I think Filerun should have its own sync app

For the record, I AM running the latest version of Filerun, and currently have over 80gb of files that I can currently access from Filerun AND my local PC, yet Nextcloud detects changes in them so is trying to re-download them to my local PC.

Hi, 

I use FileRun to manage about 20 GB of data, and I edit/sync about a gig or two every day using multiple devices (all Windows-based). For Desktop syncing I use Mountain Duck, which is expensive but works flawlessly. I would recommend checking it out.

Pricing isn't bad if it works flawlessly.  This is using the Smart Synchronization Feature? Otherwise, Mountain Duck appears to work similar to WebDrive, where your server-based storage (Filerun) appears as a local drive.  That I would have no use for.  If syncing through apps other than Nextcloud works flawlessly, it's likely an error with Nextcloud, but I doubt we will see the author of Nextcloud's app step in to specifically support 3rd party server apps.

It also has the Smart Sync Feature similar to OneDrive but it can be disabled. In terms of being similar to WebDrive, yes it makes your storage appear as a local drive. This is useful because it enables you to open your files in any program like Word which makes editing easy. Of course, if this is not what you are looking for, then it's not an alternative.

Has anyone used the OWNCLOUD desktop sync app with Filerun?  Seems to be similar to the Nextcloud app, but as I have seen Owncloud logs being generated by Nextcloud anyway, I believe that Owncloud is more "mature."

If it's something that can be fixed on FileRun's side, I will fix it. I would need either to be able to reproduce the problem, or an error message.

Sync should get triggered on a file ONLY if:

- a file modification time has changed, or

- its device ID, or

- its file size changed

You should check if there is anything on the server that might do that without you realizing.

On the first point, I would think Nextcloud would or could take a time difference into account especially if it's within one hour ... that would cause havoc otherwise with bi-yearly time changes.

And what do you mean by Device ID?  I am syncing from a filerun instance [device is the shared hosting server] to my home PC [device I would assume to be the specific folder].  Do you mean, if somehow the GUID or other metadata of any one file changes it could trigger a re-download of many files?

Even when files stay synced for a while, I always deal with a lingering problem of phantom files.   Nextcloud think they exist on the server (Filerun instance) but actually don't and attempts to "download" those copies to my local machine?  I see this primarily with Windows Media Player's ALBUMART files.  The error message in the log is SERVER VERSION DOWNLOADED, local copy renamed and not uploaded.  But there's actually nothing downloaded; I can't find any renamed copy nor can I find the server version of the file being referenced.

Maddening!

@Vlad R  Here's an update - First, thank you for the information on what triggers a sync, but I have questions about jailed access; on a shared host, obviously the file system assigned to me is not the same as the actual file system on the server, correct?  AND  would a change in file permissions, constitute enough of a trigger for Filerun / Nextcloud to download server files as new?  

No, not a change in file permissions nor ownership. But a change in actual system device the files are sitting on, which can also be a virtual one, a mount. Maybe an increase in storage space on the server would trigger an ID change on the mounted volume.
(There are hundreds of thousands of FileRun users out there, many using Nextcloud to sync. At this moment, you are the only person reporting random resyncs on all files. Maybe is the server type and storage.)

"At this moment, you are the only person reporting random resyncs on all files."

Story of my life, Vlad. Admittedly, 90% of the issues I have had with filerun were host related, but I still appreciate you giving me insight into all of this.

Vlad and all,

I can confirm that - at least on the host I am using - changing file permissions on the server will force a sync to the client, as the file metadata on the server will have been updated, and Nextcloud will see it as a legit change, and download the changed files to the client.  Still working with the host on their "denial" of them doing anything on a grand scale, but as it is a shared server, even though they use CageFS, anything is possible.

On an unrelated note, I sometimes have an issue where Nextcloud sees a certain insignificant file has changed on the server (like audio album art jpg files), but that file doesn't actually exist physically.  Nextcloud attempts to download to the client over and over, creating a continual conflict during each sync session.  My solution was to basically "give the system what it wants" - create the phantom file manually on both the server and the client, do a sync, and then shut down Nextcloud.  Finally, deleting both copies of the phantom file, and restarting Nextcloud allows for a proper sync, all green, no conflicts.

Like a simple chmod change triggers a file sync?

Indeed. :)  At least from a Linux server to a Windows client;  it may be a different behavior if both the client and server are the same operating system, but as file specs are different anyway between Linux and Windows, I could see a Chmod triggering a change/sync.