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users/faq: Update and clarify some FAQ answers

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This commit is contained in:
Jakob Borg
2016-04-29 15:56:18 +02:00
parent f5ec46e66d
commit 09150a77ce
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users/config.rst
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.. _config:
Syncthing Configuration Syncthing Configuration
======================= =======================
users/faq.rst
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@@ -129,28 +129,30 @@ How to configure multiple users on a single machine?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Each user should run their own Syncthing instance. Be aware that you might need Each user should run their own Syncthing instance. Be aware that you might need
to configure ports such that they do not overlap (see the config.xml). to configure listening ports such that they do not overlap (see :ref:`config`).
Does Syncthing support syncing between folders on the same system? Does Syncthing support syncing between folders on the same system?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Syncthing is not designed to sync locally and the overhead involved in doing so will waste resources. There are better programs to achieve this such as rsync or Unison. No. Syncthing is not designed to sync locally and the overhead involved in
doing so using Syncthing's method would be wasteful. There are better
programs to achieve this such as rsync or Unison.
Is Syncthing my ideal backup application? Is Syncthing my ideal backup application?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No, Syncthing is not a backup application because all changes to your files No. Syncthing is not a great backup application because all changes to your
(modification, deletion, etc) will be propagated to all your devices. You can files (modifications, deletions, etc) will be propagated to all your
enable versioning, but we encourage the use of other tools to keep your data devices. You can enable versioning, but we encourage the use of other tools
safe from your (or our) mistakes. to keep your data safe from your (or our) mistakes.
Why is there no iOS client? Why is there no iOS client?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An alternative implementation of Syncthing (using the Syncthing protocol) is being There is an alternative implementation of Syncthing (using the same network
developed at this point in time to enable iOS support. Additionally, it seems protocol) called ``fsync()``. There are no plans by the current Syncthing
that the next version of Go will support the darwin-arm architecture such that team to support iOS in the foreseeable future, as the code required to do so
we can compile the mainstream code for the iOS platform. would be quite different from what Syncthing is today.
Why does it use so much CPU? Why does it use so much CPU?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
@@ -158,38 +160,48 @@ Why does it use so much CPU?
#. When new or changed files are detected, or Syncthing starts for the #. When new or changed files are detected, or Syncthing starts for the
first time, your files are hashed using SHA-256. first time, your files are hashed using SHA-256.
#. Data that is sent over the network is first compressed and then #. Data that is sent over the network is (optionally) compressed and
encrypted using AES-128. When receiving data, it must be decrypted encrypted using AES-128. When receiving data, it must be decrypted.
and decompressed.
Hashing, compression and encryption cost CPU time. Also, using the GUI causes a #. There is a certain amount of housekeeping that must be done to track the
certain amount of CPU usage. Note however that once things are *in sync* CPU current and available versions of each file in the index database.
usage should be negligible.
Hashing, compression and encryption cost CPU time. Also, using the GUI
causes a certain amount of extra CPU usage to calculate the summary data it
presents. Note however that once things are *in sync* CPU usage should be
negligible.
How can I exclude files with brackets (``[]``) in the name? How can I exclude files with brackets (``[]``) in the name?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The patterns in .stignore are glob patterns, where brackets are used to denote The patterns in .stignore are glob patterns, where brackets are used to
character ranges. That is, the pattern ``q[abc]x`` will match the files ``qax``, denote character ranges. That is, the pattern ``q[abc]x`` will match the
``qbx`` and ``qcx``. files ``qax``, ``qbx`` and ``qcx``.
To match an actual file *called* ``q[abc]x`` the pattern needs to "escape" the To match an actual file *called* ``q[abc]x`` the pattern needs to "escape"
brackets, like so: ``q\[abc\]x``. the brackets, like so: ``q\[abc\]x``.
On Windows, escaping special characters is not supported as the ``\``
character is used as a path separator. On the other hand, special characters
such as ``[`` and ``?`` are not allowed in file names on Windows.
Why is the setup more complicated than BTSync? Why is the setup more complicated than BTSync?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Security over convenience. In Syncthing you have to setup both sides to connect Security over convenience. In Syncthing you have to setup both sides to
two nodes. An attacker can't do much with a stolen node ID, because you have to connect two nodes. An attacker can't do much with a stolen node ID, because
add the node on the other side too. You have better control where your files are you have to add the node on the other side too. You have better control
transferred. where your files are transferred.
This is an area that we are working to improve in the long term.
How do I access the web GUI from another computer? How do I access the web GUI from another computer?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The default listening address is 127.0.0.1:8384, so you can only access the GUI The default listening address is 127.0.0.1:8384, so you can only access the
from the same machine. Change the ``GUI listen address`` through the web UI from GUI from the same machine. This is for security reasons. Change the ``GUI
``127.0.0.1:8384`` to ``0.0.0.0:8384`` or change the config.xml: listen address`` through the web UI from ``127.0.0.1:8384`` to
``0.0.0.0:8384`` or change the config.xml:
.. code-block:: xml .. code-block:: xml
@@ -203,61 +215,63 @@ to
<gui enabled="true" tls="false"> <gui enabled="true" tls="false">
<address>0.0.0.0:8384</address> <address>0.0.0.0:8384</address>
Then the GUI is accessible from everywhere. You should most likely set a Then the GUI is accessible from everywhere. You should set a password and
password and enable HTTPS now. You can do this from inside the GUI. enable HTTPS with this configuration. You can do this from inside the GUI.
If both your computers are Unixy (Linux, Mac, etc) You can also leave the GUI If both your computers are Unixy (Linux, Mac, etc) You can also leave the
settings at default and use an ssh port forward to access it. For example, GUI settings at default and use an ssh port forward to access it. For
example,
.. code-block:: bash .. code-block:: bash
$ ssh -L 9090:127.0.0.1:8384 user@othercomputer.example.com $ ssh -L 9090:127.0.0.1:8384 user@othercomputer.example.com
will log you into othercomputer.example.com, and present the *remote* Syncthing will log you into othercomputer.example.com, and present the *remote*
GUI on http://localhost:9090 on your *local* computer. You should not open more Syncthing GUI on http://localhost:9090 on your *local* computer.
than one Syncthing GUI in a single browser due to conflicting X-CSRFTokens. Any
modification will be rejected. See :issue:`720` to work around this limitation.
The CSRF tokens are stored using cookies. Therefore, if you get the message
``Syncthing seems to be experiencing a problem processing your request``, you
should verify the cookie settings of your browser.
Why do I see Syncthing twice in task manager? Why do I see Syncthing twice in task manager?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One process manages the other, to capture logs and manage restarts. This makes One process manages the other, to capture logs and manage restarts. This
it easier to handle upgrades from within Syncthing itself, and also ensures that makes it easier to handle upgrades from within Syncthing itself, and also
we get a nice log file to help us narrow down the cause for crashes and other ensures that we get a nice log file to help us narrow down the cause for
bugs. crashes and other bugs.
Where do Syncthing logs go to? Where do Syncthing logs go to?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Syncthing logs to stdout by default. On Windows Syncthing by default also Syncthing logs to stdout by default. On Windows Syncthing by default also
creates ``syncthing.log`` in Syncthing's home directory (check ``-help`` to see creates ``syncthing.log`` in Syncthing's home directory (run ``syncthing
where that is). Command line option ``-logfile`` can be used to specify a user-defined logfile. -paths`` to see where that is). Command line option ``-logfile`` can be used
to specify a user-defined logfile.
How do I upgrade Syncthing? How do I upgrade Syncthing?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you use a package manager such as Debian's apt-get, you should upgrade
using the package manager. If you use the binary packages linked from
Syncthing.net, you can use Syncthing built in automatic upgrades.
- If automatic upgrades is enabled (which is the default), Syncthing will - If automatic upgrades is enabled (which is the default), Syncthing will
upgrade itself automatically within 24 hours of a new release. upgrade itself automatically within 24 hours of a new release.
- The upgrade button appears in the web GUI when a new version has been released. - The upgrade button appears in the web GUI when a new version has been
Pressing it will perform an upgrade. released. Pressing it will perform an upgrade.
- To force an upgrade from the command line, run ``syncthing -upgrade``. - To force an upgrade from the command line, run ``syncthing -upgrade``.
Note that your system should have CA certificates installed which allow a secure Note that your system should have CA certificates installed which allow a
connection to GitHub (e.g. FreeBSD requires ``sudo pkg install ca_root_nss``). secure connection to GitHub (e.g. FreeBSD requires ``sudo pkg install
If ``curl`` or ``wget`` works with normal HTTPS sites, then so should Syncthing. ca_root_nss``). If ``curl`` or ``wget`` works with normal HTTPS sites, then
so should Syncthing.
Where do I find the latest release? Where do I find the latest release?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We release new versions through GitHub. The latest release is always found `on We release new versions through GitHub. The latest release is always found
the release page <https://github.com/syncthing/syncthing/releases/latest>`_. `on the release page
Unfortunately GitHub does not provide a single URL to automatically download the <https://github.com/syncthing/syncthing/releases/latest>`_. Unfortunately
latest version. We suggest to use the GitHub API at GitHub does not provide a single URL to automatically download the latest
https://api.github.com/repos/syncthing/syncthing/releases/latest and parsing the version. We suggest to use the GitHub API at
JSON response. https://api.github.com/repos/syncthing/syncthing/releases/latest and parsing
the JSON response.