diff --git a/users/faq.rst b/users/faq.rst index b01f38132..e60fe72ed 100644 --- a/users/faq.rst +++ b/users/faq.rst @@ -9,39 +9,36 @@ General What is Syncthing? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -Syncthing is an application that lets you synchronize your files across -multiple devices. This means the creation, modification or deletion of -files on one machine will automatically be replicated to your other -devices. We believe your data is your data alone and you deserve to -choose where it is stored. Therefore Syncthing does not upload your data -to the cloud but exchanges your data across your machines as soon as -they are online at the same time. +Syncthing is an application that lets you synchronize your files across multiple +devices. This means the creation, modification or deletion of files on one +machine will automatically be replicated to your other devices. We believe your +data is your data alone and you deserve to choose where it is stored. Therefore +Syncthing does not upload your data to the cloud but exchanges your data across +your machines as soon as they are online at the same time. Is it "syncthing", "Syncthing" or "SyncThing"? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -It's **Syncthing**, although the command and source repository is -spelled ``syncthing`` so it may be referred to in that way as well. It's -definitely not :strike:`SyncThing`, even though the abbreviation -``st`` is used in some circumstances and file names. +It's **Syncthing**, although the command and source repository is spelled +``syncthing`` so it may be referred to in that way as well. It's definitely not +:strike:`SyncThing`, even though the abbreviation ``st`` is used in some +circumstances and file names. How does Syncthing differ from BitTorrent Sync? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -The two are different and not related. Syncthing and BitTorrent Sync -accomplish some of the same things, namely syncing files between two or -more computers. +The two are different and not related. Syncthing and BitTorrent Sync accomplish +some of the same things, namely syncing files between two or more computers. BitTorrent Sync by BitTorrent, Inc is a proprietary peer-to-peer file -synchronization tool available for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, -Windows Phone, Amazon Kindle Fire and BSD. -`1 `__ Syncthing is an -open source file synchronization tool. +synchronization tool available for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, Windows +Phone, Amazon Kindle Fire and BSD. `1 +`__ Syncthing is an open source +file synchronization tool. -Syncthing uses an open and documented protocol, and likewise the -security mechanisms in use are well defined and visible in the source -code. BitTorrent Sync uses an undocumented, closed protocol with unknown -security properties. +Syncthing uses an open and documented protocol, and likewise the security +mechanisms in use are well defined and visible in the source code. BitTorrent +Sync uses an undocumented, closed protocol with unknown security properties. Usage ----- @@ -49,12 +46,12 @@ Usage What things are synced? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -The following things are *always* synchronized; +The following things are *always* synchronized: - File Contents - File Modification Times -The following may be synchronized or not, depending; +The following may be synchronized or not, depending: - File Permissions (When supported by file system. On Windows, only the read only bit is synchronized.) @@ -75,17 +72,16 @@ The following is *not* synchronized; Is synchronization fast? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -Syncthing segments files into pieces, called blocks, to transfer data -from one device to another. Therefore, multiple devices can share the -synchronization load, in a similar way as the torrent protocol. The more -devices you have online (and synchronized), the faster an additional -device will receive the data because small blocks will be fetched from -all devices in parallel. +Syncthing segments files into pieces, called blocks, to transfer data from one +device to another. Therefore, multiple devices can share the synchronization +load, in a similar way as the torrent protocol. The more devices you have online +(and synchronized), the faster an additional device will receive the data +because small blocks will be fetched from all devices in parallel. -Syncthing handles renaming files and updating their metadata in an -efficient manner. This means that renaming a large file will not cause a -retransmission of that file. Additionally, appending data to existing -large files should be handled efficiently as well. +Syncthing handles renaming files and updating their metadata in an efficient +manner. This means that renaming a large file will not cause a retransmission of +that file. Additionally, appending data to existing large files should be +handled efficiently as well. Temporary files are used to store partial data downloaded from other devices. They are automatically removed whenever a file transfer has been completed or @@ -95,63 +91,60 @@ hours by default). Should I keep my device IDs secret? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -No. The IDs are not sensitive. Given a device ID it's possible to find -the IP address for that node, if global discovery is enabled on it. -Knowing the device ID doesn't help you actually establish a connection -to that node or get a list of files, etc. +No. The IDs are not sensitive. Given a device ID it's possible to find the IP +address for that node, if global discovery is enabled on it. Knowing the device +ID doesn't help you actually establish a connection to that node or get a list +of files, etc. -For a connection to be established, both nodes need to know about the -other's device ID. It's not possible (in practice) to forge a device ID. -(To forge a device ID you need to create a TLS certificate with that -specific SHA-256 hash. If you can do that, you can spoof any TLS -certificate. The world is your oyster!) +For a connection to be established, both nodes need to know about the other's +device ID. It's not possible (in practice) to forge a device ID. (To forge a +device ID you need to create a TLS certificate with that specific SHA-256 hash. +If you can do that, you can spoof any TLS certificate. The world is your +oyster!) -See also `Understanding Device -IDs `__. +.. see-also:: + :ref:`dev/device-ids` What if there is a conflict? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -Syncthing does recognize conflicts. When a file has been modified on two -devices simultaneously, one of the files will be renamed to -``.sync- conflict--