Dropbox sync multiple data files

thightower · February 2011

[quote name='bduncan' timestamp='1297441608' post='20432']

Will having two computers and two 1Password keychains but the same Dropbox account work, or will it get confused since I know there is some pointer that the desktop 1PW sets?

Thanks.

[/quote]

Yes this setup could potentially cause issues as each of your 1Password apps will write to the pointer file. This could cause issues with which data file would actually sync to your device. This would not have any bearing on the desktop apps but would in re to the mobile apps.

The best work around in my opinion would be use a free account for her data, but this poses the problem of how she can run your combined dropbox. We were having a discussion earlier about this and I pointed out something very similar to your situation.

I have not heard anything new on the subject from Dave. or any of the others. Sorry.

bduncan · February 2011

Thanks, that is what I feared. My original plan was to have different Dropbox accounts, but that went out the window once I upgraded my Dropbox. Will have to do some thinking. Thanks!

khad · February 2011

Welcome to the forums, bduncan! I have merged your thread with the one Tommy mentioned. We are looking at ways around this, but I don't have a time frame for a specific release right now.

thightower · February 2011

[quote name='bduncan' timestamp='1297470276' post='20456']

Thanks, that is what I feared. My original plan was to have different Dropbox accounts, but that went out the window once I upgraded my Dropbox. Will have to do some thinking. Thanks!

[/quote]

Same here, we flirted with different accounts for a while, merged them, went back to different accounts. We just went back to a combined account (again) Paid DB user here as well. 50 GB / up to 62 GB now with contests referrals etc.

Luckily a very large number of developers have embraced the multiple data file on dropbox or are currently working on it. I am looking at you Notesy (Great job). Its not as complicated for us since we share a 1P keychain.

I am sure there will be much fan fair when / if it is release. Make sure you follow the team on Twitter, FB, there blog and sign up for the newsletter. The newsletter sign up is located on the blog page. Blog link in my signature.

Just so you know incase you missed it earlier, 1P gave back to its users and allowed them to gift a licensed copy to whomever they chose, most learned about that promo from the newsletter. Well its where I heard it first. Its worthwhile to subscribe and honestly I hardly ever get email from them. I sometimes wonder if I am still subscribed at all. <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

bobbyt · February 2011

I recently got my wife a copy of 1Password however we both share a single DropBox account. I created her a keychain and named it differently than mine & put it into our DropBox folder (we share one DropBox account).

When I went to set up DropBox sync, I didn't seem to have any issues getting her iPhone to use it but it only let me log into DropBox and didn't ask me which keychain to use. After going back to my own phone & iPad I'm now seeing it indicate my master password is incorrect (even though I know it isn't as I haven't changed it any time recently), so I'm betting my phone is now trying to sync with her keychain.

My best guess at this point is the iOS versions are completely incompatible with having more than one keychain file in a single DropBox account (rendering the mac/windows registrations I got my wife utterly useless). Is this assumption correct, or is there a way to tell the iOS version which keychain to use?

khad · February 2011

Hello, bobbyt. I have merged your post with the appropriate thread. Please see above and let me know if you have any additional questions!

bobbyt · February 2011

[quote name='khad' timestamp='1298363805' post='21124']

Hello, bobbyt. I have merged your post with the appropriate thread. Please see above and let me know if you have any additional questions!

[/quote]

I did search for an existing thread but didn't use the right search terms apparently...

Using multiple DropBox accounts is an expensive option in our case as (aside from 1Password) we use DropBox solely to share content between all our computers.

According to DropBox, [b]sharing DropBox folders between accounts counts against both accounts' quotas[/b]. This would force us to upgrade the second account to $9.99 a month solely to allow us both to have our own 1Password keychain...

khad · February 2011

As I mentioned in this thread about a week ago, "We are looking at ways around this, but I don't have a time frame for a specific release right now."

We are aware of the current limitations in this regard and are looking at a solution we think will please you. I'm sorry I don't have a better answer for you at the moment.

rabe69 · February 2011

Hello,

i have 3 MACs and 2 iPhones and want to sync 2 different 1P-Accounts over [b]one[/b] dropbox account. I have to do it over one dropbox, because i need to sync other program datas (GrandTotals) too, which i need on [b]all[/b] MACs.

Between the MACs it's not a problem, because i can choice the dropbox folder in the setting. On the iPhones i have the problem that the app allways look for the settings file in the root of the dropbox account and this can only point to one 1P-Account.

Is it possible, that you add a function in the iPhone-app, which allows the user to choise the folder, like the mac version does?

MikeT · February 2011

Hi Rabe,

This is not possible at the moment due to how 1Password is designed to handle only one data file at a time. We might be able to handle this better in the future but I do not have a timeframe on this.

Have you consider using the specific iPhone to sync over the Wi-Fi instead of Dropbox? Since the data files are already being synced in the background via Dropbox on the Macs, you might find it easier to just use the specific iPhone to do Wi-Fi and the other one for Dropbox for now.

rabe69 · March 2011

[quote name='MikeT' timestamp='1298918291' post='21602']

Hi Rabe,

This is not possible at the moment due to how 1Password is designed to handle only one data file at a time. We might be able to handle this better in the future but I do not have a timeframe on this.

Have you consider using the specific iPhone to sync over the Wi-Fi instead of Dropbox? Since the data files are already being synced in the background via Dropbox on the Macs, you might find it easier to just use the specific iPhone to do Wi-Fi and the other one for Dropbox for now.

[/quote]

Thanks for your answer, Mike.

I found a solution for my problem now:

I use two dropbox accounts (one for me, and one for my wife) to sync the different 1P-Accounts. To sync the program datas of GrandTotal (btw a cool invoice programm for mac), which i need to keep syncronized within all my MAC-Accounts, i am using the folder sharing function of dropbox now.

[Deleted User] · March 2011

[quote name='rabe69' timestamp='1298969220' post='21656']

Thanks for your answer, Mike.

I found a solution for my problem now:

I use two dropbox accounts (one for me, and one for my wife) to sync the different 1P-Accounts. To sync the program datas of GrandTotal (btw a cool invoice programm for mac), which i need to keep syncronized within all my MAC-Accounts, i am using the folder sharing function of dropbox now.

[/quote]

Hi Rabe,

On Mike's behalf, you're very welcome!

That is what I'd describe as a pretty much perfect solution, it's exactly why I love Dropbox's folder sharing features.

Glad it's working well for you and you and your wife can both use Dropbox to share your 1Password data.

Jeff · April 2011

[b]NOTE update below:[/b]

Me thinks I've done something wrong. Here's the setup:

(Both Macs started out with 1P agilekeychain files that were identical and had been manually moved to each system.)

Mac A, with Dropbox Account Jim

Mac B, with Dropbox Account Ellie

Mac A has had its 1P file in Users/Jim/Dropbox/1Password data/1Password.agilekeychain

(in other words, the agailekeychain is in its own subfolder within the DropBox, which has been syncing fine with an iPhone that also is linked into this DropBox account.

Mac A has [b]SHARED[/b] the DropBox folder "1Password data" with DropBox Account Ellie

Mac B had been using the agilekeychain file in its non-DropBox default location for some time (manual syncing to Mac A).

Now, on Mac B, Ellie told 1P to Move to Dropbox, at which time 1P moved the agilekeychain into the DropBox root folder (not into the /Dropbox/1Password data folder as intended. So i then manually moved the agilekeychain from the DropBox root folder into the /Dropbox/1Password data folder and used the Choose Another to point 1P in there.

Well, it SORT of works. If I create a Secure Note on one side it replicates to the other, but if I MODIFY an synced Note, it usually does not even though DropBox seems to indicate that the syncing is taking place.

Obviously I've done something wrong -- is the issue that I'm using a "shared" Dropbox folder? Or what?

And of course, how do I recover into a working environment? (I did keep a backup copy of the agilekeychain before beginning this process, of course.)

Thanks!

[b]Update:[/b]

Hummm. It seems to have started working as expected. After about 10 minutes of fiddling by creating/modifying/deleting various Secure Notes for testing, up popped a Sync dialog asking about just one of the items. I chose one of them and shortly thereafter ALL items synced up, and I could change things willy nilly and everything worked.

So, perhaps I just didn't wait long enough for things to sync up initially (although both systems are on a LAN and DropBox showed it was up to date on both systems), or maybe the mechanism mentioned above that I used to move the agilekeychain into its own Dropbox subfolder somehow gummed up the works. Or maybe it was sun spots...

But I've left all this here in hopes that you can clear up what I "should" have done in order to correctly implement the use of a "shared DropBox file across DropBox accounts", since this is a good way to share the 1P database across folks that might also want their own non-shared DropBox files.

Any thoughts?

khad · April 2011

Hey Jeff,

Thanks for sharing this! I have merged your post with the appropriate thread.

As you can see from the posts above, 1Password doesn't really support multiple data files in a single Dropbox account (or, in this case, a single folder shared between two Dropbox accounts which ends up with the same problems).

This is a great solution if you have two Dropbox accounts and wish to share a [i]single[/i] 1Password data file, and you can even get this working usually without a hitch across desktop computers. The greatest problem is when syncing with iOS devices in this configuration. [url="http://forum.agile.ws/index.php?/topic/2026-dropbox-sync-multiple-data-files/page__view__findpost__p__12447"]It either doesn't work or [i]worse[/i]![/url]

In your case, I would simply recommend each of you storing your data file in a non-shared Dropbox folder, then you can stop sharing the "1Password data" folder between the two accounts and you will each only have one data file within your Dropbox folder hierarchy. You will have yours and she will have hers.

It sounds like you each have independent data files (as we would recommend). Perhaps you could let me know if there is a reason she needs access to your 1Password data file and vice versa if I am missing something.

Cheers,

Jeff · April 2011

[quote name='khad' timestamp='1302246122' post='24212']

Hey Jeff,

Thanks for sharing this! I have merged your post with the appropriate thread.

As you can see from the posts above, 1Password doesn't really support multiple data files in a single Dropbox account (or, in this case, a single folder shared between two Dropbox accounts which ends up with the same problems).

This is a great solution if you have two Dropbox accounts and wish to share a [i]single[/i] 1Password data file, and you can even get this working usually without a hitch across desktop computers. The greatest problem is when syncing with iOS devices in this configuration. [url="http://forum.agile.ws/index.php?/topic/2026-dropbox-sync-multiple-data-files/page__view__findpost__p__12447"]It either doesn't work or [i]worse[/i]![/url]

In your case, I would simply recommend each of you storing your data file in a non-shared Dropbox folder, then you can stop sharing the "1Password data" folder between the two accounts and you will each only have one data file within your Dropbox folder hierarchy. You will have yours and she will have hers.

It sounds like you each have independent data files (as we would recommend). Perhaps you could let me know if there is a reason she needs access to your 1Password data file and vice versa if I am missing something.

Cheers,

[/quote]

Khad,

I've read your response and the entire thread above, and now I'm a bit more confused[img]http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/default/huh.gif[/img].

Specifically, to your point:

[quote] It sounds like you each have independent data files (as we would recommend). Perhaps you could let me know if there is a reason she needs access to your 1Password data file and vice versa if I am missing something.[/quote]

we are sharing a [u]single[/u] 1P file between us; they are [u]not[/u] independent.

In my case, there is only a SINGLE 1P file being shared between two people. Each person has their own DropBox account, but the [u]single[/u] 1P file that they share lives on Mac A in a folder in Jim's Dropbox account. That Dropbox folder is shared with Ellie's Dropbox account.

Ellie, on Mac B, signed into Ellie's DropBox account, is also accessing that same (single) 1P file in her instance of the shared Dropbox folder.

Most of the posts above seem focused on sharing [u]two different[/u] 1P files, but in this case its 2 people, each with different DropBox accounts, [u]wanting to share just that single 1P file[/u]. Am I missing something here, because it sounds like this sharing of a single 1P file through a shared DropBox file is actually supported?

Especially since so far (fingers tightly crossed) this implementation seems to be working. [i]Am I flirting with great danger?[/i]

One other complexity -- Jim's iPhone is signed into [u]his[/u] DropBox account and 1P uses the DropBox-shared 1P file, and Ellie's iPhone and iPad are signed into [u]her[/u] DropBox account and are using her instance of the DropBox-shared 1P file.

Since this still [u]seems to be two people using a single 1P file[/u], shouldn't this work?

khad · April 2011

[quote]Since this still seems to be two people using a single 1P file, shouldn't this work? [/quote]

Yep. I apologize for having misunderstood your original post. The part about clicking "Move to Dropbox" in 1Password on Ellie's Mac made me think you were moving a second data file into the Dropbox folder.

Sharing a single data file is fully supported and doing so within a shared Dropbox folder is precisely the way to set it up. <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/skype_smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':-)' />

Cheers!

thightower · April 2011

Hi Jeff

I assure you you can share 1 keychain between 2 dropbox accounts the wife and I have been doing this for over 2 years and syncing 2 iphones and an ipad.

I am mobile so its a little hard to read your post but from what I gathered. You share a folder called 1password which houses your keychain. this exactly our setup. 2nd you mentioned that you moved her keychain into dropbox as well. Really this part was not nessecary all you needed to was open the 1passwod folder and double click the keychain that was already there. Assuming you were on her computer 1p would ask if you wanted to start using this keychain select yes all done. If you open her pref you would it now point to the same folder/keychain as yours. Essentially with a shared dropbox folder its basically treated as any folder and is local and receives all changes as the originating folder.

Basically the reason it didnt work at first is you put her keychain in dropbox this basically caused dropbox to over write your keychain with what was in hers and the reason you didnt see changes at first it the resync/reindex was still occuring.

without knowing more till I could get to a largrr screen you should be good to go. you also should be able to set up either of your mobile 1password apps to sync to either account hers to hers, your to hers, yours to yours etc it should not matter. personally mine syncs to my account and the wife to hers.

I hope I havent confused you if you want to continue this here thats fine for the benifit of all or you could send me a pm from the forums. I would be hesitant continuing it un this given thread. As I dont want to confuse people talking about multiple keychains.

I promise when I get in this PM Ill clean up this post my finger is numb from typing on the iphone.

Jeff · April 2011

Thank you both, Khad and thightower; its good to know I'm not courting disaster <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/skype_smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':-)' />

But I'm going to throw another related question in here as I've just come across another oddity in my odyssey for 1P sharing nirvana.

With my setup as described above (2 Macs sharing a single 1P folder through a shared DropBox folder) I now went to add Ellie's iPad to the mix. Previously, her iPad was synced to her Mac using WiFi sync. So I went into the iPad's 1P, selected DropBox sync, and entered Ellie's DropBox credentials. All was well until a few moments later I began receiving a cascade of Growl alerts on the Mac holding the "main" copy of the 1P file in its DropBox folder, all saying

[i]"<long number> (Ellie's iPad's conflicted copy 2011-04098).1password added <long number and similar naming> was added to your Dropbox folder."[/i]

[i]

[/i]

[u]Lots[/u] of these - apparently one for every of the thousand+ items in my 1P keychain.

What I'm assuming is that when the iPad moved from WiFi sync to DropBox sync it kept all of the previous items from its WiFi sync (which were identical to those now in DropBox) and so is busily throwing conflict messages for every item. So:

1) Once this flurry stops, what's the best way to resolve the conflicts? If I open 1P on the main Mac will it provide a sync dialog that will allow me to easily tell it to use [u]all[/u] of the original (not the new conflicted ones from the iPad)?

Or would it be better to go into the /DropBox/1Password data/1Password.agilekeychain?data/default/ folder and manually remove each entry that contains the phrase "[i](Ellie's iPad's conflicted copy 2011-04098).1password" [/i]in the name?

2) Now that I (hopefully) have that cleared up, what's a better procedure for next adding Ellie's iPhone to use her DropBox sync (remembering that, like her iPad, the iPhone already has an identical copy of the 1P file from previous WiFi sync)?

Ah, the fun and games...[img]http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif[/img]

thightower · April 2011

From a safety and company stand point I would say use the built in conflict remover from 1P.

However as for myself I would just delete the conflicted copies.

( NOT RECOMMENDED ) But thats just a personal decision since I am comfortable doing that etc.

I would also clean it up however you choose before you let an ios device sync again. Makes things easier in my opinion.

If you are familiar w/ geektool over in the dropbox wiki there is a conflict monitoring task that runs in the back ground when one occurs it displays a message on my desktop. It looks for anything saying conflicted etc. I use it to watch for problems with moneywell and my knox vaults. It will show up stuff in 1P and the message will disappear once you correct the problem.

Just thought you might be interested in it. I made a tweak to the command and put my notes on the wiki page.

Jeff · April 2011

[quote name='thightower' timestamp='1302286283' post='24285']

From a safety and company stand point I would say use the built in conflict remover from 1P.

However as for myself I would just delete the conflicted copies.

( NOT RECOMMENDED ) But thats just a personal decision since I am comfortable doing that etc.

I would also clean it up however you choose before you let an ios device sync again. Makes things easier in my opinion.

If you are familiar w/ geektool over in the dropbox wiki there is a conflict monitoring task that runs in the back ground when one occurs it displays a message on my desktop. It looks for anything saying conflicted etc. I use it to watch for problems with moneywell and my knox vaults. It will show up stuff in 1P and the message will disappear once you correct the problem.

Just thought you might be interested in it. I made a tweak to the command and put my notes on the wiki page.

[/quote]

Thanks thightower, I'm ckecking out GeekTool as we speak. Indeed, sparse bundles are a blessing and a bane -- I'd use dropbox to Dropbox-share some encrypted sparse bundle files between several users but I can't figure out a safe locking mechanism, since DropBox sync isn't instantaneous which would leave a simple file semaphore open to being missed.

I wonder if you have a thought on the more "correct" way for me to now add an iPhone to my shared-Dropbox, single 1P file configuration without generating a mass of conflicts again? Would it be best to remove 1P from the iPhone (thereby assumedly destroying the WiFi-synced 1P data), re-install 1P on the iPhone, and then point it to Dropbox? Or is there a less draconian method?

thightower · April 2011

[quote name='Jeff' timestamp='1302287150' post='24286']

Thanks thightower, I'm ckecking out GeekTool as we speak. Indeed, sparse bundles are a blessing and a bane -- I'd use dropbox to Dropbox-share some encrypted sparse bundle files between several users but I can't figure out a safe locking mechanism, since DropBox sync isn't instantaneous which would leave a simple file semaphore open to being missed.

I wonder if you have a thought on the more "correct" way for me to now add an iPhone to my shared-Dropbox, single 1P file configuration without generating a mass of conflicts again? Would it be best to remove 1P from the iPhone (thereby assumedly destroying the WiFi-synced 1P data), re-install 1P on the iPhone, and then point it to Dropbox? Or is there a less draconian method?

[/quote]

I hate to sound draconian but when wifi sync was in its infantcy I often went that route to ensure no problems. If it were me I most likely would go with delete and sync new.

Dropbox sync multiple data files

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