DevonThink Dropbox Setup

DevonThink’s Dropbox setup involves local storage and a sync store:

  • local storage: the Database you create the first time you run DevonThink on your Mac regardless of whether or not you ever intend to use Dropbox
  • sync store: the folder created by DevonThink where a ‘copy’ of your local data is maintained in order to facilitate the Dropbox-based automatic synchronization of data between your Macs and iOS devices

Due to MacOS 10.12 Sierra and later’s Optimize Storage feature, it is NOT SAFE to store your DevonThink library (i.e.: local storage) in either the Documents or Desktop folders of your Mac’s user account:

  • The developers of DevonThink warn of possible corruption and data-loss if your DevonThink databases are saved locally in your Documents folder AND you have enabled MacOS’s ‘Optimize Storage’ feature [source: Thread in Official DevonTechnologies Forum)
  • Heed this warning even if you decided not to enable this new MacOS feature when you upgraded to Sierra; despite possibly being different from how you normally organize your files, knowing about the feature’s side-effect on some types of files may help you prevent data loss with other apps in the future.

Given this warning, create the local storage folder (e.g.: DevonThinkDB) in the root of your user folder, alongside the Desktop, Documents, Movies, Pictures and Shared folders. By default, Dropbox puts it’s own storage folder here, so it’s not unusual:  /Macintosh HD/Users/Peter/DevonThinkDB/

DevonThink Setup

  • If you have not already done so, then download/install Dropbox on your Mac, create an account, log into it and ensure that it is syncing properly
  • Before opening DevonThink, create a folder using the Finder in your User folder called DevonThinkDB like this:
  • /Macintosh HD/Users/Peter/DevonThinkDB
  • REMEMBER: do NOT create your DevonThink data folder in your Documents or Desktop folders
  • Open DevonThink and create a new database in the newly created DevonThinkDB folder
  • For example, name the database AuntAgatha (DevonThink Pro and Pro Office allow multiple databases; DevonNote and DevonThink allow only a single database)
  • If you have already been using DevonThink with a database prior to trying to set up Dropbox sync, then simply open DevonThink, close that old database, create a new database in the new location, copy the old database to the new location using Finder and then open it from the new location from DevonThink’s File/Open Database menu

DevonThink Dropbox Setup for 2 Macs and multiple iOS devices

  • Create a sync store on your Mac by opening DevonThink’s preferences and clicking the Sync pane

  • Click New Dropbox Account to add your existing Dropbox
  • In the Sync Store Name field, type an alphanumeric name without any spaces (e.g.: DT-DB-Db)
  • In the Encryption field, type a strong password and retype it in the next field
  • Ensure that all the Options are ticked except Verify uploaded items, then click Ok
  • If you haven’t already set up and authenticated Dropbox with DevonThink, then you will be asked for permission to do so; a web browser (e.g.: Safari, Chrome or Firefox) window will open
  • Click the Allow button
  • Type your Dropbox credentials and click Sign In
  • If your Dropbox account is configured with 2-Factor Authentication, then you will be asked to enter the code generated by your authentication app
  • Your Dropbox account will open in the web browser
  • Then click the Go to DevonThink Sync button
  • Click the Allow button in the “Do you want to allow this page to open “DEVONthink Pro?” window (it may not appear in versions of MacOS prior to 10.12.x Sierra)

  • Open the Dropbox for Mac app’s Preferences by clicking the Dropbox icon in your Mac’s main menubar and then clicking the Settings icon (gear icon)
  • Open the Account tab
  • Beside Selective Sync, click the Change Settings button
  • uncheck Apps/DevonThink Packet Sync (This is very important so do not skip this step)
  • Click the Update button
  • Close the Dropbox for Mac preferences window
  • Return to the Sync pane of DevonThink’s Preferences
  • in the left column, click the Dropbox Sync Store item you created earlier (eg: DT-DB-Db.dtCloud)
  • in the right column, you will see any local databases you have in DevonThink (eg: AuntAgatha)
  • Tick the checkbox next to any databases you wish to sync via Dropbox (e.g.: tick AuntAgatha)
  • Ensure that the Synchronize option is set to Automatic
  • Set Max. Connections to 8 [Source: Thread in Official DevonTechnologies Forum; see third (by Jim Neumann) and fifth (by Christian Grunberg) posts]
  • Under Conflicts, tick Duplicate documents so that any conflicts are resolved by simply duplicating the file in question rather than possibly deleting something important by Using the latest version
  • When the database sync is complete, a timestamp of the last successful sync will appear underneath the database name – now we just need to add a second Mac or an iOS device

Setup on Additional Macs

(or click here to jump down to the ‘Setup on iPhones/iPads’ section)

  • If you haven’t already done so, then download/install Dropbox on your Mac, create an account, log into it and ensure that it is syncing properly
  • Open the Sync pane in DevonThink for Mac’s preferences
  • Add the sync store to this Mac by clicking New Dropbox Account
  • In the Sync Store Name field, type the exact same name you used on the other Mac (e.g.: DT-DB-Db)
  • In the Encryption field, type the exact same password you used on the other Mac
  • Ensure that all the Options are ticked except Verify uploaded items
  • click Ok
  • If you haven’t already set up and authenticated Dropbox with DevonThink, then you will be asked for permission to do so; a web browser (e.g.: Safari, Chrome or Firefox) window will open
  • Click the Allow button
  • Type your Dropbox credentials and click Sign In
  • If your Dropbox account is configured with 2-Factor Authentication, then you will be asked to enter the code generated by your authentication app
  • Then click the Go to DevonThink Sync button
  • Your Dropbox account will open in the web browser; you can close the window and move to the next step
  • Open the Dropbox for Mac app’s Preferences by clicking the Dropbox icon in your Mac’s main menubar and then clicking the Settings icon (gear icon)
  • Open the Account tab
  • Beside Selective Sync, click the Change Settings button
  • uncheck Apps/DevonThink Packet Sync (This is very important so do not skip this step)
  • Click the Update button
  • Close the Dropbox for Mac preferences window
  • Return to the Sync pane of DevonThink’s Preferences
  • in the left column, click the Dropbox Sync Store item you created earlier (eg: DT-DB-Db.dtCloud)
  • in the right column, you will see any remote databases you have in DevonThink (eg: AuntAgatha)
  • find the database you created and added to the sync store on the other Mac (e.g.: AuntAgatha) under the remote section (not the local section)
  • right-click the database and choose Import Database
  • Save the imported database to DevonThink’s local store folder (eg: /Macintosh HD/Users/Peter/DevonThinkDB)
  • When the database import completes, it appears in the local section of the Sync pane’s right databases column
  • Ensure that the Synchronize option is set to Automatic
  • Set Max. Connections to 8  [Source: Thread in Official DevonTechnologies Forum; see third (by Jim Neumann) and fifth (by Christian Grunberg) posts]
  • Under Conflicts, tick Duplicate documents so that any conflicts are resolved by simply duplicating the file in question rather than possibly deleting something important by using the latest document
  • When the database sync is complete, a timestamp of the last successful sync will appear underneath the database name (eg: Last Synchronization: Today, 8:14:15 AM)

Setup on iPhones/iPads

  • If you haven’t already done so, download and install the free Dropbox app (App Store link)
  • Open the newly installed Dropbox app, log into your Dropbox account or create a new one
  • Ensure that the app is working properly (eg: files are synced so you can view them on your device)
  • Open the DevonThink To Go app
  • Open DevonThink To Go Settings
  • Under the Sync section, tap Edit Locations
  • Tap New Dropbox Account as the kind of location you will use
  • New Dropbox Account: Tap Sign In
  • A Dropbox window will open to request access permission for DEVONthink Sync to access it’s own folder
  • Tap Allow
  • You will be taken back to the DevonThink To Go Location settings pane where you must enter the Sync Store information created earlier on your Mac
  • Account: your Dropbox account’s username should now automatically appear here
  • Sync store: type the exact name of the Sync Store you created earlier on your Mac (eg: DT-DB-Db)
  • Key: type the encryption key (ie: password) of the Sync Store you created earlier on your Mac and retype it to confirm it
  • Tap Done on the keyboard to hide the on-screen keyboard
  • Configure the Download Files option to Always if you have sufficient storage capacity on your iPhone/iPad to accommodate the size of your database
  • Ensure that Labels and Colours and Reading Positions are ticked but leave Verify uploaded items unticked
  • Tap Save (top right corner of Location pane)
  • Once the Location has been connected you will see your Sync Store listed in the Locations pane
  • Tap the new Dropbox-based location name (eg: DT-DB-Db) to see the databases available in your Sync Store
  • Tap to enable both the database we created earlier on your Mac (e.g.: AuntAgatha) and the Global Inbox
  • When the database sync completes, a time stamp will appear
  • Tap the Back Button twice to step back to the main Settings pane
  • Exit the Settings pane by tapping the X in the top left corner of the screen
  • Your database will now appear under the Databases section of DevonThink To Go (along with Special and Smart Groups)
  • You can now access, read and edit the contents of your database on your iPhone/iPad and any changes will be synchronized to the same database on your other iPhone/iPads and Macs

Clearly the process for using Dropbox to sync your DevonThink data is complex but it has been working reliably for years.  When DevonTechnologies eventually releases support for iCloud sync, the process for syncing your data will be easier.