Workflows not working after syncing to dropbox

[reicc]

Hi all. I am running into a weird issue i figured I would run through the hivemind.

 

I noticed some workflows are not running once they run through dropbox and sync to my main computer. Two specific workflows that I am noticing this with are Preview Unicode and Conductor (both listed below). Here is basically what happens:

1. I will download either of the two workflows on my laptop (macbook 2016) and they will run fine
2. Dropbox will sync files between my laptop (macbook 2016) and my desktop (macmini).
3. After this sync, I will then run into an error and the workflows will no longer work.

 

I did this recently with Unicode and got the following errors:

Unable to run task!

Reason: Couldn't posix_spawn: error 1

The external script may not exist, or doesn't have execute (+x) permissions.

Related Workflow Info...

Name: 'Unicode'

Folder:/[WORKFLOW LOCATION]

 

Does anybody have any thoughts?

 

GitHub - deanishe/alfred-unicode: Preview Unicode characters and emoji in Alfred

Alfred Workflow - Keyboard Maestro | ThoughtAsylum

[vitor]

Welcome @reicc,

 

You have to disable SmartSync, as covered in the help page. Dropbox is essentially deleting the files locally so they can’t be accessed.

[reicc]

Hey, thanks. I thought I did that (I looked at the help page before posting here), but I'll mess around with with settings again and see if the settings are off.

 

EDIT #1

I just reviewed the instructions again. The instructions reference tell you to right click on the sync folder to ensure it's set on "local" storage (rather than online only). There's no option that describes 'local storage' other than 'make available offline.' I tried that without any success, but I will try again.

 

EDIT #2

Looked into this a bit more. Looks like SmartSync is only available for DropBox business, which I don't even have.

Edited January 5, 2023 by reicc

[swift.idea]

I am experiencing the same issue. I install a workflow, it works and then attempting it on the second laptop doesn't work. The workflow syncs just fine, but it doesn't function. I don't have Dropbox premium, so my files are not in online-only mode either.

[asportnoy]

I'm getting the same issue. While troubleshooting, one of the errors I got mentioned something with a uid (user ID). My guess is that Dropbox is not properly setting the permissions of executables which prevents them from being executed (inside of alfred or directly from terminal). I tried playing around with different chmod / chown settings to see if I could get the settings back but no luck.

 

If I copy the preferences over manually from my other mac then they will work. However, then dropbox syncs the updated version and it'll stop working on the other mac. So doesn't seem like there's any option besides turning off Dropbox syncing.

 

I have other executables being synced by Dropbox without issue, so I think this is something specific to Alfred.

[vitor]

Welcome @asportnoy,

 

41 minutes ago, asportnoy said:

My guess is that Dropbox is not properly setting the permissions of executables which prevents them from being executed

 

Maestral, the alternative Dropbox client, does that. It’s not their fault, though, the Dropbox API does not provide that kind of information.

 

42 minutes ago, asportnoy said:

I have other executables being synced by Dropbox without issue, so I think this is something specific to Alfred.

 

Highly unlikely. Alfred does not change the permissions of your files unless you’d tell it to (e.g. with a workflow)

[asportnoy]

Maybe Dropbox is having a hard time handling the permissions because it's inside Alfred?

[Bemawr]

I am having this same issue if I use a workflow preference file in dropbox, I have made sure to right click the folder in finder and "Make available offline" on both macs and both folders have the greek check but when I set that folder in dropbox as the preference location most of my workflows stop working. 

[Vero]

@Bemawr When you say that your workflows stop working, what do you mean? If you restart Alfred then check your preferences for Workflows, are they still there?

 

Could you please provide your Diagnostics file, which you can get by typing "?diagnostics" into Alfred? You can then email this file from both of your Macs to our info@ address and I'll take a look at your two Macs' configuration.

[Bemawr]

On 5/9/2023 at 4:25 AM, Vero said:

@Bemawr When you say that your workflows stop working, what do you mean? If you restart Alfred then check your preferences for Workflows, are they still there?

 

Could you please provide your Diagnostics file, which you can get by typing "?diagnostics" into Alfred? You can then email this file from both of your Macs to our info@ address and I'll take a look at your two Macs' configuration.

Will create the diagnostics and send later tonight when I am back with my primary machine.

 

Its def a permissions thing relate to dropbox whenever I try to run some workflows I get this error

 

"The external script may not exist, or doesn't have execute (+x) permissions" 

 

I think I ran into this a few years ago and was able to run a terminal command to fix the permissions stuff with dropbox but I can;'t seem to find that now. 

 

 

[vitor]

If you don’t know how to fix it with the terminal, delete the workflow and reinstall. That’ll take care of it.

[Bemawr]

3 hours ago, vitor said:

If you don’t know how to fix it with the terminal, delete the workflow and reinstall. That’ll take care of it.

 

I was doing that but everytime I do it on one Mac that synced with dropbox It stops working on the other and vice versa. 

[vitor]

Then there’s something broken with your sync. Are you using the official client?

[Bemawr]

i am running it on both computers 

[Bemawr]

i am and checked a few times it the folder and preferences file itself was marked as make available offline and has green checks before trying to sync with the 2nd mac. 

[vitor]

What’s the version of macOS and Dropbox on each?

And what’s the output of, in a terminal:

 

ls -la ~/Library/CloudStorage/Dropbox/Alfred/Alfred.alfredpreferences/workflows/user.workflow.229A63E6-056D-4D99-91BB-C4473D8203B2

 

Edited May 11, 2023 by vitor

[Bemawr]

Both macs have Monterey 12.6.5 and Dropbox v173.4.6706

 

Run on my Main Mac

That terminal command gave me a a list of a few workflows that 

 

drwxr-xr-x@   8 myuser  staff     256 May 11 15:48 .
drwxr-xr-x@ 197 myuser  staff    6304 May 11 15:48 ..
-rwxr-xr-x@   1 myuser  staff  176944 Jul  1  2021 get-windows
-rw-r--r--@   1 myuser  staff   25036 Jul  1  2021 icon.png
drwxr-xr-x@   3 myuser  staff      96 May 11 15:48 images
-rw-r--r--@   1 myuser  staff    9607 Jul  1  2021 info.plist
-rwxr-xr-x@   1 myuser  staff  177920 Jul  1  2021 raise-window
drwxr-xr-x@   4 myuser  staff     128 May 11 15:48 source

[vitor]

That’s weird, because those permissions look correct. What exactly did you run to get the error?

[Bemawr]

Its not all my workflows but here are a few of my most used ones where i i am getting this error. 

 

Down Media

Window Switcher

Cleanshot X

[vitor]

Just noticed something. The sizes in the terminal command above do not match, they are too small. Those files are not downloaded.

[Bemawr]

So if i re-download the workflow on Computer 1 it will work

 

But if I go to Computer 2 it won't work, Even if I restart the machine, confirm dropbox has synced, 

[vitor]

Rerun the terminal command in computer 2, so we can take a look.

[Bemawr]

From computer 2:

 

drwxr-xr-x@   8 myuser  staff     256 May 12 16:30 .
drwxr-xr-x@ 202 myuser  staff    6464 May 12 16:30 ..
-rwxr-xr-x@   1 myuser  staff  176944 Jul  1  2021 get-windows
-rw-r--r--@   1 myuser  staff   25036 Jul  1  2021 icon.png
drwxr-xr-x@   3 myuser  staff      96 May 12 16:30 images
-rw-r--r--@   1 myuser  staff    9607 Jul  1  2021 info.plist
-rwxr-xr-x@   1 myuser  staff  177920 Jul  1  2021 raise-window
drwxr-xr-x@   4 myuser  staff     128 May 12 16:30 source

[Bemawr]

Just tried to sync my dropbox preferences between two of my macs and I am having the same issue.

 

Both Macs on macOS Monteray 12.6.9 and Dropbox folder is set to Make Files Avaiable offline. 

[Trey Greene]

Same issue here,  im switching to google drive👿