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Trying to understand sync and backup options

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I'm not a technical person, so I'm a bit confused about what are the syncing options. I'd also suggest having such an explanation in your website, if you want the general public to understand their options.

My questions:

  1. What is the difference between "third-party sync disks" and "third-party cloud storage services", mentioned in github?:

    Although it does not support third-party sync disks, it supports third-party cloud storage services, which can be configured in Settings - Cloud - Cloud Storage Provider

  2. What does this quote mean, from the website?:

    Support Android. Not just a APP, it can also be used as a mobile server, as long as the computer and mobile phone are in a local area network, you can directly use SiYuan on the mobile phone through the computer browser.

What I want:

  • For my data to never reach the internet. All my data should stay in/between my devices.
  • If possible, I'd also like to be able to use SiYuan on my Android phone, and have it sync with my laptop via local network only (ie. directly, without going through the internet). If I leave the house with my phone, I want all my data to be there - then if I change/add/remove anything while I'm out, as soon as I'm back home I'd like those changes to be reflected in my laptop. I'd probably keep most of my Notebooks exclusively in my laptop, then have one Notebook synced between laptop and mobile.
  • I don't want to need to pay for any storage service.

Probably my questions are very basic for you guys, but for someone who isn't technical this is quite hard to understand! Thank you in advance for your help.

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    forestknows updated this article at 2023-07-08 06:10:01
    forestknows updated this article at 2023-07-08 06:01:10
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    Trying to understand sync and backup options

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    • ciwoyipang •

      If your final requirement is to not rely on any network, it may only be possible to accomplish the task through operations such as local data export and import.

      However, Siyuan has a network serving feature that allows you to turn your terminal into a server, enabling other devices on the local network to access the note content of that terminal without installing Siyuan.

      image.png

      For instance, if you have Siyuan installed on your smartphone and have enabled the network serving feature, as long as your devices are on the same network, other devices can simply open a browser and enter the IP address and port displayed under the network serving feature to access the content on your smartphone.

      All your notes and records are stored only on your smartphone. Other devices act as display terminals, allowing you to access and view the content from your smartphone.

      1 Reply
    • forestknows •
      Author

      Thank you for your reply!

      I did come across that browsing feature and tested it out - it is quite interesting. However I'd like to be able to access the data on my mobile when out of the house as well, so I guess there would need to be syncing between the two devices (I'd probably just sync one Notebook between the two devices, with the other Notebooks being exclusive to the laptop). Is this possible, via only my local network?

      I updated my post to hopefully make those points clearer.

      1 Reply
    • ciwoyipang •

      There are two options for your requirements, one of which is what I mentioned earlier. The first option is to install Siyuan on your mobile phone, activate the server function, and connect your other devices at home to the phone via a wireless local network, ensuring they are in the same domain. Then, open a browser and enter the corresponding IP and port to access Sijuan on your computer or other devices from the phone.

      The second option is to install Docker on your computer and then install an S3 protocol service within Docker Like Minio？. Next, install Siyuan on your computer and use Siyuan's S3 synchronization feature to sync your data. Similarly, install Siyuan on your mobile phone and configure the same S3 information to sync with your computer.

      1 Reply
    • forestknows •
      Author

      Thank you.

      The sync options sound very technical to me. I'll try to read more about it... Also, from what I understand, any of those sync options would require payment.

      Perhaps the best solution for my case would be to have two separate installations:

      1. On my laptop, with content that I want to keep at my home.
      2. On my phone, with content I want to be able to take with me when I leave my home.

      Then at home I can use the server function to access my laptop from my mobile, and my phone from my laptop, if needed.

      Does that make sense?

      2 Reply
    • ciwoyipang •

      No, no, no, it's very simple. You can follow the steps in the screenshot above. Connect both your phone and computer to your home WiFi network, and then simply click on the settings.

      it doesn't require the use of synchronization features. The network serving functionality is completely free of charge.

      1 Reply
      1 Operate
      ciwoyipang updated this reply at 2023-07-08 16:02:32
    • ciwoyipang •

      This video demonstrates using a computer as a server, where you can access Siyuan by entering the IP address in a web browser. Similarly, you can use Siyuan by entering the same IP address in the web browser on your mobile phone.

    • forestknows •
      Author

      Yes, I managed to do that. I installed SiYuan on my laptop, and managed to access it via a browser from my phone. It's a nice feature.

      However, I want to also be able to use SiuYan on my phone when I am outside my home network. That is why I'm assuming I'd need 2 separate SiYuan installations - one on my laptop and one on my phone.

      Unless I am missing something, which is highly possible. If that is the case, I apologize!

      2 Reply
    • TinkMingKing •

      you can download it in android.

      SiYuan - Privacy-first personal knowledge management system that supports Markdown, block-level ref, and bidirectional links SiYuan - Privacy-first personal knowledge management system that supports Markdown, block-level ref, and bidirectional links SiYuan - b3log.org

    • cali •

      How can I install SiYuan on a VPS and access it from the web (outside my WIFI network) using authentication?

      1 Reply
    • leolee9086 •

      just use your vps IP, if you dont have a public IP address, try tailscale or zerotier,

    • timyhh •

      Dear forestknows,

      you need a cloud storage as a middle-man to sync your Siyuan data between computers and phone!

      you can use some free resources, e.g. S3-compatible storage:
      Synology C2:
      https://c2.synology.com/en-global/pricing/object-storage
      -> Look for the icon "Start now with free 15GB"，click on it！
      (Before doing so, register an account first：https://account.synology.com)

      I successfully sync my Siyuan data to the C2 storage,
      but failed to do so for the Siyuan data on my Android phone
      -- the "enable cloud sync" button is not activated!

      With reference to the price plan here: https://b3log.org/siyuan/pricing.html

      It seems that we need to pay an one-time cost of CNY$48 to enable the cloud Sync, however, it's weired that I encounter problems in paying that one-time cost, I have sent email to [email protected], but upto this moment, I still get no response!

      Anyone know how to pay for that one-time cost?
      and after payment, how to make the "enable cloud sync" button activated?

      Thanks for any kinds of help!

      1 Reply
      1 Operate
      timyhh updated this reply at 2023-10-23 22:48:23
    • zxhd86 •

      As far as I know, the custom server sync feature should be a free feature at the moment, just need to log in, you can't sync at the moment may be caused by other reasons, need more detailed information, preferably have a screenshot.

      1 Reply
    • Sam •

      Can you please elaborate on how to setup custom server sync and direct me to resources where I can learn about it. I am a non-tech person and it is hard to grasp the concept.

      1 Reply
    • zxhd86 • • 1

      At present, there are more detailed explanations in the Chinese community:

      https://ld246.com/article/1683395267749

    • angroid • • 2 Up
      PRO

      The automatic translation of the chinese community isn't very good but it's a start. SiYuan really needs proper english documentation. This application is fantastic and would completely explode in the western PKM world if it was more accessible for non chinese speaking audiences.

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