What kind of files on my Mac should I not think of indexing? (Files I should avoid indexing)? Thank you.
That’s an interesting question. I don’t think there’s a definitive answer. AFAIK, DEVONthink will index just about anything you ask. At least, over here it has never refused to index something. So maybe a good rule of thumb is to think about what you would plan to have DEVONthink do with the file before you go ahead and index it.
To answer your question directly, I’d suggest:
- Files that could cause damage or inconvenience to your or your system if inadvertently changed or deleted – for example, files in /System, most of the files in /Library folders, most of the content of .app packages. (It’s possible to delete an indexed file if it is trashed from a group and then you select the “Files and Folders” option when emptying the DEVONthink trash.)
- Binary and/or encrypted files that will take up space in your database but not be accessible to the AI or Search features of DEVONthink – IOW, dead weight
- Files on drives that are not frequently mounted – mainly because of the distraction of “not found” messages.
Other than the first item, where damage could be done (by the user, not by DEVONthink), I’d be more concerned with files needlessly taking up space. But even with suggestion (1), there are exceptions. For example, I index the content of /Library/Scripts folders.