How to ignore filenames with empty extension?

[sling-shot]

I am trying to sync WhatsApp files from Android phone to Windows desktop as backup. WhatsApp for some reason seems to create some files with no extension part. This cannot be handled by Windows so Synthing prevents those files from syncing.

I want to Syncthing to completely ignore any such file with no extension name.

Setting up .stignore in the same directory with *. as matching pattern did not work as Syncthing continued to say that there are failing file transfers.

How do I solve this?

[er-pa (Eric P)]

I’m not sure if it’s the best approach, but you may be able to do it as follows: include all files with an extension, and ignore everything else. That would lead to the (odd-looking) pattern;

!*.*
*

[tomasz86]

By “empty extension” they probably mean things like whatsapp. (which indeed Windows doesn’t like), so the pattern here should probably be just

*.

However, this pattern was already mentioned in the original post, so if there are any error messages, please post screenshots of them.

[sling-shot]

This is the error from console

[2MIQY] 2023/10/27 01:00:10 INFO: Puller (folder "Moto G84 WhatsApp" (2zx9k-jhkx6), item "WhatsApp\\Media\\WhatsApp Documents\\Sent\\Doc."): syncing: name is invalid, must not end in space or period on Windows

[tomasz86]

Can you verify whether the files have actually been ignored on the Android side?

1. Open the Web GUI using the left slide-out menu.
2. Pause all remote devices (just for testing purposes).
3. For the folder in question, remove the *. ignore pattern.
4. Check the local state of the folder.
5. Re-add the *. ignore pattern.
6. Check the local state again and see whether it has been reduced.

[sling-shot]

For now putting the *. in the topmost directory level’s .stignore file seems to work as intended. Previously I was putting it in the specific subdirectory which might have been the mistake on my part.

I was only syncing one way between the phone to desktop.

[acolomb (André Colomb)]

There is only one .stignore file, at the top level of each folder that is configured for synchronization in Syncthing. You cannot, like with other tools, put additional ignore files in arbitrary subdirectories. They are simply disregarded.

[sling-shot]

This must be why I did not succeed earler.