Desktop Clients

Bi-directional file synchronisation desktop clients are available to enable users to have access to the documents and folders they place in the 'Files' area of the DataSync web interface. These can be installed on Windows PCs, Macs and Linux machines.

Desktop and mobile apps are available that enable you to synchronise data between these clients and DataSync or the DataStore.
 
These apps are developed by a third party and not the University of Edinburgh. If you choose to use these apps, you do so at your own risk, whilst being aware of how synchronisation works.
 

PLEASE NOTE : Desktop client version

Desktop client versions older than 5.0.0 and newer than 6.0.3 will not work with the current server version.

Version 5.0.0 is the version available on University managed desktops through the Software Center. If you are on a personal machine, you can choose to install a version from the owncloud website, as long as it is at least 5.0.0 and up to 6.0.3. Please see information on how to install the client on a personal computer below. 

When upgrading your client(s), please take extra care with any un-synced changes, especially if you work on multiple clients. You may want to back up any un-synced changes elsewhere before upgrading to avoid losing data.

These tools offer bidirectional file synchronisation. This means that the files in different places (i.e on DataSync and on your desktop or mobile device) remain the same
 
  • If you add a file in one place it is copied to the other place(s)
  • If a file is changed in one place, the change is propagated to the other place(s)
  • Most importantly, if a file is deleted in one place, it is deleted in all places. This is a major difference to backup systems where a "point in time" snapshot can be restored

The system offers some ability for you to restore files that you have deleted (within 10 days)

You and your collaborators should be very careful when using synchronisation apps to ensure that data is also backed up somewhere else and that extreme care is taken when deleting folders and files

Desktop clients for supported computers

A packaged version of the owncloud client (5.0.0) is available to install through the Software Center on Windows managed desktops. After installing and starting the client, please enter the server name (https://datasync.ed.ac.uk) and your University username (UUN) and Active Directory (AD) password if prompted.

When you install the client package it will create a synchronisation folder for you to use with DataSync and any files or folders you want to sync will need to be in this folder. By default this is set to C:\Users\UUN\ownCloud.

 

Desktop clients for non-supported computers

ownCloud desktop client for OSX

ownCloud desktop client for Windows

ownCloud desktop client for Linux

 

PLEASE NOTE : Sync issue using desktop clients and DataStore as an external storage connection

There is a known sync issue with desktop clients and external storage connections to DataStore: 

  • The initial client side sync works fine from DataStore and any subsequent modification or addition of files/folders performed on the local desktop client end are synced successfully to DataStore.
  • However, any subsequent modification or addition of files/folders performed on the DataStore end are NOT synced by the local desktop client. 
  • Modifications and additions performed on the DataStore end are synced successfully to the local desktop client either after logging into the web interface "https://datasync.ed.ac.uk" and browsing to the DataStore folder or when a modification is made on the local desktop client end again.
  • For this reason, we would advise users with external storage connections to DataStore to work exclusively on these files on the DataSync end - either through the web interface or the desktop ownCloud client.

 

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