Problem (or intended behaviour) of Nextcloud client Linux

📱 Desktop & mobile clients 💻 Desktop
1

Dear All,

I’ve been a happy user of Owncloud/Nextcloud for years, using a Windows client.

Now I am trying to run the Linux client (version 2.6.2git) on Linux Mint 19.3 XFCE (standard install, no modifications, I am a close to a Linux newbie), and I run into the following problem:

When the screen is locked (NOT: user logged out!) the client seems to stop working, and only when the screen is unlocked the client start to sync again.

Other programs seem to continue working without problem when the screen is locked.

This is undesirable, because, even when no one is working at this computer, which may be for weeks, other programs need access to the latest version of the files that the Nextcloud client should be syncing.

Is this intended behaviour or not? What can be done about it?

Thanks for your help.

2

I am surprised that no one has commented so far.

Can someone at least tell me if this is intended/expected behaviour?

If it is I will have to find another solution (another sync client), if not expected behaviour, then I can file a bug report.

Thanks

3

i think this looks like an unwanted behaviour.

but it’s difficult to tell if it’s a client problem or a configuration problem since you didn’t provide really much info about all systems involved.

plus: have you already checked the forum for similar problems?

cheerio
jimmy

4

Thank you for your reply.

I did check the forum, and also more in general via Google. I found nothing, but obviously there is a big variety of search terms that could be used.

What kind of systems information do you need? The NC server is run by a professional IT company as SAAS, the client details I have given (I think). But if you think other info is required, please let me know.

5

OK, I seem to have solved it by installing another Desktop Environment, Mate, in this case.
It appears that the problem is XFCE related

1 Like
6

Well, I was wrong, I rejoiced too early.

I have done some further digging and testing and it turns out that after a period of inactivity two things happen: the screen gets locked & the display is put to sleep.

By playing around with the timings, I found out that the first action, screen locking, does not interfere with the NC client. However, the second action, the OS putting the display to sleep, apparently stops the NC client from working.

I don’t know why, I am not an expert.

Solution is of course: leave screen on, but considering energy consumption and care for the planet this is obviously not ideal, so a partial solution at best.

But, maybe, hopefully, with this further info somebody will suddenly see the light and can explain the reason (and even propose a solution?)

7

I have the same problem. Thanks for describing the partial solution “disabling the screen goto sleep”. That also works for me. Have you already collected some logs that are created when the display goes to sleep or when display sleep mode is left? Those could be used to create an issue in https://github.com/nextcloud/desktop.