general syncthing usability question

Feature
1

I’m wondering about the need to setup a new repository on both ends but maybe I’m not grasping the idea.

I am using syncthign to replace Dropbox and sync between my MAC and my NAS. Now as I see it, if I’m out and about and want to setup a new repository to sync back to my NAS I’D actually have to make quite an effort and connect to my router, tunnel through to my NAS, do some port forwarding just to setup this new repository.

So the question is why is this necessary?

Would it not be a lot easier if I create a repository on my MAC, allow it to sync to my NAS and finished? Why do we need the extra step on creating the repository on the other end too?

2
https://forum.syncthing.net/t/why-is-the-setup-so-complicated-in-comparison-to-btsync/444?source_topic_id=621
3

Thanks Jakob, I had already read the first thread you linked and now the other two but they are generally about connecting nodes.

What I meant is that one I connected my two nodes, I didn’t understand why I need to add repos on both sides since the nodes are already connected.

4

Ah, sorry, I missed that detail. Yeah, that should be addressed as well, it’s kind of mentioned at the end of issue 120.

Still, some manual interaction is going to be needed on both sides. Say you’ve shared ~/Documents with a friend, but not ~/Secret. You don’t want that friend to simply be able to add a repo called secret on his node and your node goes auto-guessing that you want to share ~/Secret with him.

5

Hm, I still don’t see your point.

Say I add 2 nodes: NAS and FRIEND

I then add 2 repos:

a) DOCS and select to share it with both my nodes while checking the box: master repo. this means DOCS gets synced to both nodes but only one way since I checked: master repo.

b) SECRET and select to share it with NAS only so it gets only shared with my NAS

Why would SECRET be shared with FRIEND too?

Besides, I am starting to get the impression syncthign is more a btsync competitor than a Dropbox competitor so maybe I have a different use case than everyone else? As I said, I am replacing Dropbox with syncthing + my NAS.

6

Well, you said you were out and about and created a new repository. For that to be accepted by the NAS, something needs to happen there or there is a security problem. In my analogy, the “out and about” side was the friend and your NAS is the other side.

But yes, Syncthing is closer in functionality to btsync than dropbox for sure.

7

I’m starting to see your point :slight_smile: I see that there is actually no difference between my NAS and FRIEND in this case…

Hm, do you think this is likely to change or do you intend to keep it this way? Just asking :slight_smile: I’m thinking maybe an option to mark a node as trusted? i.e. I mark my MAC as trusted on my NAS, and then repos can be setup one sided?

Anyway, I get your point and now understand why things are the way there are…

Btw. I came here from git-annex, which sounded so promising but kinda never went anywhere functionality wise…

8

I think this is something we should do at some point, yes.

9