Dropbox vs ChronoSync, errors in #items

-shs-

<div class="IPBDescription">Synching between macs</div>I use Dropbox on a desktop to store and synchronize 1Password to an Android phone. On the desktop, the Dropbox folder is located on the desktop's Desktop (hmmm). But, because my office portable is behind a strict firewall which blocks Dropbox, I use ChronoSync to synchronize the contents of the Dropbox folder between the desktop and portable.



I'm constantly getting bitten by invalid item-count displays. As mentioned elsewhere in this forum, creating a new item, or editing an existing one corrects the item count. And this correction must be applied prior to synchronizing the desktop to the phone. That can't be the final answer, though. What files (visible or invisible) from what locations should be copied from the desktop to the portable, and back again, to avoid this problem?



I'm obviously doing something wrong, or the data for 1Password is loading prior to my booting the application and, probably prior to my synchronizing the current data back to the desktop.



Thanks for your thoughts.



-shs-

GeneY

Hi shs,



1Password for Android relies heavily on contents.js file located

in <%YOUR_DROPBOX_LOCATION%>/1Password.agilekeychain/data/default folder on our PC.

Please open the file and examine how many items are listed in it, exactly the same number of items you will see on your Android phone.



This file is maintained by 1Password for Mac/PC for the purpose of 1Password for Android and 1Password Anywhere.

Sometimes this file may go out of sync with the actual number of items (in other words, not updated correctly when new item is added or deleted).

I tested both 1Password for Windows and Mac thoroughly and wasn't able to reproduce the situation but I assume it may happen with some layouts (as probably yours).



The quick solution will be to rebuild a 1Password data file on your PC/Mac.

Renaming contents.js file which will also solve the problem. (new file instance will be recreated with the correct number of items).



Please let me know if you need more information.



Thank you and best regards,

Gene

Android developer





[quote name='-shs-' timestamp='1297139634' post='20228']

I use Dropbox on a desktop to store and synchronize 1Password to an Android phone. On the desktop, the Dropbox folder is located on the desktop's Desktop (hmmm). But, because my office portable is behind a strict firewall which blocks Dropbox, I use ChronoSync to synchronize the contents of the Dropbox folder between the desktop and portable.



I'm constantly getting bitten by invalid item-count displays. As mentioned elsewhere in this forum, creating a new item, or editing an existing one corrects the item count. And this correction must be applied prior to synchronizing the desktop to the phone. That can't be the final answer, though. What files (visible or invisible) from what locations should be copied from the desktop to the portable, and back again, to avoid this problem?



I'm obviously doing something wrong, or the data for 1Password is loading prior to my booting the application and, probably prior to my synchronizing the current data back to the desktop.



Thanks for your thoughts.



-shs-

[/quote]

-shs-

Thanks, Gene, for the very cogent response. I've checked the timestamp on all the synched versions of the contents.js file, and they seem to have been copied properly.



I guess my point is that without editing any of the records, simply copying the contents of the Dropbox keychain package back and forth between drives seems, somehow, to change the file, or at least cause it to be non-identical to its counterparts. I know that sounds convoluted, but I'm wondering if there's not something happening to the file on each hard drive during boot-up, or prior to launching the program.



Anyway, I just realized that this conversation is really in the wrong forum, and I don't know how to move it. Moderators, please feel free...



Thanks.

GeneY

Hi -shs-,



Thank you for your thoughts.

I can assure you that 1Password for Android doesn't change any files on your computer (at least not yet).

Currently it reads contents.js file in your 1Password data file and loads updates secure files listed in it to the phone's SD card.



That is why contents.js file is so important to the application.



Regards,

Gene



[quote name='-shs-' timestamp='1297729174' post='20628']

Thanks, Gene, for the very cogent response. I've checked the timestamp on all the synched versions of the contents.js file, and they seem to have been copied properly.



I guess my point is that without editing any of the records, simply copying the contents of the Dropbox keychain package back and forth between drives seems, somehow, to change the file, or at least cause it to be non-identical to its counterparts. I know that sounds convoluted, but I'm wondering if there's not something happening to the file on each hard drive during boot-up, or prior to launching the program.



Anyway, I just realized that this conversation is really in the wrong forum, and I don't know how to move it. Moderators, please feel free...



Thanks.

[/quote]

-shs-

Thanks, again, Gene. I certainly wasn't thinking that anything sinister was going on; I was simply wondering if there was something akin to pre-caching going on, since most posts on the subject of out-of-sync 1PW data seems to point the finger at "stale" caches. When copying between Hard Drives, I've excluded the caches from those routines, in hopes that it would solve the problem. When it didn't, I started looking elsewhere.



I still find it odd that when I open a database that's obviously got the wrong item counts for categories, simply editing one of the database's records and saving it restores the correct count for all the categories and folders. Is it the instant refresh-on-save of the contents.js file that corrects the error?



Again, thanks for your thoughts.



-SS-

GeneY

Hi shs,



Caching is not used by 1Password for Android for storing your data, there is some caching for webpages used for autologin but that is a different story.

Sometimes contents.js file goes out of sync on PC (we still need to investigate exactly what causes it to happen) and Android application becomes confused by that.



I wasn't able to reproduce the issue on my PC after thorough testing but some users reported that.

In this case the best solution will be to rebuild a keychain on your PC and it brings contents.js back to senses.



When we move to the stand alone version of 1Password for Android, future versions will not rely on contens.js file altogether and will use mobile database for the data storage.



Best regards,

Gene





[quote name='-shs-' timestamp='1297791907' post='20652']

Thanks, again, Gene. I certainly wasn't thinking that anything sinister was going on; I was simply wondering if there was something akin to pre-caching going on, since most posts on the subject of out-of-sync 1PW data seems to point the finger at "stale" caches. When copying between Hard Drives, I've excluded the caches from those routines, in hopes that it would solve the problem. When it didn't, I started looking elsewhere.



I still find it odd that when I open a database that's obviously got the wrong item counts for categories, simply editing one of the database's records and saving it restores the correct count for all the categories and folders. Is it the instant refresh-on-save of the contents.js file that corrects the error?



Again, thanks for your thoughts.



-SS-

[/quote]

-shs-

Thanks, Gene, for the information, and the lessons. I’ve found that in the worst case, the informaiton is not lost, just forgotten and relatively easily refreshed. It’s good to know that the problem is on your radar, and that a fix in under investigation. It’s a mighty-fine application, and I rely on it. I wish you contunued success with it.

-SS-

GeneY

Hi SS,



Thank you for the good words about 1Password for Android,



By the way, please stay tuned for the 1Password for Android updates, I will be releasing a new (and much improved) application version in the next few weeks. <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':rolleyes:' />



Best regards,

Gene



[quote name='-shs-' timestamp='1298112087' post='20935']

Thanks, Gene, for the information, and the lessons. I’ve found that in the worst case, the informaiton is not lost, just forgotten and relatively easily refreshed. It’s good to know that the problem is on your radar, and that a fix in under investigation. It’s a mighty-fine application, and I rely on it. I wish you contunued success with it.

-SS-

[/quote]