• Hidden files with a dot in front of the file name from Mac and Linux computers are displayed in Windows.
• Windows users can experience problems if they are not administrators and are not the user who installed ProtoSync.

This list of troubleshooting tips will be extended over time.

Basic information for operation of the app:

• Old Protonet and ProtoSync apps must be completely removed in order for ProtoSync to work correctly. Old apps are not supported.
• The ProtoSync folder is located directly in the user directory.
• ProtoSync currently only works with Protonet servers that use a .protonet.info address – not custom domains or DynDNS addresses.
• The server software SOUL must be updated to the current version (at least SOUL 2.11 stable/84) for ProtoSync to work.
• Some characters in passwords (i. e. §) can cause problems when logging into the app.
• Old versions of the SSH public key tutorial are not compatible with ProtoSync. The new tutorial must be used in order for ProtoSync to work.
• Special characters in file names should be avoided. Apple has good advice regarding this: https://support.apple.com/de-de/HT202808
  Dots do not cause problems except at the beginning of the file name.

If the app is set up but does not synchronize files:

• If the app does not work after the first installation, a restart of the app, a reinstallation or a reboot of the computer can help.
• Try starting with small and single files and then increase the amount of data.
• If the app has worked before but apparently stopped syncing, the cause might be the last files and folders placed in the ProtoSync folder. Please check these and look out for special characters in file and folder names. Change these characters for test reasons.
• If the ProtoSync folder is deleted or cleared out completely, it must be reconfigured using the Reset Configuration option in the tray menu. It is advisable to empty the folder using the SOUL web interface instead of the local folder.

Software

The new ProtoSync client is based on Syncthing (https://syncthing.net/) Version 0.11.x, an actively developed and free open source software (FOSS) that synchronizes files and folders over network. It is integrated with the free and open source software Electron (http://electron.atom.io/) that creates desktop applications based on Chromium and Node.js. ProtoSync also uses SSH (http://www.openssh.com/) on Windows in combination with Cygwin  (https://www.cygwin.com/) to provide encrypted sync functionality outside of your company network. On MacOS and Linux, integrated SSH software is used. To sync from your company network without having to configure a port on your router, an SSH connection is established from the client to the server via the reverse proxy of Protonet. This is done by using the free and open software proxytunnel (https://github.com/proxytunnel/proxytunnel).

Encryption

Syncthing encrypts all data it transfers using TLS. When transferring data outside of your network, and SSH-encrypted tunnel is established over the Protonet reverse proxy trough which the TLS-encrypted data is transferred. Both encryption layers provide end-to-end encryption. The SSH connection is created using a public/private keypair. The public key is transferred from the sync client to the sever over HTTPS/TLS when it logs in. Here, the length of your password is deciding for security. If the Protonet server is not used with the Protonet reverse proxy (meaning it does not use an .protonet.info address) the necessary ports must be configured at your local router for Syncthing to work.

Sync Details

http://docs.syncthing.net/specs/index.html

After installing and setting up the ProtoSync app, any files or folders stored in the ProtoSync folder on your computer are synchronized to the ProtoSync folder in SOUL and vice versa. Synchronization is done some seconds, after new or changed data is detected.

ProtoSync features in short:

• Everything saved in a ProtoSync folder is mirrored on the server and all computers connected to the Protonet server with a ProtoSync app.
• ProtoSync can be used with multiple computers simultaneously.
• If a file is deleted on your computer, it will be removed from the ProtoSync folder in SOUL.
• The recycling bin or trash on whatever system a file is deleted from is used:
  – If you delete a file on your computer, you find it in the recycle bin on your computer
  – If you delete a file in SOUL ProtoSync folder, administrators can restore it from SOUL trash