[Bug]: Error after second sync: It produces >50% changed files error in the second computer

[gerardbosch]

What happened?

Hi! Thanks for working on this extension, that's super nice! 😊😊

I'm facing trouble when using the Backblaze B2 backend (S3) to sync Obsidian files between 2 computers.

Steps to reproduce

Computer-A is the original that contains the vault, and Computer-B is the one where I want to replicate the vault (and then keep both in sync).

Computer-A:

1. Configure the bucket, and check that the connection works
2. Perform the initial sync (wait until finish)
3. Check that the files have been uploaded to the Backblaze bucket

Then, Computer-B:

1. Configure the bucket, and check that the connection works
2. Perform the initial sync and check that all files have been successfully downloaded
3. Wait for a moment and manually trigger the sync again

Expected:

The second sync on Computer-B finished immediately and successfully, as there were no changes neither on Computer-A nor Computer-B files.

Actual:

The second sync on Computer-B produces the following error:

startting sync.

plugin:remotely-save:234 Error: Abort! you set changing files >= 50% is not allowed but 131/173=75.7% is going to be modified or deleted! If you are sure you want this sync, please adjust the allowed ratio in the settings.
    at eval (plugin:remotely-save:227:48637)
    at Generator.next (<anonymous>)
    at eval (plugin:remotely-save:76:373103)
    at new Promise (<anonymous>)
    at r (plugin:remotely-save:76:372848)
    at sx (plugin:remotely-save:227:45756)
    at eval (plugin:remotely-save:227:65006)
    at Generator.next (<anonymous>)
    at s (plugin:remotely-save:76:372905)

endding sync.

Notes

• Subsequent sync on Computer-A works well disregarding there's no changes, a file is updated or a new file is created.

---

Debug info:

When I export the sync plan on Computer-B > Export latest 1 (change part), I see in the generated file 131 of entries like the following (the number matches with error above):

  "programming/fp/Ad-hoc polymorphism (Typeclasses).md": {
    "key": "programming/fp/Ad-hoc polymorphism (Typeclasses).md",
    "remote": {
      "key": "programming/fp/Ad-hoc polymorphism (Typeclasses).md",
      "keyRaw": "programming/fp/Ad-hoc polymorphism (Typeclasses).md",
      "mtimeSvr": 1739019592000,
      "mtimeCli": 1725300876000,
      "sizeRaw": 8613,
      "size": 8613,
      "etag": "\"898a6115f24566d8332f401530fc6a7a\"",
      "synthesizedFolder": false,
      "keyEnc": "programming/fp/Ad-hoc polymorphism (Typeclasses).md",
      "sizeEnc": 8613,
      "mtimeCliFmt": "2024-09-02T20:14:36+02:00",
      "mtimeSvrFmt": "2025-02-08T13:59:52+01:00"
    },
    "prevSync": {
      "key": "programming/fp/Ad-hoc polymorphism (Typeclasses).md",
      "keyRaw": "programming/fp/Ad-hoc polymorphism (Typeclasses).md",
      "mtimeSvr": 1739019592000,
      "mtimeCli": 1725300876000,
      "sizeRaw": 8613,
      "size": 8613,
      "etag": "\"898a6115f24566d8332f401530fc6a7a\"",
      "synthesizedFolder": false,
      "keyEnc": "programming/fp/Ad-hoc polymorphism (Typeclasses).md",
      "sizeEnc": 8613,
      "mtimeCliFmt": "2024-09-02T20:14:36+02:00",
      "mtimeSvrFmt": "2025-02-08T13:59:52+01:00"
    },
    "local": {
      "key": "programming/fp/Ad-hoc polymorphism (Typeclasses).md",
      "keyRaw": "programming/fp/Ad-hoc polymorphism (Typeclasses).md",
      "mtimeCli": 1739019866000,
      "mtimeSvr": 1739019866000,
      "size": 8613,
      "sizeRaw": 8613,
      "mtimeCliFmt": "2025-02-08T14:04:26+01:00",
      "mtimeSvrFmt": "2025-02-08T14:04:26+01:00",
      "keyEnc": "programming/fp/Ad-hoc polymorphism (Typeclasses).md",
      "sizeEnc": 8613
    },
    "decisionBranch": 10,
    "decision": "local_is_modified_then_push",
    "change": true
  },

What OS are you using?

Linux

What remote cloud services are you using? (Please choose the specified one if it's in the list)

S3 (BackBlaze B2)

Version of the plugin

0.5.25

Version of Obsidian

1.8.4 (nix package manager installation)

Using password or not

• Yes.

Ensure no sensitive information

• I ensure that no sensitive information is submitted in the issue.

[gerardbosch]

Just more info for the sake of completion :)

The S3 (Backblaze) sync backend was the third that I attempted to use:

• First I tried with Dropbox and I discovered that Dropbox do not support emojis on file names (I'm using emojis on my Obsidian note titles)
• Then, I tried with Microsoft OneCloud, but as I amb using Obsidian installed from nix, it appears that the URL handler to redirect autorization from Microsoft website back to Obsidian does not work (either don't know if emojis on file names are supported or not)
• Finally, I used Backblaze, and I'm getting this 50% changed files unexpected problem.

P.S. If OneCloud is supporting emojis could work well for me, but I need to figure out how to accept the authorization. Nix already provides a .desktop file for Obsidian, but the authorization redirect does not work. And I had no success by manually creating a .desktop file on ~/Desktop (the redirect doesn't find the application). (see comment below)

[gerardbosch]

I managed to make the OneCloud work by capturing the oAuth authorization redirection in the browser debugger (Network tab) and just running it on a terminal did the trick:

❯ obsidian "obsidian://remotely-save-cb-onedrive/?code=........."

But after syncing both computers to OneCloud, I got the same error that I got with the S3 (Backblaze B2) on the second sync of Computer-B:

Error: Abort! you set changing files >= 50% is not allowed

Here it is more debug info from Obsidian, including my enabled plugins list, just in case they may affect:

SYSTEM INFO:
	Obsidian version: v1.8.4
	Installer version: v1.7.7
	Operating system: #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Thu, 23 Jan 2025 20:29:02 +0000 6.12.11-1-MANJARO
	Login status: not logged in
	Language: en
	Insider build toggle: off
	Live preview: on
	Base theme: dark
	Community theme: Things v2.1.19
	Snippets enabled: 1
	Restricted mode: off
	Plugins installed: 26
	Plugins enabled: 26
		1: Auto Card Link v1.2.3
		2: Checklist v2.2.13
		3: Calendar v1.5.10
		4: Day Planner v0.21.1
		5: Dataview v0.5.67
		6: Tray v0.3.5
		7: Periodic Notes v0.0.17
		8: Local REST API v2.5.4
		9: Admonition v10.3.2
		10: Style Settings v1.0.9
		11: ReadItLater v0.5.0
		12: Advanced Tables v0.21.0
		13: Image Captions v1.1.3
		14: LanguageTool Integration v0.3.7
		15: Templater v2.4.2
		16: Note Refactor v1.8.2
		17: ExcaliBrain v0.2.15
		18: Excalidraw v2.3.0
		19: Recent Files v1.4.1
		20: Better Command Palette v0.17.1
		21: Keyshots v2.3.0
		22: Number Headings v1.16.0
		23: Obsidian Columns v1.5.2
		24: Janitor v1.0.7
		25: Remotely Save v0.5.25
		26: Linter v1.25.0

[gerardbosch]

After some troubleshooting (thanks perplexity.ai !) I discovered that a particular setting of the 'Templater' plugin was the one causing the issue:

This seems that modified the timestamp of newly imported files, triggering false positive changes on Remotely Save. Just disabling this option fixed everything.

Closing the ticket! :)