External profile not working

ebranscomb
I just started using Zotero in earnest a few days ago. I did about an hour's worth of research in Zotero on my desktop (created some folders and subfolders, added some documents), and when I went to access it on my laptop, it would not show up in Zotero. I'm using Macs and my .mac iDisk to store the profile. The files I saved are there in the storage folder (I can see them on either computer), but only the computer that created them can use them. Is there a bug in using .mac to store a profile?
  • Rauser
    I have exactly the same problem. When on my work computer I try to set the profile folder to be the folder I created on .mac iDisk using my home computer, I get a message that Zotero doesn't recognize the folder as containing zotero data (and, do I want to put my work computer's zotero data in that folder anyway?). I assume that if I clicked "yes," I would have two databases parked in the same iDisk directory, with my computer at home reading one and the work computer reading the other (and never the twain shall meet). Does anyone have any suggestions?
  • sean
    Are you storing the zotero.sqlite file and its automated backups on the shared storage as well? Zotero requires the Firefox profile's entire zotero folder, not just the storage subfolder.
  • Rauser
    OK, this works now. Thanks! But there is one small problem. Firefox now loads more slowly than usual and takes up to 5 minutes or more to quit. The window closes but the program doesn't entirely close out. I use a mac with OS 10.5 and I need to choose force quite from the apple menu when firefox stalls out and I'm unwilling to wait around for 5 minutes before it finally closes out entirely. I suspect this may be a port forwarding issue, but am unsure. Anyone have any ideas?
  • dstillman
    Zotero is designed to use a local database. You're essentially replacing very fast local disk access with much, much slower Internet-based access (even if you have a relatively fast connection). The delay on shutdown is probably Zotero uploading a full backup copy of the database to Apple's servers.

    Grab MenuMeters and turn on the network monitor, and you should see the downloading and updating of data as it happens.

    I'd recommend keeping the Zotero files on your hard drive and copying them to the iDisk (erasing what's there first) before you switch computers. With rsync or a good backup utility you could do this efficiently (and without erasing first) so that only modified data was transferred (including only the portion of your database that had changed).
  • ebranscomb
    It seems to be working now, although it's kind of sporadic. I haven't lost any data since I first posted, but many times stuff I stored on one machine doesn't show up until 2 or 3 logins later on the other machine. I have both my laptop and desktop set to sync with iDisk automatically, which stores a copy of the iDisk locally for increased speed. I'm wondering if Zotero is reading from cached copies rather than going straight to the profile each time for its data?
  • Rauser
    Thanks! I'll try the menu meters to see what's going on. I tried using the autosync for iDisk to keep a copy of the zotero database local (among other things), but there's a bug with the iDisk sync in which the sync tries reproduces a new copy of iDisk on your local machine with every sync and will not free up the memory from the previous sync. Overnight, autosyncing my iDisk led to a complete gobbling up of my memory (about 40 gigs worth). The buzz on the Apple support lists is that this is a bug and the folks at Apple are trying to fix it. Stay tuned for Leopard 10.5.1. In the meantime, I guess I'm stuck with manual uploads of putting up with the slow firefox quitting times.
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