instant upload feature for pictures taken on the phone.

[rjimenezsg]

Add this feature to ownCloud client

[georgehrke]

@BartoszPrzybylski Whereto does the android app upload the pictures with it's instant photo upload?

[rjimenezsg]

@georgehrke
The photos are upload to a folder named InstantUpload on ownCloud.

Please use a constant to define this name, since on customize apps can change. Thanks

[georgehrke]

IMO we should create a subfolder within InstantUpload.
We could use [[UIDevice currentDevice] name] as a name for this folder.

[MTRichards]

Yes, you want to be able to create some kind of device naming schema as someone could have a bunch of devices. Of course, this should ideally be a name that someone can set on the device, but even just the user created device name would be ok.

[butonic]

You could take a look at the dropbox app

[antonyoneill]

Is there a priority/plan for this yet?

[georgehrke]

I am working on this feature, but it's really tricky on iOS. I am still trying to find a way that stops iOS killing the process of the iOS app.

[przybylski]

You can execute background code on ios without any problem, its not so tricky as you think ;)
Please refer to
http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#documentation/iphone/conceptual/iphoneosprogrammingguide/ManagingYourApplicationsFlow/ManagingYourApplicationsFlow.html
"Background Execution and Multitasking"

I already did similar thing on ios and its not hard to do.

[javiergonzper]

Be careful. Have a process in background checking every X minutes the number images could not be the solution (power consumption mainly and Apple politics)

[enoch85]

+1 for this enhancement on iOS!

[eithe]

+1. To me this is a must-have. I've subscribed to oC on flattr and bought both the iOS and Android app to support you guys! Keep it up.

[Tronan90]

+1 This feature is a must have, I got it on the android. Tho I know that iOS is making this more troublesome than what it needs to be! if this feature is implemented, let me know where I can donate!

[Fmstrat]

+1. This one feature would keep many of us from having to use Dropbox still.

[mfharry]

+1. This is the only reason I still use Dropbox. Help me break free!

[giovanisp]

+1 , I am stuck with Dropbox because of that, too. I have over 4k pictures in the CameraUploads sync folder :-/

[rorrison]

+1. I've bought the app, but this is one of the reasons I'm still using Dropbox. Please keep working on it!

[Tronan90]

You can always use BitTorrent sync to the owncloud folder and upload that
way. Works great for me , I know it's a pain in the butt. But it saves me
the money that I used on dropbox :)
22. des. 2013 10:41 skrev "Giovani Spagnolo" notifications@github.com
følgende:

+1 , I am stuck with Dropbox because of that, too. I have over 4k pictures
in the CameraUploads sync folder :-/

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHubhttps://github.com//issues/13#issuecomment-31081909
.

[javiergonzper]

@rperezb many people want it 😉

[tomneedham]

+1 Trying to move my family over to ownCloud but they like the auto upload dropbox offers. I very much appreciate the feature in the android app having just moved from iOS. @MTRichards Is there an update on this?

[tomneedham]

As Tronan90 mentioned, a workaround for the moment is to install the bittorent sync app and server and sync your photos to a folder within your ownCloud data directory. Just tested and works nicely.

[ZacharyDuBois]

I was moved here :)

[stp-ip]

Any update @georgehrke ?

[georgehrke]

@stp-ip university takes up all my time right now...
lecture time is over in a month

[oguelich]

As many others I would appreciate this to drop dropbox from my devices finally. Be focused on your studies the next month and then reward yourself with this important feature.

[TheReal1604]

@otbe Its not only the bad feeling.. the battery is drained, too. What did you think? We need some options for upload only on WiFi connection or something...

[ghost]

@przybylski Thanks for explaining :-)

[przybylski]

@otbe @TheReal1604 forcing GPS all the time is a bug IMO.
Application should use most accurate location service available (whithout forcing it).
Those services are (from strongest to weakest): GPS, WiFi, Mobile network.
@otbe I understand your doubts about how feature is implemented. Unfortunately Apple doesn't provide any notification when photo was taken (or added to camera roll).

There are two ways to implement this feature.

1. Add filesystem observer which will be invoking upload when filesystem is modified.
2. Use Photos Framework introduced in iOS8

Downside to approach 1 is that application will need to be running for feature to work.
Downside to approach 2 is that you need to maintain two features systems. But it seems to be better than location based upload.

[otbe]

@TheReal1604 Yes indeed. As a former dropbox user Im missing some configuration params for InstantUpload, too.

After disabling InstantUpload the GPS/location arrow is still there. Only removing ownCloud from my devices "fix it" properly.

[TheReal1604]

@otbe you can disable location services under privacy.. for the own cloud app, so you don't have to uninstall the OC app.
@przybylski Thanks for explaining.

[otbe]

@TheReal1604, @przybylski Thanks.

You could declare InstantUpload as an iOS 8+ feature and use the Photo Framework, couldn't you? So you don't have to manage two implementations. I think it's much better then the current location-based implementation and in my opinion you should go for it.

[mathielen]

+1

[stp-ip]

I have the owncloud app crashing after enabling InstantUpload (iOS 7.1.2 with an iPhone 4). Any issues known?

[przybylski]

@otbe I was thinking about this for a while, dig through documentation and came to conclusion that Photo Framework solution suffers the same problem what filesystem observing does.
Application must be running in order to get notification from photo album which limits the usage scenario.
Apple allows background tasks to execute one of this task type:

• Audio and AirPlay
• Location updates
• Voice over IP
• Newsstand downloads
• External accessory communication
• Uses Bluetooth LE accessories
• Acts as a Bluetooth LE accessory
• Remote notifications

There are two scenarios which are suitable for this feature, its Location updates and remote notifications.
Remote notifications are bad choice becuase they require work to be done on server and server doesn't know when device is taking photo. So this would require to invoke remote notification periodically which uses both bandwith and cpu cycles.
Location updates are better way to go because it's local event which doesn't use server unless needed.
It's possible that Apple is using some private APIs for theirs applications which uploads photos to iCloud.
Using such API is possible for ownCloud I guess, but using those makes app be rejected from the AppStore.

BUT this doesn't explain the fact that this feature is badly written.

I was looking at this code and finally I understand the meaning of this photo:

[bill340]

One question... How does the dropbox instant upload work?
Also, why is instant upload only working, when killing the app and restart it?

[enoch85]

@przybylski It seems that you have some skills in coding. Why don't you help out improving this feature? :) Just tested, and yes - it works bad. Not directly "out of the box" as you would expect.

[scho0ck]

So everybody is complaining but apart from that is there any way to get this feature actually working with the latest released version ?

[enoch85]

@scho0ck Restart your device, and it works after that.

[otbe]

@enoch85 did not work for me. Photos are only recognized If I kill and restart the app.

[bill340]

+1

[przybylski]

@enoch85 why not. i just need to handle some personal stuff. im on freenode IRC under handle aqu if anyone needs me

[nasli]

The instant upload feature works this way:
Once instant upload are enabled, will check for new photos and upload them when:
1.The user open the app (After kill the app)
2.A signicant change in location was detected

The reason to implement it this way is because we support iOS7 too.

We do not use active gps, instead, we use the significant-change location service. This service delivers updates only when there has been a significant change in the device’s location. This way we do not have to worry about the battery drain.

The location icon that remains active in the top indicates that the location service is allowed. If we disable the instant upload feature, that icon will disappear in the range of 15 seconds if no other app is using it.

@bill340 Dropbox and others like Mega works the same way.
@stp-ip could you give us more details about your crash? you can open another isuee for it. Thks

This is a first version of this feature, and as always, we apreciate all your suggestion to continue improving the feature.

For new versions of this feature will be included new configurable options from the setting view like only allow uploads if wifi is active.

Thanks you all for the comments.

[bill340]

Thanks very much for the infos!
So I will test, if it uploads, once the location changes. Some explanation in the app would be useful.
Also an option to upload only on wifi or also on 3G/4G would be great.

[enoch85]

@przybylski Please join #owncloud on IRC. To join the dev team please speak to @karlitschek

[przybylski]

@enoch85 I know how to contribute ;) I started owncloud for android ;)

[enoch85]

@przybylski Well then, I'm looking forward to your improvments. ;)

[javiergonzper]

I found a problem on the Instant Uploads.
It does not work in background if you have the iOS Pin Code or the Touch ID. it happens because iOS encrypt all the sandbox of any app if the device is blocked after 3 minutes. We can set the ownCloud sandbox to not be encrypted but once it is fixed we got the next problem:

   Mar 23 13:14:55 iphone-6-2 Owncloud iOs Client[390] <Warning>: Core Data: error: -executeRequest: encountered exception = error during SQL execution : authorization denied with userInfo = {
    NSFilePath = "/var/mobile/Media/PhotoData/Photos.sqlite";
    NSSQLiteErrorDomain = 23;
}

So it is not possible fix it. If the Pincode/Touch ID is activated the Instant Uploads in Background will not work because Apple do not allow us to access to the Photo gallery 😞

---

Other problem that @otbe @bill340 and @enoch85 said is about if the files was not added in background only will start to upload if you kill the app. I modified the code to start the uploads also if the app is maximized.
I think that will solve the most problems related to the Instant Uploads if the users have the Pin Code/Touch ID.

Will be released on the update 3.4.1 that we will send to the Appstore soon.

[rodgal23]

owncloud app crashing after enabling InstantUpload with an iPhone 4 the app is frozen

[enoch85]

@javiergonzper Can we all agree on that this issue is getting to big? I mean, open a new one for each issue instead. Common sense. :)

This feature is implemented and should be closed. Any new issues reported as bugs should be in separate tickets. IMHO.

[rodgal23]

Date for the update 3.4.1?

[bill340]

That explaines, why my instant upload does not work, although I changed my location.

[javiergonzper]

@enoch85 yes, probably we can close this issue and open others to have a better track of the issues
@rodgal23 we are working on it right now, probably we can send the new version to the Appstore this week and then the time that Apple needs to review the app (http://appreviewtimes.com/)

[enoch85]

Closing this now. Please open new issue reports if you encounter bugs. Did not find any issue template @javiergonzper (maybe you should make one?) But use something like this before you post your issue to get help quicker. https://raw.githubusercontent.com/owncloud/core/master/issue_template.md Thank you in advance.