NOTE: Take action on synchronization conflicts as soon as you detect them. Fixing this problem becomes more difficult the longer you wait!
If syncthing detects the same file has been changed at the same time on two different devices it will create a sync-conflict file.
Here is a situation where I have unintentionally triggered this synchronization conflict functionality:
- Take computer-A (laptop) on an airplane (without network connectivity)
- On computer-A, make updates to a
example-file.txtthat is being synchronized with another computer usingsyncthing - Get home - but leave computer-A off in computer bag by the front door because I was too tired to unpack it
- On computer-B (desktop), make update to
example-file.txt - Unpack computer and connect it to my home network
- computer A attempts to synchronize
example-file.txtbut it detects a conflict between the versions on computer-A and computer-B syncthingcreates async-conflictfile to save one of the differing versions
Now I have a problem: The version of example-file.txt that is on computer-B does not have the edits I made on the airplane to the same version of this file on computer-A
I was not able to find a recommended solution for this scenario. I think the reason for no official guidance is that the needed actions will be different in almost every case.
Here is how I fixed the issue that I described in my numbered steps above:
- compare the
example-file.txton both computer-A and computer-B to identify the differences - determine what changed
- backup both versions of
example-file.txtgiving them meaningful names that are easily differentiated - PAUSE
syncthingon the computer on which you will make the fix - make the needed updates to
example-file.txt - UN-PAUSE
syncthing - verify that the changes have synchronized to the other computer