Syncovery 9.46p

English Support for Syncovery on Apple Computers.
ldavis
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2022 3:21 pm

Syncovery 9.46p

Post by ldavis »

I'm evaluating Syncovery on macOS 12.2.1 (Intel). Unless there's something I don't understand, I've run into a couple of show-stopping bugs.

First, I'm synchronizing two Macs on my internal network using SFTP. I created an SSH keypair in the app and installed the public key on the remote host. I can connect to the host in the shell using that key. Nothing is wrong with the key or the installation. In the "Internet Protocol Settings" dialog, I checked the box for private key authentication and unchecked the other boxes. When I run the profile, I get prompted for the username and password. If I enter those credentials, the profile runs. If I cancel out of the dialog, it fails. I don't want to save my login password in the app or use password authentication at all. I get this in the log:

Code: Select all

Cannot access sftp://remotehost.local
(tgsftp_connect: Unknown Error.
Connecting with remotehost.local, port 22, as user .
psftp_connect connecting with remotehost.local, port 22, as user .
Looking up host "remotehost.local" for SSH connection
Connecting to fe80::x:x:x:x%en0 port 22
We claim version: SSH-2.0-tgputtylib_Release_0.76
Connected to fe80::x:x:x:x%en0
Remote version: SSH-2.0-OpenSSH_8.6
Using SSH protocol version 2
Doing ECDH key exchange with curve Curve25519 and hash SHA-256 (unaccelerated)
Server also has ecdsa-sha2-nistp256/rsa-sha2-512/rsa-sha2-256/ssh-rsa host keys, but we don't know any of them
Host key fingerprint is:
ssh-ed25519 255 SHA256:x
Initialised AES-256 SDCTR (unaccelerated) outbound encryption
Initialised HMAC-SHA-256 (unaccelerated) outbound MAC algorithm
Initialised AES-256 SDCTR (unaccelerated) inbound encryption
Initialised HMAC-SHA-256 (unaccelerated) inbound MAC algorithm
Reading key file "/Users/username/.ssh/Syncovery SSH key.ppk"
Pageant is running. Requesting keys.
Pageant has 3 SSH-2 keys
Configured key file not in Pageant
Offered public key
Server refused our key
Server refused our key
Attempting keyboard-interactive authentication
When I open the protocol settings again, the box for password authentication is checked again.

Second, I can't figure out how the app actually selects files to be copied. I'm synchronizing home folders with many exclusions. After completing a sync, as a test I deleted the folder ~/Library/PDF Services on the remote host. This folder is not excluded and should be synced. On the next sync, the folder was recreated, but it was empty. No errors are reported. I haven't found any combination of settings that will cause the contents of that folder to be copied.

Thanks for any suggestions.

tobias
Posts: 1603
Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2020 7:37 pm

Syncovery 9.46p

Post by tobias »

Hello,
these are certainly not bugs.

To use private keys in Syncovery, you need to configure them on the "Private Keys" tab sheet on the Internet dialog, and then select the configured key on the "Security" tab sheet in the lower right.

Concerning deletions, it depends very much if you are doing a one-way or two-way sync. By default, deletions are not synced at all. You need to specially configure that. Please see
https://www.syncovery.com/documentation ... deletions/

ldavis
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2022 3:21 pm

Re: Syncovery 9.46p

Post by ldavis »

To use private keys in Syncovery, you need to configure them on the "Private Keys" tab sheet on the Internet dialog, and then select the configured key on the "Security" tab sheet in the lower right.
Screen Shot 2022-03-14 at 11.00.33.png
Screen Shot 2022-03-14 at 11.00.33.png (315.96 KiB) Viewed 6959 times
Concerning deletions, it depends very much if you are doing a one-way or two-way sync. By default, deletions are not synced at all. You need to specially configure that.
Screen Shot 2022-03-14 at 11.04.13.png
Screen Shot 2022-03-14 at 11.04.13.png (85.92 KiB) Viewed 6959 times
Screen Shot 2022-03-14 at 11.03.28.png
Screen Shot 2022-03-14 at 11.03.28.png (284.94 KiB) Viewed 6959 times

tobias
Posts: 1603
Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2020 7:37 pm

Re: Syncovery 9.46p

Post by tobias »

Hello,
concerning the SSH key problem, can you send a complete log file to support@syncovery.com? It seems that Pageant from PuTTY is also running, maybe it interferes somehow. Do you have a compete PuTTY installation on this Mac? How did you test the SSH key in the shell? What command line exactly?

Regarding deletions, if want it to "Copy Back From Other Side", it would be best to just use "Standard Copying" instead of SmartTracking.

Unless you need the detection of moved files (on which side the move was done). "Copy Back From Other Side" is rarely used; I will test it once more and let you know. If there is unexpected SmartTracking behavior, it's always possibly to create a detailed log file to analyze Syncovery's internal logic.

tobias
Posts: 1603
Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2020 7:37 pm

Re: Syncovery 9.46p

Post by tobias »

Hello,
a quick update, I will test these cases here tomorrow. If there is a bug, it will be fixed quickly. If the SSH key problem can't be fixed directly, I will provide alternative instructions to set it up, possibly with a differently generated key.

ldavis
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2022 3:21 pm

Re: Syncovery 9.46p

Post by ldavis »

Do you have a compete PuTTY installation on this Mac?
I've never installed that.
How did you test the SSH key in the shell? What command line exactly?

Code: Select all

ssh -i .ssh/Syncovery\ SSH\ key.ppk remotehost.local
Do you still want the log file? I posted what seemed to be the relevant part of it above.

ldavis
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2022 3:21 pm

Re: Syncovery 9.46p

Post by ldavis »

Standard copying doesn't delete anything from the source, according to the dialog. I need two-way synchronization.

tobias
Posts: 1603
Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2020 7:37 pm

Re: Syncovery 9.46p

Post by tobias »

Hello,
many thanks, I hope the information is sufficient to produce the SSH key problem here.

If you need to synchronize deletions, then "Copy Back From Other Side" is the wrong setting. You need to choose "Move Into Folder For Deleted Files" or "Delete Permanently". It is recommended to specify a folder for deleted files, so that no files are lost which Syncovery deletes for whatever reason.

The folder for deleted files for both sides can be like this:
/Users/username/Deleted-Syncovery

no sftp:// prefix or computer name is specified in this field.

ldavis
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2022 3:21 pm

Re: Syncovery 9.46p

Post by ldavis »

If you need to synchronize deletions, then "Copy Back From Other Side" is the wrong setting. You need to choose "Move Into Folder For Deleted Files" or "Delete Permanently".
It still doesn't restore the contents of the folder I deleted.

tobias
Posts: 1603
Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2020 7:37 pm

Re: Syncovery 9.46p

Post by tobias »

Hello,
why should it restore the files? Is the folder still on the other side with files inside? The normal use case is that if you delete files on one side, Syncovery should delete them from the other. Also when doing a two-way sync, you do not speak of "source" and "destination" because both side are of equal relevance and play the same role. Do the two sides play different roles in your use case?

I can only explain the behavior if I know your complete settings, not selective screenshots. The complete settings are at the end of every log file and they can also be seen via the "Information" tab sheet in the profile, or by exporting a profile via right-click.

I think you need to explain your test case in more detail, i.e. screenshots and your complete settings from the end of the log file. Usually I can tell you everything from the log file. Such complicated cases are usually best handled via support@syncovery.com.

SmartTracking can be analyzed by choosing "SmartTracking Details" on the Logs tab sheet of the Program Settings dialog. If you had a smaller test case and could create such a detailed log file, then I can tell you exactly what's going on and which settings need to be changed.

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