[5.0 Beta] Syncing/upgrade question

dstillman
This discussion was created from comments split from: Zotero 5.0 Beta.
  • mdover
    edited April 17, 2017
    Hello, new user basically. Our university is discontinuing Refworks and so I've decided to make the leap for databases I build for course work (my own work is in Endnote where I have very databases). I really don't want my students to have to make the transition from 4.0 to 5.0, so I'm inclined with consent of the supporting librarian to use 5.0 Beta and require my students to use it. Although I would have preferred browser based Firefox, and installed 4.0 briefly to see how it worked, I see how requiring a standalone installation with sync to web and among difference computers is preferable. I can't get home computer and Firefox to properly sync. Deleting a collection on home computer and syncing doesn't delete it on web even after refresh. I had to use the Reset options (both of them) to get the collection folders to be identical, and still there are 300 files in my inbox on Firefox and 20 or so on Zotero. Just tested it: added a collection TEST on Firefox, went to Zotero standalone and synced: nothing. Reset data and the TEST shows up on standalone. However, when create new TEST2 collection in standalone and refresh, it shows up fine. I think the excess of the files in the Firefox are from an import from an Endnote database. I deleted all of the files in the My Library list that shows in Firefox (330), down to zero, and this got rid of all of the files in my collection folders. I went to standalone and synced. The same files in the showing list in standalone remain as well as most of the files in the identical collection list. In other words, syncing doesn't seem to work. Used reset data, and now it is synced. However, syncing icon turning and turning and error message says to restart Zotero. Submitted error report. Restarted, and syncing still taking some time, but finally stopped and all is synced. It would appear that manual data resetting is required for syncing to work properly. I wonder if my work machine is running now with Zotero installed and that is part of the problem... But so far I like what I see, but I worry students will complain and blame it on beta and me....

    (edited to shorten after adamsmith's posting below)
  • adamsmith
    I'm not sure which version you used, but in any case, take the sync issues to a new thread please, and please don't use the Reset option -- as the preferences say, that's designed for a very specific subset of situations and not as a generic troubleshooting step for the types of problems you're seeing.

    Beyond that, you're misunderstanding the Firefox version. That's not a cloud/web version either, but stores data locally and relies on sync between computer just like Standalone does. (I'm suspecting that's actually part of the problem with sync you're seeing).

    Generally speaking, sync is working faster and more reliable on Zotero 5.0beta, but while it's a very stable beta, there's a reason it's not released yet, so I'd expect users to see more bugs than in 4.0 -- that call is up to you in the end.
  • mdover
    edited April 17, 2017
    Sebastian, as I made clear, I was using the 5.0 Beta version of the standalone. Perhaps I should have clarified, I'm using Firefox connector, as my installation followed all advice. As I understand it, Firefox connector is what I should be using. Does it do harm to anyone besides my own installation to use the reset option? As I document above, nothing else is working to properly sync my library as it shows in Firefox with the library in standalone. What I'm doing seems to me to be an appropriate issue to raise here. I read the entire 9 pages of postings and many had to do with various aspects of syncing in Beta 5.0, including dstillman's posting a few days ago. I don't think it is good behavior in forums for me to take my above and repost it on another thread, but if I have any more syncing questions I'll look for such a thread and post there. - Michael Dover (mdover)
  • dstillman
    (Moved to a new thread. We can't help you with specific technical questions in a 9-page thread with dozens of participants— it would be impossible to track and annoying to everyone else who follows that thread for 5.0 updates.)
  • mdover
    edited April 17, 2017
    Got it, I had just actually gone back to the beginning and saw that the procedure was to start a new thread with [5.0 Beta] at beginning, thanks much.
  • adamsmith
    One problem with using reset is that it makes troubleshooting hard. No way to tell (and possibly fix) what the actual issues here are/were.

    Note also that when reporting errors, you actually need to post the error report ID here and provide some context. Only error reports with IDs referenced in the forum are actually looked at by anyone.
  • dstillman
    It would appear that manual data resetting is required for syncing to work properly.
    It's definitely not in general — and, as adamsmith says, we can't troubleshoot if you use it — but I'm still pretty confused by your description. Can you read Changes Not Syncing and then try to describe again what you're doing, focusing on the computer that's not syncing properly with zotero.org?
  • mdover
    Ok, I sent in the error report and thought about copying it and posting it but it seemed overly long. I'll keep using and see, perhaps this was a temporary problem. I'll read Changes Not Syncing and return.
  • dstillman
    edited April 17, 2017
    Ok, I sent in the error report and thought about copying it and posting it but it seemed overly long.
    No, what you need to post here is the Report ID, which is the number you get after submitting the error report.
  • adamsmith
    Right, you wouldn't want to post your whole error report here -- after sending it, Zotero will/should display a screen with a 9 digit error ID in red -- that number is what you'll want to post and Dan can then use that to look at the report together with version information.
  • mdover
    I see now from the pages for Changes not syncing, and related pages I'm bookmarking: https://bookmarkos.com/f/QlMP2G-kU5M

    You are supposed to report the ID and not post the material.

    I didn't copy and retain the ID report; just a suggestion, if it is feasible, have the ID report emailed to the user if their preferences permit. Once I exited, I lost the report ID. I see from a test I just did that another new report results in a record being created in the library which has that, but such a record wasn't created when I did it earlier this evening, so perhaps it is lost.

    Thanks for all your help. I was a 20 year stalwart of Procite, now stuck with Endnote. I edit an open access journal www.rnoph.org and am a believer in open access. Would love to be able to use Notabene, but can't get transitioned as just too much to import. Hope to be active.

  • dstillman
    just a suggestion, if it is feasible, have the ID report emailed to the user if their preferences permit. Once I exited, I lost the report ID.
    It's really not a big deal. You just need to submit another report if there's a ongoing problem that you want us to look at.
    I see from a test I just did that another new report results in a record being created in the library which has that
    Not sure what you mean by this. Submitting an error report has no effect on your library.
  • mdover
    I see now, you are correct. I must have bookmarked some documentation and confused it....

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