Lost ~/.config/FreeFileSync in Linux Mint 21.1

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Posts: 58
Joined: 13 May 2017

Lady Fitzgerald

I was running an update the other day in Linux Mint 21.1 when I noticed FFS wasn't verifying the file transfers. I looked for globalsettings.xml in ~/.config/FreeFileSync and couldn't even find ~/.config/FreeFileSync, let alone globalsettings.xml.

I tried uninstalling FFS and reinstalling it (I'm using the flathub version from the repository) but the folder and file are still missing.

How can I get .config folder and globalsettings file back so I can reenable Verify?
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Joined: 11 Jun 2019

xCSxXenon

Flathub isn't an official version so you'll likely need to contact whoever maintains that package
You can try searching the entire volume for that file pretty quickly with Terminal
Posts: 58
Joined: 13 May 2017

Lady Fitzgerald

Thanks!

I had already tried searching the entire volume but that had yielded bupkis, squat, nada, nein, zilch, and zip and time I will never see again (eye-roll).

Based on your reply, since I have no idea who would maintain that package, I instead uninstalled the flatpack, downloaded and unpacked the tarball, then ran the installer.

I still need to reorganize and color code the mere 27 configurations I have (yikes!) but globalsettings.xml is back and has been reset to enable Verify. I'm now a happy camper.
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Joined: 13 May 2017

Lady Fitzgerald

Flathub isn't an official version so you'll likely need to contact whoever maintains that package
You can try searching the entire volume for that file pretty quickly with Terminal xCSxXenon, 11 Sep 2024, 14:10
OK, I'm running the official version and the globalsettings.xml has gone missing again! Again, how the big fat hairy heck can I get it back and keep it back?

Edit: It gets weirder. I managed to get globalsettings.xml back by uninstalling FFS, then reinstalling it. I then went in and used a text editor to change the Verify entry in file from "false" true. After that, I added some new, large files to see if Verify would work; it didn't. The globalsettings.xml file was still there and still showing the Verify Copied Files entry still being changed from false to true.

Why I am I having these problems and what can be done to fix them?
Posts: 58
Joined: 13 May 2017

Lady Fitzgerald

Anyone? I'm totally stumped by this.
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xCSxXenon

Any FFS jobs that involve that location? Maybe it's getting removed that way?
Any scheduled Taks / Crom jobs?
Posts: 58
Joined: 13 May 2017

Lady Fitzgerald

Thanks for replying. I'm not sure what you mean by jobs. If you mean batch jobs, then no. Same for Taks / Crom jobs. I manually start and run FFS whenever I need to update my backups.
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Lady Fitzgerald

BTW, these are the settings on one of my profiles.


setting 1.jpg

setting 2.jpg

setting 3.jpg
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therube

couldn't even find ~/.config/FreeFileSync
Were you looking for ~ literally, or, /home/jeannie/ ?
I'm running the official version and the globalsettings.xml has gone missing again!
Did ~/.config/FreeFileSync/ also go missing?
I managed to get globalsettings.xml back by uninstalling FFS, then reinstalling it
And at that point, globalsettings.xml was in ~/.config/FreeFileSync?

During all this time, did /home/jeannie/.config/FreeFileSync/Logs persist or did that also go missing?

Might there be a disconnect between ~ & /home/jeannie/ ?
More then 1 user (login) on the computer?

When you run a sync (even a compare, & then exit), GlobalSettings.xml gets touched (set to current date/time).
If you open FFS, run a compare & exit, does your GlobalSettings.xml file date get set to current?
Posts: 58
Joined: 13 May 2017

Lady Fitzgerald

I did some fooling around yesterday and today, based on a hunch triggered by a comment made on the Linux Mint forums, I think I got this fixed.

Yesterday, after making a Timeshift snapshot (yeah, I'm a coward...and proud of it), I went into the Menu and removed FFS. I then checked .config in /home and found the FFS folder was still there so I opened .config as [/ and deleted that folder. I then opened opt in / and deleted the FFS folder there. I hadn't taken those extra steps before when I was trying to troubleshoot.

I still had an unpacked tarball for version 11.25, so ran that to install it (after 11.25, I was letting the Update Manager install updates). After installing, I found my configuration settings got messed up. I fixed the configurations for the four backup drives I was testing with, then ran FFS to update them (I found the quick and dirty way to get a large file to work with was to just open my VeraCrypt container click on a folder, then a file, then close the folder and unmount the container). Verify is now working. I'm now debating on whether to just stick with this ancient version and finish fixing my configurations (only 23 to go) or try out a newer version, such as 13.5 (May), 13.6 (April), or earlier. I'm suspecting a bug in 13.7, maybe earlier, and, maybe, since I had to change how to turn Verify on, even with the antique version, a Mint update muddied the waters a bit.

I was going to wait until Friday or the weekend to horse around with this some more but, thanks to my dear, delightful allergies and my DSPD ganging up on me, I didn't get much sleep last night so I postponed waddling my errands to tomorrow. This afternoon, I was awake enough to fool around with FFS.

I downloaded and unpacked the tarball from last January (13.4) since I was certain everything was working fine back then (I wasn't sure when the problem actually cropped up), then, after creating a Timeshift snapshot (still a coward), deleted the FFS folder in /home/.config, deleted the FFS folder in /.opt, then installed installed 13.4 and tested it. After a few minor tweaks, including turning on Verify, Verify worked fine each time I tested it on two different sets of backup drives.

Then, after creating another Timeshift snapshot (coward, remember?), I downloaded 13.7, the current version, did an in-place update, and, after the tweaks, tested it, again, on two sets of backup drives and everything was still working. I still need to color code/organize my configurations but, other than that, the problem seems to have been fixed.

I'm guessing doing an in-place update of the flat hub version with the official version may have caused the problem. I noticed when I updated 13.4 with 13.7, the installer deleted 13.4 from /.opt before installing 13.7 but never touched /home/.config/globalsettings.xml. Those two versions of globalsettings.xml may have not have been compatible, causing all the grief. Then again maybe not. :roll: Whatever. I'm taking the win.

After fixing the color codes/organization, I'll be watching FFS pretty closely for a while to make sure everything continues to work correctly but, unless something wonky crops up, I'm considering this solved. Thanks to everyone who contributed.