using a symbolic link from the Zotero "storage" folder to a "storage" folder in Dropbox. I have symbolic links like this on several computers, all to the same Dropbox folder. Is this unadvised for any reason?
  • adamsmith
    no, that's fine, too.
  • hhng
    edited February 10, 2014
    how does multiple dropbox linking work? For instance I have my main library on my school computer that has PDFs symbolically linked to a dropbox folder located on my C drive, however I don't have enough space on my home computer so it is on a dropbox folder that is on an external hard drive that may be an H drive.

    I don't have access to my work computer at the moment, but will the symbolic link still work or will I have to make everything be in the C drive? Or is there another solution?

    Edit:
    Here is what I'm doing
    I'm using relative paths in Zotero
    I'm using Zotfile to rename PDFs and place in Dropbox

    I'm doing this because
    (1)I want to use Zotpad to have access to my library without going over the 300MB limit of Zotero sync
    (2)I want to be able to annotate on Zotpad+GoodReader
    (3)I don't like deep folder on Zotero and I would like to have easy access to my PDFs if I want it (hence why I'm not using WebDAV and CloudMe because it syncs the deepfolders)

    Problem: I want to have access to my Zotero on multiple computer (hence the original question above)
  • realtime99
    I do this without linking attachments, but storing them. Here's how I do it:

    Install Zotero to a computer, with everything in your Firefox profile (or somewhere else not in Dropbox).

    Install Dropbox Folder Sync: http://satyadeepk.in/dropbox-folder-sync/

    Put attachments in a Dropbox folder called "storage".
    Go to the storage folder in the Zotero install folder, right-click "storage", and it creates a symbolic link to the Dropbox "storage" folder.

    You can then do the same with your other computers and each will link to the Dropbox storage folder, and any attachments added on one computer will also be there for the others.

    You don't need Zotero sync or WebDAV to access the attachments from multiple computers if they are in Dropbox.

    Your Zotero library will find your stored attachments b/c it will look in the Zotero "storage" folder, which will point it to the Dropbox "storage" folder.

    I'm not sure whether you can replicate this for your currently-linked library without manually re-linking attachments to Zotero items.
  • adamsmith
    You can also do this by linking with ZotFile and relative links:
    https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/29322/howto-linked-attachments-dropbox-zotero-40/
  • hhng
    thanks for the suggestion quickfold11 on Folder Sync.

    I will see if I can try to integrate Folder Sync into my setup, but I do need Zotero Sync as it is the only way to open them in Zotpad - it gets on my Zotero account to see my references, and there is a feature to look into my dropbox for the attachments. This saves me from syncing my attachments to my Zotero sync to save space.

    Furthermore, I would like to save my PDFs in a cleaned naming convention and no deep folder setup, hence I would not like to use the "storage" folder that has non-descript names. this is the reason I am using symbolic linking in ZotFile.
  • hhng
    hi adamsmith, I think the that discussion is similar to my setup (other than the Zotpad). It looks like making sure all folder structure is the same is the easiest solution. So I will have to make some space on my C drive on my home computer.
  • adamsmith
    The whole point of relative file links is that you don't need the same folder structure.
  • hhng
    sorry, I'm new to this relative link, but I wasn't aware of this. If what you're saying is true then my setup should be fine
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