Clipboard Not Storing Clips

[stutes]

So I was using Google Drive to sync Alfred. I transitioned to Google Drive File Stream, which changed the path for syncing. I updated the path in Alfred Preferences : Advanced. Every since then Alfred has not been working correctly. For example, it no longer collects clips from the clipboard. The clipboard history is showing clips that are several days old (about the time I changed the path for syncing). 

 

Is this coincidence? None the less, I could use some help getting the clipboard back up and running.

[stutes]

So it's not finding the snippets either, which is weird because under Preferences > Features they are all there.

[Vero]

@stutes We don't recommend Google Drive or iCloud to sync your preferences; Neither of these services are sufficiently reliable. They sync preferences either too slowly or not at all, and are often unable to resolve file conflicts (e.g. if you're syncing from two Macs which have different preferences).

 

If you either set your preferences to be stored locally, or synced via Dropbox, disable and re-enable Clipboard History and see if this resolves the issue for you. Let me know how you get on.

 

Cheers,
Vero

[stutes]

Thanks. Didn't realize Google Drive wasn't recommended. I switched it over to Dropbox, toggled the Clipboard History back on, and it all appears to be working correctly now. Thanks again.

[deanishe]

On 28/10/2017 at 2:21 PM, Vero said:

We don't recommend Google Drive or iCloud to sync your preferences; Neither of these services are sufficiently reliable

 

That's bloody good to know. Perhaps you should also mention Google Drive on the relevant help page.

 

Personally, I'd also change the grey-on-grey box that says "We recommend Dropbox…" to a red one that warns against using iCloud/Google Drive.

 

I mean, it's not so much a case of "Dropbox works better" as one of "iCloud and Google Drive don't work".

 

FWIW, I've been using Seafile to sync my Alfred settings for some time. Haven't had any major problems, but I never use both Macs even vaguely simultaneously, and for developers, I must say that Dropbox handles symlinks way, way better (if the symlink target exists on both machines, Dropbox preserves the symlink. If it doesn't, it copies the files.)

[Vero]

@deanishe Google Drive Stream has only cropped up in conversations with users in recent weeks, so I'm not sure whether there's been some new features recently, resulting in more users trying it out.  

 

We're always mindful of outright discouraging use of a sync service until we have sufficient information, as it might be that the first user or two's issues aren't related to the service they're using, but to another factor.

 

However, in this case, it seems we've now seen enough evidence of users seeing their preferences "disappear" (likely due to a file conflict or other sync issue Google Drive Stream isn't quite sophisticated enough to resolve on its own) that I've now updated the Sync page to more directly address Google Drive as well.

 

Cheers,
Vero