Syncthing on Ubuntu Touch

arubislander

What is Syncthing?

Syncthing is a continuous file synchronization program. It synchronizes files between two or more computers in real time, safely protected from prying eyes. Your data is your data alone and you deserve to choose where it is stored, whether it is shared with some third party, and how it's transmitted over the internet.

What does this have to do with Ubuntu Touch?

I have packaged Syncthing into a click. This is based off the work of @ZeroPointEnergy who I am not sure is still active in the community.

My attention was drawn to Syncthing because I was looking for a simple way to sync my ebooks between my tablet and my phone, and the Nexcloud sync app did not play well with my Nextcloud setup.

Cool! Where can I get it?

Syncthing companion snap

Want to use Syncthing as a lightweight backup solution and need to install in on a server? There is now a Syncthing snap packaged by yours truly.

I have questions.

Any suggestions or questions on its functioning on Ubuntu Touch can be posted in this thread. I will do my best to help where possible. Questions on Syncthing in general are better posted on their support forum.

Links:

main site: www.syncthing.net
documentation: docs.syncthing.net
main project: github.com/syncthing/synhthing
ubuntu touch 'port': gitlab.com/arubislander/syncthing-clickable
snap package: snapstore.io/syncthing-arubislander
snap package source: gitlab.com/arubislander/syncthing-snap

Keneda

I saw your app but didn't understand what exactly we can synch with, and how it works.
Can i synch my UT device config, apps (with configs and so), contacts, messages (mail/SMS), webbrowser favorites, for exemple, if i change my UT device (backup and restore)?
If not can you ad an easy way to do so?
What do i need on PC to make it work with my phone?
What kind of connection/protocol it uses?

arubislander

These are general questions regarding the use and possibilities of Syncthing. It is not my application, I have not developed it. It is a peer-to-peer synchronization solution. This means it does not need a central server, but two (or more) devices can synchronize files in between them.

I will add some more text to the original post. In the meantime please see their excellent documentation: https://docs.syncthing.net/

Keneda

@arubislander

OK, thanks.

poVoq

Awesome. This is probably one of the future must have apps on UT. Thanks a lot

Capsia

@arubislander Hi,
I've been using Syncthing on UT before the app was available following these instructions:
https://www.swalladge.net/archives/2016/07/11/syncthing-ubuntu-touch/

how can I migrate the data from the old Syncthing to the app?

Nice app
Thanks

arubislander

@poVoq If you like the app, please consider giving it a rating in the Open Store

kugiigi

This app crashes on the pinephone with some missing file - synthing.syncthing IIRC.
Perhaps a bad click build for arm64?

arubislander

@kugiigi Maybe, I don't an arm64 device to test it on yet.
But it would help if you could provide the exact error message.

kugiigi

@arubislander Here it is http://paste.ubuntu.com/p/BVnwgHKDnQ/

arubislander

@Capsia I was not aware there were already instructions on running Syncthing on Ubuntu Touch.
The Syncthing web application writes its configuration in $HOME/.config/syncthing. So my app should pick up the existing configuration without any issues.

But because the old install is already using port 8384 you will have to stop it first. To do that open the Terminal app on your phone, or aquire a shell to your device from your computer.
Then stop the upstart job:

~$ stop syncthing
syncthing stop/waiting

and rename the upstart job configuration:

~$ mv $HOME/.config/upstart/syncthing.conf $HOME/.config/upstart/syncthing.conf.bak

Now reboot your device. When it is back up, install the Syncthing app from the Open Store.

Check if it starts and picks up your existing data. If it doesn't, please post back on here.

Otherwise clean up the old installation:

~$ rm $HOME/.config/upstart/syncthing.conf.bak
~$ rm -rf $HOME/apps/syncthing

arubislander

@kugiigi Thank you...

Hmmm.. it seems to be missing the syncthing binary... could you post a listing of the contents of the /opt/click.ubuntu.com/.click/users/phablet/syncthing.syncthing/bin folder on your PinePhone?

EDIT: I downloaded the arm64 click and I confirmed that it is indeed missing the syncthing binary. I will prepare new versions to upload shortly.

EDIT2: Preparing a new click will take a bit longer than anticipated (the versioning is based on the upstream Syncthing version, and since this hasn't changed I will have to do some fiddling to get a version bump.)

Capsia

@arubislander thank you, it worked perfectly

arubislander

@Capsia I would be interested in knowing if you notice better battery life using this version than in the previous situation.

arubislander

I have temporarily unpublished the app pending resolution of the issue that @kugiigi found...

arubislander

A new version has been uploaded and the app has been republished.

@kugiigi, could you test this on you PinePhone?

kugiigi

@arubislander It's working now although the first time I opened it, it was stuck in the splash screen.
Also, I've never actually used it so not sure if the functions are working

arubislander

@kugiigi Yeah, the sticking the first time is because of the upstart jobs that are installed on first run. For now it is sufficient to know that it starts up. Thank you for testing.

Capsia

@arubislander Hi,
I've used your app for 2 days now and I can confirm that the battery usage is much better than before .
The previous Syncthing was eating up all the battery in one night, now it is ok.
I've also found that Syncthing stops some time after the app closes. (before was running all the time)

Thanks

Capsia

Hi @arubislander ,
I'd like to contribute an adapted icon that looks more Ubuntuish to make the app follow the icon style.