Hidden folders and files in Ubuntu

Posts: 5 · drm2525 12 Aug 2015, 18:21

I'm using the latest version of FFS with Ubuntu 14.04.
I want to synch some Ubuntu system folders and files for backup purposes... But I am not able to see any system files and folders within FreeFileSync... they are all hidden from view (but not hidden in Nautilus). It seems that they are someway excluded. Is there a method to include these files in the sync process??

Posts: 7171 · Zenju 13 Aug 2015, 10:06

Have you checked your filter and symlink settings? FreeFileSync doesn't exclude system files or any other (With one notable exception: the sync.ffs_db file)

Posts: 5 · drm2525 13 Aug 2015, 12:31

The filter is setup with the Freefilesync default values. (include all ... exclude trash/recycle) ..
I tried replacing the asterisk in the include section with a "." and a "./" only .. but that did not help.

My problem occurs during the selection of the folders to be copied. I am unable to see hidden files/folders when browsing to select the source folder to be copied. Hence I am unable to select any hidden folders to be copied.

I don't think the filter settings are revelent to my problem as the filter is applied only during the synchronize process .. and not during the folder selection dialog.

This problem is occuring in Ubuntu .. I don't believe this is a Windows issue.

Posts: 6 · azfuller 14 Aug 2015, 22:04

The filter is setup with the Freefilesync default values. (include all ... exclude trash/recycle) ..
I tried replacing the asterisk in the include section with a "." and a "./" only .. but that did not help.

My problem occurs during the selection of the folders to be copied. I am unable to see hidden files/folders when browsing to select the source folder to be copied. Hence I am unable to select any hidden folders to be copied.

I don't think the filter settings are revelent to my problem as the filter is applied only during the synchronize process .. and not during the folder selection dialog.

This problem is occuring in Ubuntu .. I don't believe this is a Windows issue.drm2525

> This problem is occuring in Ubuntu .. I don't believe this is a Windows issue.

I use Lubuntu and I have no problem with hidden files/directories. What do you mean by "during the selection" and "when browsing?"

I just click "compare" and the hidden files/dirs appear in FFS's panel.

Maybe it would help if you described the exact steps so it could be reproduced? A screenshot or two showing exactly where you're not seeing the hidden files/dirs?

Posts: 5 · drm2525 16 Aug 2015, 04:27

Before you click "compare" you must click "browse" to select the folders to be compared. So when I click "browse", I am now "browsing to select" the folder I want to compare.

During this browsing to select the folders to be compared, there are no hidden folders visible in the selection box. Because they are not visible, I can not drill down hidden folders or select them to be compared ..

In Ubuntu the hidden files and folders begin with a "." With my Ubuntu file browser, if I look at my "home" directory, I will see a list of hidden sub-folders like:
.cache
.config
.gconf
.gnome

However, when I open FFS and browse my "home" directory, none of these directories are visible .. So if I want to sync only my ".config" directory, it is impossible as the ".config" directory is not visible during the browsing selection prior to clicking "compare"..

FFS will show hidden files & subfolders after the compare. But it will not show hidden folders during the browsing selection prior to the compare. Because of this, I can not drill down the hidden folder directories to select the folder I want to compare.

Because FFS shows hidden files/subfolders after the compare, I believe this is not a Ubuntu issue .. but rather an issue of the FFS browsing selection box.

Posts: 7171 · Zenju 16 Aug 2015, 10:09

I made a few tests with https://developer.gnome.org/gtk3/stable/GtkFileChooser.html#gtk-file-chooser-set-show-hidden but this function doesn't seem to be working at all.

In any case, you can select "Show hidden" by right-clicking in the folder selector dialog and choosing the corresponding context menu item.

Posts: 5 · drm2525 16 Aug 2015, 17:15

I made a few tests with https://developer.gnome.org/gtk3/stable/GtkFileChooser.html#gtk-file-chooser-set-show-hidden but this function doesn't seem to be working at all.

In any case, you can select "Show hidden" by right-clicking in the folder selector dialog and choosing the corresponding context menu item.Zenju

The right click inside the folder selector worked ... that wasn't an intuitive step for me. A checkbox "show hidden" inside the selector dialog would have eliminated my confusion ... Anyway, I got it now. Many thanks.