Having your files in sync is a must for anyone that works on original documents at different times or many documents in parallel. Keeping the files on the computer in sync with your cloud storage is a great way to the files are up to date and of the latest version.
In this tutorial we will show you how to set up file synchronization using the Nextcloud client (free to download from their website at https://nextcloud.com/install/#install-clients).
Get the AppImage installed and set up
You might already know this if you’re an experienced Linux user, but for those new to Linux it is important to understand that all files come with rights. Rights determine who can do what to a file, by default most files are not executable in Linux (that is why some say that Linux are more secure than windows).
When the file is downloaded you can make the file executable in two different ways depending on if you use the command-line interface (CLI or terminal) or the graphical user interface (GUI).
If you prefer the GUI, like most users, you must locate your downloaded file in your file manager. It should be in your downloads folder no matter what distribution you use. For my tutorial I will use Ubuntu 20.04 with the gnome desktop environment (there are different desktop environments like KDE, Budgie, Cinnamon etc), but the procedure will be the same even if the graphical interface differs between desktop environments.
Make the file executable
In the file manager, right click on the file and select properties. A dialogue box will appear and it is from within that box you make the file executable by selecting ‘Allow execute file as program’. Close the dialog box and double click the file to install it.
If you want to use the CLI, you give the file permissions by running sudo chmod +x nameoffile. When writing this tutorial the 3.03 version was the latest and therefore I run;
sudo chmod +x Nextcloud-3.0.3-x86_64.AppImage
to make the file executable, then run
sudo ./Nextcloud-3.0.3-x86_64.AppImage to install the file.
Set up the sync client
Next you need to tell the client where your cloud storage is located and which files and folders to synchronize and keep in sync. Start by double clicking at the Nextcloud AppImage file.
Start by adding the web address to operationtulip in the dialogue box. The address for your cloud storage is;cloud.operationtulip.com
And click next to continue the configuration.
It will take you to a new dialogue where you log in to your account. Here you use the same credentials as when you log in via the browser. Sometimes, the browser opens up a window for you to sign in to your account. Sign in as usual to give the client permission to access your account.
The last step in the process is selecting what to synchronize between the cloud storage with operationtulip.com and your computer. The default setting is to synchronize everything. But you can change the client’s behavior.
If you only want to keep select folders synchronized, you can select the option ‘Choose what to sync’. That option will give you an outlook of your folder structure at operationtulip.com and let you select which folders to synchronize and which to not.
You can also select which folder on your computer that will contain the synchronized folders and files. When you click on the ‘Local folder’ button a new dialogue box will appear – here you choose what folder on your hard drive that will contain the synchronized files from your cloud account.
What happens next?
Keeping files and folder synchronized means that if you remove a file or folder on operationtulip.com, it will also disappear on your hard drive – and the same goes in the other direction. A synchronized relationship is not a way to safeguard for inadvertently deleting a file. To be sure that you can restore a folder or file, you need a back-up. Keep in mind that file and folder synchronization are not the same as a backup.
Windows and Mac
The procedure for setting up synchronization on a PC using Microsoft Windows or OSX (the operating system on a mac), is very similar to the process for Linux. You don’t need to make the file executable as in Linux, but except for that the dialogue boxes look the same and let you make the same decisions.
We sincerely hope this short tutorial will help you to set up your synchronization. If you can’t get it to work send us an email on the support mail address.
Jofen @ the operationtulip.com team