File is changed by server, but I am the only editor

📱 Desktop & mobile clients
1

I am busy editing a markdown text file locally and I am saving frequently. Say, every 10 seconds or so. I’m editing locally using Vim. I also am certain no other users are editing this same file. During a 2 minute editing session I’m getting about 5 warnings from my editor that the file was changed. For example:

test.md [+]                                                     12,1           All
-- INSERT --
W12: Warning: File "test.md" has changed and the buffer was changed in Vim as well
See ":help W12" for more info.
[O]K, (L)oad File:

If I (L)oad new changes, I lose my work. If I save over them, Nextcloud creates a “conflicted copy” backup file with contents from earlier in my same editing session. Again, I am the only one editing the file. What might possibly be going on here? Anyone else seeing unexpected remote changes messing up local editing?

Maybe this is related? Files get saved even if they have not been altered · Issue #3543 · nextcloud/text · GitHub

I’ve seen something similar when I try local editing on Android, so I’m guessing I changed something server side that caused this to start happening. Maybe upgrading to v25, or installing the Temporary files lock app (both were done in the last couple months, and I think that’s when I started experiencing this problem).

I’m using:

  • Nextcloud Hub 3 (25.0.2.3) server, running via Docker container on a Linux host
  • Text app v3.6.0, Temporary files lock app v24.0.1, plus some other common apps
  • Nextcloud Desktop client version 3.6.4 (Ubuntu)
  • Vim text editor (and I can repro this using gedit too)
2

I get something similar with Notepad++. When I first save a new file to Nextcloud using virtual files, I almost immediately get a prompt from Notepad++ saying the file was changed and asking if I want to reload it. Subsequent file saves don’t cause it.

It seems like maybe something about the file is changed other than its contents when it first gets uploaded. Maybe vim is doing something that reverts or overwrites this change, so it happens repeatedly.

Not really sure what is getting changed though.