Feature request: new option for "detect moved files"

Discuss new features and functions
Posts: 16
Joined: 3 Nov 2021

literalzebra

I love FFS, and use it specifically with my Mac because of its "detect moved file" features. I use it mainly to back up files from a main external hard drive to a backup external hard drive, and since I regularly move 100's of GB's of files between folders, it works like a charm.

However, now I'd like to also back up my Google Drive to a hard drive as well, where I do a lot of similar folder/file moves. Unfortunately, using Google's official Google Drive client which creates a virtual drive (not sync), "detect moved files" doesn't work because there is no stable file ID. Files have an inode, but as soon as a file is moved, the inode changes too.

So I'd like to humbly request an "expert mode" for "detect moved files" that judges a file moved as long as it's a) filename, b) filesize, c) creation date, and d) modification date all match, and there is only a single such file on both source and destination drives.

Of course a moved file wouldn't be detected if its filename changed, if it were modified in any way, or if there were multiple files on a source or destination drive with identical attributes.

I realize this "expert mode" would be less safe than the file ID-based version, so might need a kind of warning to enable, or be a more hidden setting. But when dealing with normal user-created files in practice, it's hard to imagine it ever going wrong. And when trying to keep 100 GB's or TB's of data in sync across the internet, and be able to handle directory reorganizations, this is an absolutely essential feature.

Hope you'll consider it. FFS is amazing work and absolutely essential to me!

Thanks so much
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Site Admin
Posts: 7211
Joined: 9 Dec 2007

Zenju

Why not use FFS's native Google drive support? Is there some case the official Google Drive client handles better? "unstable file IDs" when moving (I haven't tested this with the official client) also doesn't happen with FFS's implementation.
Posts: 16
Joined: 3 Nov 2021

literalzebra

Oh, it never even occurred to me FFS had anything but regular filesystem support, I don't know why. Of course, now I see you have built-in Drive support, I'll try using that. Thanks so much for the helpful and quick reply!