Disable share from being able to sync

🍱 Features & apps
1

I was wondering if a feature when sharing folders with others, that you can disable it from being able to be synced via any client.

For example I have a folder with photos which is about 153 GB. This would fill up somebodies harddisk in no time. I want to share it so they can access it via the web (and even then re-share via links if needed). This would stop the risk if they install the client on a new desktop/laptop they would forget to disable to sync such a big folder.

Maybe an additional setting would be to be able on to sync x amount of subfolders, or to a pre-set limit of share amount. For example if in the 153 GB there are 3 sub-folders (2 GB, 120 GB, 31 GB) you set it to max of 5 GB. They then can only sync the 2GB folder, or any other sub-folder of the other 2 1st-tier sub-folders of which the size is less than 5GB.

2

I’m pretty sure that you get a warning in the client about large folders and have to agree to sync them.

oc.png709Ă—586 19.3 KB

3

Yes but that doesn’t stop them from syncing it if they want to. And also with new installs the warning doesn’t show. Only for existing installs where the shared folders are added.

4

You want to prevent people from syncing your folder?

That is a perfect feature of our files access control which comes with NC 10

5

Yes that certain folders are not able to sync. but others are. since some are in TB and want to avoid risking full harddisk. But they still can access it via the web and download the relevant file if needed.

Is this already in NC 10 beta? If so I might try that now. I haven’t made the system GA yet for everybody else.

6

Dear Nick, can you help me with this? we want to enable browsing trough web, but not the access trough the sync clients (desktop client)

how can this be achieved?

7

See https://docs.nextcloud.com/server/10/admin_manual/configuration_files/files_access_control.html

Request user agent: The user agent of the users browser or client. Nextcloud desktop, Android and iOS clients are available as preconfigured options.

8

@nickvergessen I have tried to block sync with clients but it doesn’t seem the work.

I have created the following rules:

Pasted image756Ă—168 4.21 KB

Then I tagged shared folders (owned by Admin, shared with other groups)

But when I check with my client (at this moment OC client) it still shows the folder and content:

Is there something I am doing wrong?

9

Well then they where already synced before they are still there. But replacing them should not work anymore. Also when you update them on the server they should not be updated on the local drive.

10

I don’t sync those folders since they are too big for my SSD in my laptop (only 128GB) so 182GB won’t fit. I would have expected that they wouldn’t even show up on the folder list.

11

Well as per docs listing is not included in the blocked features. since it would really slow down all the file listing everywhere

12

I disabled Android Ios and Desktop Client and i can still sync and upload my files?

NC 12.0.3

13

Hi,

I’ve just migrated from OC to NC - looking good so far!

We operate in a small business environment. I’m looking for an option that not only stops (from server side) certain folders being synced by clients, but also removes them from the clients’ machines.

The specific use case is that when projects are completed, project members should retain the ability to view the materials - however, to increase data loss protection, I’d prefer the data only sitting on the server.

From the looks of it, the file access control doesn’t yet cater for that use case?

Cheers

1 Like