possible to backup sync using android app on chromebook to usb drive

[meao]

can syncthing be used to sync a downloads folder local drive on chromeOS chromebook to local usb drive on chromebook for backup, chromebook has syncthing android app installed ive got as far as a syncthing android data folder on the usb drive but im wondering has this or can this be done, didnt see much in the faq/help docs, any help appreciated, using a dell chromebook 7310 with chromeOS and android supported, any help appreciated

[wweich]

Syncthing is not meant for local sync. But can be used as such, if you install 2 instances. If you cannot install the normal binary and need to use the Android App, you will have to install the official version and the fork to sync a local folder to a local folder.

[Catfriend1]

@wweich : I expect this not to work when installing both apps in parallel as the native run+stop controller looks for the “libsyncthing.so” process which is the same process for both apps. Thats means the “stuck background process with hanging wrapper” problem would be expected to occur and drain user’s battery until the phone reboots. I’ve already thought about renaming the native to lib-syncthing.so in the fork but then we also would have port collision if a “normal” user attempts to install both.

[wweich]

Ah, ok.

So: @meao No. You cannot use the Android App(s) to sync local folders.

[meao]

@wweich @Catfriend1 great thx for the advice and help, thats a pity

to my limited knowledge there is currently no dedicated way (either chrome OS app or android app on chromebook) to local sync to usb drive

u can sync to Gdrive, of course, using chrome OS, but a local sync is a good idea

i think there is potentially big demand for this in the chromebook community, nearly all CBs have android support

maybe syncthing or some other devs somewhere might consider such functionality in future

[wweich]

I’m pretty sure FolderSync can sync locally.

[Catfriend1]

I think foldersync is the better tool for that purpose. I could try to make a syncthing “two instances” backup app for usb backup on Android but that doesn’t sound motivating to me as I know people would have hard times with problems like “why can’t I backup to my usb root folder Syncthing-USB says it is only granted readonly access …” ;).