Scrivener iOS syncing via Dropbox continues to crash the app

[kewms]

With that said, I personally think that if you're hauling 10 GB projects around you'll be a lot happier with a Macbook Pro than with any form of iPad. Mac OS remains a much more capable platform.

Katherine

With that said, I have 111 megabytes (not even a quarter of a gig) that is refusing to synchronize. And I do have a Macbook Pro. I just don't take it everywhere as I do the iPad. The whole point of Scrivener for iOS was supposed to be that we could work on the same projects we do on the Mac elsewhere.

As noted in the part of the post that you *didn't* quote:

To be clear, we agree that there is a problem and are doing our best to fix it.

Suggestions about reducing the number or size of projects being synced are intended as (a) troubleshooting to attempt to identify the problem and (b) possible workarounds pending a permanent solution. We are not proposing that users should reconcile themselves to limiting the number or size of projects as a permanent solution.

Katherine

[GrahamGrün]

I think we have to be careful not to mix things up here. It's one thing to shrink down your project folder temporarily as a workaround for the bug. Even though I would be afraid to reach the threshold for the bug while I am writing, then having again to use a workaround to get my files out of the device.

It's another thing that syncing is very slow and inconvenient even without the bug. And this is not only the case for huge project folders with 10 GB of data. I have a project folder off 150 MB and I took the time today: It took almost exactly 1 minute to sync after making a few changes within one project. 45 seconds of this was due to "downloading files lists".

I agree that a 10 GB project folder might be an exceptional case and might need special hardware or a special database software. But the problem happens to "normal" users as well. That's why I think the whole process has a problem and maybe the bug is related to that underlying problem.

I love Scrivener and I appreciate the work of the developers. When Scrivener for iOS came out I decided to go iPad only for my mobile writing, only using an iMac at home and selling my MacBook. So it's a little frustrating to hear I maybe should use a MacBook when I experience problems with the syncing process.

I'm writing on top and in between my day job, yanking out my iPad in the lunch break, typing for half an hour, running back to work. Of course waiting one minute for the syncing doesn't ruin my day, but it adds a little frustration every day. I'm not saying this to complain or discredit your work, I just want you to see where users have problems. And again, point to a friction that might be associated to the bug as well (but of course I have no clue about coding and all the details).

[Thomas Rabenstein]

Yesterdays dropbox update has not fixed anything. I still can't get Scrivener to sync my project files without crashing.
Any solution in sight?

[sidderke]

Just to let everyone know that although it isn’t officially supported, unlike in iOS12, with iOS 13 I succeed in downloading full Scrivener files from iCloud Drive through the Files app, open them on the iPad/iPhone (copy to on my iPad) and afterwards copying back to iCloud Drive.
With iOS 12 it would crash with big downloads, both with iOS13 it downloads the file completely first.

The disadvantages are that it’s a manual process every time and that in data usage you are always copying full projects instead of with Dropbox where it only detects the changes made (but takes ages detecting them when you have a lot of files).
The advantage is that in my experience the past 2 weeks, it works reliably and it has actually been the only way how I have gotten work done on my mobile devices in Scrivener because the whole Dropbox crashing put everything to a grinding halt, mobile working wise.

On one hand I am very much looking forward to a solution. On the other hand, it has been interesting to put the combo of iOS 13 Files App and iCloud Drive to the test and seeing it as much more of a viable solution than with iOS12.

[GrahamGrün]

Yes, that’s the way Thomas Rabenstein is doing it right now, as I know. And as this seems to be working fine I really wonder if it couldn’t be possible to just let Scrivener edit in place a iCloud file and make everything super easy for everyone.

[Thomas Rabenstein]

Yes, that’s the way Thomas Rabenstein is doing it right now, as I know. And as this seems to be working fine I really wonder if it couldn’t be possible to just let Scrivener edit in place a iCloud file and make everything super easy for everyone.

Yes, this is correct and it works fine. However, it is a manual action and of course, I would prefer an automated process. But for now, I can exchange my project files without any limit and I only have to take care the sync process has been completed before I copy/open the containers. But with macOS Catalina and iOs 13, the user has good control over monitoring the progress when files sync via iCloud. Without that option, I could not use Scrivener on iOs at the moment since the Dropbox sync still does not work. I'm hoping and waiting for the next iOs system update, for which Apple has already started the beta.

[JimK]

I have the same issue on a new iPad Mini running 13.1.2 latest versions of scrivener and drop box. Before iOS 13 it synced perfectly (but slow). My iPhone 8 (1 year old) works fine on 13.1.2 same DB sync as the mini.

I’ve spent a whole day trying to get this to work (scriv is my most important app) and what i found was there wasn’t one file that crashed it, i could load any one scrivener file, but there was always a point adding the 8 files I have that killed it.

If there are any crash logs etc you need let me know how to get and send.

Needless to say this is super frustrating for everyone (you and us!) am doing the manual iCloud sync for now which is a workaround.

( i uninstalled / reinstalled scrivener and drop box, followed all the instructions in this thread about purging DB etc)

[Thomas Rabenstein]

iPadOs 13.1.3 just arrived ...
... but it does not resolve the issue. Scrivener still crashes on sync.

[JimK]

Hi L&L - Any updates?

[AmberV]

No updates yet; I would post them if there were. The abrupt and unplanned release of 10.15 caused a bit of a necessary diversion as there were critical bugs that needed to be fixed.

[genebreshears]

With that said, I personally think that if you're hauling 10 GB projects around you'll be a lot happier with a Macbook Pro than with any form of iPad. Mac OS remains a much more capable platform.

Katherine

With that said, I have 111 megabytes (not even a quarter of a gig) that is refusing to synchronize. And I do have a Macbook Pro. I just don't take it everywhere as I do the iPad. The whole point of Scrivener for iOS was supposed to be that we could work on the same projects we do on the Mac elsewhere.

As noted in the part of the post that you *didn't* quote:

To be clear, we agree that there is a problem and are doing our best to fix it.

Suggestions about reducing the number or size of projects being synced are intended as (a) troubleshooting to attempt to identify the problem and (b) possible workarounds pending a permanent solution. We are not proposing that users should reconcile themselves to limiting the number or size of projects as a permanent solution.

Katherine

I've stopped myself from responding to this incredibly condescending message for several days...

I didn't quote that portion of you message for two reasons. 1. As a long-time Usenet poster, I only quote the bare miniumum of previous messages so as not to force everyone who comes over to re-read a long message when an excerpt will do, 2. The portion I didn't quote is completely irrelevant to my comment.

Since I filed my initial bug and posted here, no one from Literature and Latte has contacted me for more information, copies of the files the won't synch, or any other information that will help diagnose the problem. So I have a very hard time believing that you will ever solve the problem.

[lunk]

Since I filed my initial bug and posted here, no one from Literature and Latte has contacted me for more information, copies of the files the won't synch, or any other information that will help diagnose the problem. So I have a very hard time believing that you will ever solve the problem.

Did you read this thread from start. For some it doesn’t work, for some it does, and there isn’t a clear pattern as to why.

[TadeoBlanco]

Since I filed my initial bug and posted here, no one from Literature and Latte has contacted me for more information, copies of the files the won't synch, or any other information that will help diagnose the problem. So I have a very hard time believing that you will ever solve the problem.

Strange, I didn’t see any condescending response, just and explanation of where they are in the process and responses to your ‘points’.

If you checked the thread you would see L&L requested and received crash logs and acknowledged the issue. Asking every person with the issue to send their logs is probably a waste.

There is 1 only MacOS and iOS developer and the release of iOS13 and MacOS Catalina so close together has given him a few things to sort.

[Thomas Rabenstein]

Did you read this thread from start. For some it doesn’t work, for some it does, and there isn’t a clear pattern as to why.

Well, there are many users who struggle right now. In our forum, we get more and more inquiries why it doesn't work anymore ...

[kewms]

Since I filed my initial bug and posted here, no one from Literature and Latte has contacted me for more information, copies of the files the won't synch, or any other information that will help diagnose the problem. So I have a very hard time believing that you will ever solve the problem.

If you would like a direct response, you should open a support ticket, here:
https://www.literatureandlatte.com/contact-us

Katherine