Hi everyone, first post here.
I’m currently testing DT and want to share an eureka moment I had, maybe could help someone. I want to one-way sync a huge archive index-only database on my desktop, to a low storage space MBP. But DT currently does not support on-demand downloads on Mac (DTTG does though).
Scenario
Old 2011 iMac (High Sierra):
- Main drive 512gb SSD with Dropbox account.
- External 6000gb spinning HD with an Archive directory (/Volumes/exthd/Archive/) with some big folders (50-250gb each). Folder contents don’t change.
2017 MBP (Big Sur):
- Main drive 512gb SSD.
Goal
MBP: To be able to search Archive directory; and if something is found, download it “on demand”.
Problems
- There is no enough storage space on iMac to put the Archive directory on my Dropbox.
- There is no enough storage space on MBP to sync full Archive database.
Solution
iMac:
- Move Dropbox account from the main drive to the external HD; and move the Archive directory to it (/Volumes/exthd/Dropbox/Archive/)
- Sync Dropbox (took a while)
- Index each folder of the Archive directory into DT databases
- Set up Archive directory to “on demand sync” in dropbox
- Move Dropbox account back to main drive
MBP:
- Set up Dropbox account with “on demand” setting
- Sync Dropbox
- In terminal:
# sudo mkdir /Volumes/exthd
# sudo ln -s ~/Dropbox /Volumes/exthd/Dropbox
- Bonjour sync DT Databases
Result
- Now the DT Databases are indexes that point to Dropbox on-demand files
Comments
- Probably not an elegant solution but worked for me.
- Any other ideas out there? This solution looks fragile. But gets the job done.
Keywords
LOW DISC SPACE
LOW STORAGE
ON DEMAND SYNC
Links
On-Demand Sync on Mac? - DEVONthink - DEVONtechnologies Community