Sharing data with sharebox, and synchronizing folders with ownCloud

There are several ways to use the LSCE cloud storage (aka sharebox). You should learn:

how to use sharebox manually for sharing some files,

then how to use ownCloud for synchronizing some folders

ownCloud can mirror a folder on your local computer to the sharebox server.

and (only) then how to synchronize folders on different computers (very useful, and possibly risky)

Using the LSCE sharebox server

Have a quick look at the sharebox page, then open the sharebox URL in a browser and use your LSCE login and password to access the server.

If you have never used the LSCE sharebox server, try using it a bit:

Create a new Test folder (on sharebox!) and use drag and drop to upload a file from your computer to the new Test folder

Learn how to share the Test folder using a public link

Use the public link in another browser (or in a new incognito window of the same browser) to find out how people with the link will see the content of the folder you have shared

Try to share only the uploaded file (instead of the full content of the Test folder)

You can determine how much space you are currently using on sharebox, and what the upper limit is in the Settings panel

Notes:

With some work, you can use rclone to move files directly from one of the LSCE servers to sharebox !

Synchronizing folders with ownCloud

The ownCloud application can be used to automatically mirror one (or more) folder(s) on your computer to the LSCE sharebox server, or another ownCloud server (e.g. CNRS mycore server).

This is a useful but limited kind of backup. If you remove a file on your computer by mistake when ownCloud is running, the file will also be removed from the sharebox server!

Installation

Download and install the owncloud Desktop App

You will also have to restart your computer (after installation or later) to complete the installation (and get some special synchronization status icons on top of the regular files' icons)

Launch ownCloud, but do not configure a server yet

Open the Settings panel and check the recommended settings and usage on the image below

Creating and testing a folder synchronization

Create your main OWNCLOUD folder on the local computer

Create your main ownCloud folder the sharebox remote server: Backup/<your_login>_owncloud

Open the ownCloud interface and click on the Add account button

Use the sharebox address (or CNRS mycore) in the Server Address field, and then your LSCE Username and Password

Be sure to select Manually create folder sync connections and then click on Connect…

You are now ready to connect a local folder to a remote folder on sharebox!

Click on Add Folder Sync Connection:

Pick a local folder on your computer to sync:
Select your main local OWNCLOUD folder: <some_disk_different_from_c>:\Users\<your_login>_owncloud

Select a remote destination folder:
Select your main remote folder: /Backup/your_login_owncloud

Be sure to uncheck the Use virtual files instead of donwloading content immediately

Click on Add Sync Connection to finalize the connection and you should end up with something looking like

Experimenting with the synchronized folders
It is important to experiment a bit and to understand how the synchronization works!

create test folders and files in the local folder (<some_disk_different_from_c>:\Users\<your_login>_owncloud)

check the content of the matching folder(s) in the sharebox remote folder (/Backup/your_login_owncloud). You will probably have to refresh the content of the browser window (use F5 as a shortcut for refreshing a browser window)

Warning! The mirroring works both ways! If you remove files or folders on the sharebox server (using the web interface), they will also be automatically deleted in the local folder!

Try it for yourself by deleting some test files on the sharebox server

Monitoring the ownCloud activity

Checking that things are working correctly

There shouldn't be any problem, but you should check regularly that ownCloud is running correctlyQuitting (one of the rare times when you can use the Quit ownCloud button) and restarting ownCloud usually takes care of problems

Synchronizing folders

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