I have Insync on a laptop and a desktop machine, the laptop running Ubuntu 24.04 (I think) and the desktop running Kubuntu 25.04. Syncing to Google Drive (workspaces)
I’m just setting up a file sharing arrangement with another volunteer, and I was looking for the one file in a directory he would need. I edited it Sunday and today I noticed it was not in the Google Drive (today is Wednesday). I found the laptop, turned it back on, opened the file, closed it. Insync showed it was through syncing. Shut down the laptop.
Went back to the other building with the desktop system, and it STILL was missing from the google drive.
So I went back to the laptop, opened InSync, found the file in the Insync interface, and put a star on it. I don’t know what that does other than mark it as “special,” but sure enough…
The InSync status showed it uploaded FIVE TIMES!
I’m back on the desktop and sure enough it’s in the cloud now.
Two questions:
is there something I should have done to ensure the original files were actually sync’ed to Google Drive?
Is there any way I to confirm that they’re all sync’ed on the other machines?
@TommyT, my most sincere apologies for what happened!
If the file is synced 2-way and there’s stable internet (which seems to be the case), then Insync is expected to sync the local changes to the cloud and vice versa. Please email support@insynchq.com and share the following so we can investigate this:
logs.db
out.txt
Name of the file that was missed
Screenshot where it showed that it was uploaded five times
I apologize… I’ve been “offline” and missed your response. I’m still having the problem with the particular file. A GnuCash data file. For some reason it gets missed, and then gets caught later when I log in to the machine, and trigger the sync by pausing and restarting. I’m in the middle of a project and I’ll try to collect the data when I see it again (saw it happen just now but I am 14 minutes from an online meeting).
Tonight everything worked as it should, but I happened to have both affected machines running at the same time. I have a theory about what happens…
GnuCash (free open source accounting software) has a datafile.gnucash that’s your primary file. When you save it, I THINK the current file gets renamed to datafile.gnucash.[numeric timestamp].gnucash and then the newly saved file gets written. GnuCash also writes a .log file with each save (which Insync calls “edited” in the Feed window).
My theory is that when one of the two machines is logged out, the file manipulation happens on the logged-in machine and GDrive, but somehow Insync catches the renaming of the primary file and misses the (re)writing of the main file on the logged out machine, so it deletes the main file on the first sync on login.
For some reason InSync doesn’t pull the missing file from GDrive UNTIL I trigger a re-index by pausing and resuming the sync.
I will watch over the next few days and I will try to capture the data you requested when the problem gets triggered. In the meantime, if my theory sounds workable, maybe between us we can produce a reasonable test case.
I got back to the machine that had been turned off, and sure enough, the file is missing on this machine. Unfortunately it’s also missing on GDrive. So my theory didn’t hold up.
At least in this situation, the file deleted on GDrive and the original didn’t sync to the cloud. I will get back to the other machine that should have the original file and get some logs… but that will have to be tomorrow at the earliest.
(NOTE if somehow the file is deleted on that machine, the most recent timestamped GnuCash file should be the same as the previous save, and I should be able to run the log file to “replay” whatever data entry got lost, if any. A change to a scheduled transaction or custom report won’t be in the log. But I suspect the saved data will be on its SSD, and at this moment it has been turned off for over 24 hours.)
I just sent the requested files. This time I powered up the machine (where I edited the GnuCash file last) and the feed showed it being uploaded 3 times. I attached a screenshot.
I just pulled up the file in the web view of GDrive and it is (as expected) there now, whereas it wasn’t there a couple of days ago. I will hold off opening GnuCash today (in the middle of another project again).
YES I got the response from my GMail account! Unfortunately my responses from my github-related email address are getting bounced. If we need to diagnose that I suppose it would be a separate “ticket.”
Perhaps! In any case, I’ve already sent the files + screenshot to our engineers so we can investigate this issue further I’ll update you via email (and here, to be sure!) when I get an update from them.
Another situation… Laptop had been off for awhile. Edited GnuCash file on desktop system. Next time (days later) I turned on the laptop, the file was missing, so I assumed it was missing from GDrive. Turns out it was on GDrive (I discovered later), but for whatever reason the file didn’t sync to the laptop.
I hope I can discover an automatic workaround (to instigate a sync of the problematic file without turning the sync off and back on), because this has been causing me difficulties.
Terribly sorry for the huge troubles you’ve been facing Could you please send the latest logs from your laptop so I can add that to the current investigation? You may attach it to our existing email correspondence so you don’t have to open a new ticket.
I just sent the files twice more. Desktop system, file was missing even though the machine had been running for hours. (sent the logs) I opened the Insync app window, and navigated to the account with the problematic file. It was already syncing. (sent the logs again)
One additional set of logs today. In this case I suspended the laptop and a few minutes realized my mistake so I un-suspended and then forced a sync. I hope this shows everything the developers need to know.
I never (intentionally) suspend the “desktop” system even though my “new” one is a mini PC that probably suspends just fine.
Let me know if you need me to test a different circumstance.
For anyone following this thread, it turns out that something about the way GnuCash saves its data files isn’t compatible with Insync, so the initial recommendation is to avoid running both at the same time.
I have used GnuCash for decades, and always have multiple active books (data files in GnuCash). I also communicate regularly with other GnuCash users and developers (as it’s a free open source accounting application).
So I’m hoping the InsyncHQ developers can provide some specific suggestions (or a workaround) that will get GnuCash working smoothly. I’ll try to update here with any details as I learn them.
I’ve responded, let me know if you got it!
Could you please send the latest logs from your laptop so I can add that to the current investigation? You may attach it to our existing email correspondence so you don’t have to open a new ticket.