Sync DB with 2 Mac

DEVONthink
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Hi, I use 2 Macs and want to use my DB on both of them, not at the same time but in sync. I thought it would be a good idea to do it with Onedrive but did run in trouble. The second mac synchronized his own version. What did i wrong. Thanks for any help. Fred

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You do not want to put a Devonthink database in a cloud synced folder. Really bad things can happen.

If you want to sync your database with 2 Macs the best way is to set up a sync store on a NAS drive and then sync each Mac to that sync store.

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I’d amend that to “one way is to…” :wink:

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  1. @rkaplan is correct. You should never put a DEVONthink database in any cloud-synced location. This is well-known and documented.
  2. Did you manually create all these .sparseimage files?
  3. If not, are you always using encrypted databases in DEVONthink and why?
  4. What version of macOS and DEVONthink are you running?
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  1. If I find a better way to have my databases on two macs I will use this
  2. No, I don’t think so. I thought they where created in the encryption process?
  3. yes - because there are a lot of private documents are included and one of the macs is my company laptop and I want to hold the private infos private
  4. Mac OS 15.5, DT 3.914

What will be a good way now to set up all the data on both macs and hold them in sync? I don’t have a NAS. But will it help that I never use DT at the same time in both macs?

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I suggest that you start by reading the chapter on syncing in the manual available through DT’s help menu. Everything concerning this topic has been said several times over, and it’s not worth being repeated another time.

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Did read it. Sorry for someone without deeper understanding in the topic it’s not easy. I did establish a icloud (Cloudkit) syncstore - but why do I have all these different sparseimages and what happens when all that have to be encrypted?

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It’s not possible to answer these questions without more details from you. Like

Where do you “have” them?
How did you set up sync? Screenshots, please
What is the role of OneDrive in all that?
Where are your databases located on your machine(s)?

Please provide as much useful information as possible. Preferably backed up with screenshots – an image says more than 1000 words, as you know.

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The question is: where did you get them?

At a glance, it looks like you created a bunch of encrypted databases. Then you copied them to OneDrive while they were still open, hence they’re .sparseimages instead of .dtSparse files.

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  1. The “better way” to have the dbs on two Macs is just that–have them on both Macs, not in OneDrive. If indeed you have them in OD, the first thing to do to unravel this mess is to remove them.
  2. If they were “created in the encryption process,” you must have started that process. Seems overkill to me to have that many encrypted dbs, but YMMV.
  3. Unsolicited advice: if you have a lot of private docs you want to “keep private,” you should probably keep them off your company laptop to begin with.

Good luck.

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11

Thus was what I didn’t Unserstand and now can see - here is the background of sync and encryption explained - in case some simple mind as me runs in the same trouble (AI generated):

—-

:locked_with_key::brain: DEVONthink + iCloud Sync — the whole idea, simply explained

:desktop_computer: 1.

Local Encryption = Keeping your database safe on your own Mac

  • By default, your DEVONthink database is just a normal file on your Mac.
  • If someone gets access to your Mac, they could open it.
  • To lock it, you can store it inside a sparse bundle – which is like a password-protected virtual drive.
  • Think of it like putting your LEGO city in a locked box — only you have the key.

:white_check_mark: Use sparse bundles if:

  • You want extra security for your files on your Mac.
  • You don’t want someone to open your database just by accessing your computer.

:cloud: 2.

iCloud Sync = Keeping your databases in sync across devices

  • DEVONthink doesn’t just copy files between Macs — it creates smart sync packages that describe what changed.
  • It sends those packages to iCloud.
  • Your second Mac downloads them and rebuilds the exact same version of the database.

:brick: Imagine:

You build something with LEGO on one computer. DEVONthink makes a step-by-step plan (not the whole city) and puts that plan in iCloud.

Your other Mac downloads the plan and builds the same thing there.

:locked: 3.

Sync Encryption = Protecting the data while it travels

  • The sync packages in iCloud are not encrypted by default.
  • You can turn on encryption in DEVONthink’s sync settings.
  • Then, the plans sent to iCloud are scrambled and only your other devices (with the same password) can read them.

:shield: It’s like sending your LEGO instructions in a locked box — if someone finds it in iCloud, they can’t understand it without the key.

—-

I thought I had to let the sparse files via cloud in sync to have synchronised encrypted databases on both Macs. Know I can fix the problem. Thanks for your help.

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  1. While, a manually created disk image could be used, it hasn’t been necessary for several years as DEVONthink has its own encrypted database format.
  2. You should use encrypted databases when you actually need them, not just because they’re an option. They are created at a fixed size and fill up as they’re used. They must be planned for and carefully considered.
  3. It’s unclear what action plan you have come up with based on what appears to be an AI-generated response. If you don’t share the actual steps you’re going to take, we have no recourse (or responsibility) in what happens.
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No. It is a folder, more exactly a package.

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The reason for me was, that I don‘t wanted that somebody could use my informations who would find a backup or something like that. Perhaps it‘s a better way to use the included encryptiom then? The text is indeed AI generated and helped me to understand the mechanism.

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With all due respect, rather than rely on (and republish without attribution) some random AI service … work at reading and understanding the DEVONthink Manual. DEVONthink developers, especially and primarily @BLUEFROG worked very hard to make it the outstanding and comprehensive document it is.

DEVONthink Manual at DEVONtechnologies | Handbooks and Extras

Other valuable stuff to read at DEVONtechnologies | Support

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Sorry, I would not like to be disrespectful. I love the work that the whole team is doing here! For me, without knowing the basics, it was difficult to understand what the basics are and the KI helped me to understand it in a really simple form. I can delete it, thought it would be helpful for other beginners.

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It’s a very nice thought, but few here will take the time to check the AI to make sure the AI that you posted is not an “AI hallucination”. It’s considered by many here that beginners should rely on the DEVONthink Manual (as many don’t seem to at first)–hence that specific pointer is repeated here often.

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18

Manually created disk images would explain why DEVONthink didn’t refuse to open databases located in the OneDrive folder.

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indeed.