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Synchronizing with a file

While other options allow the synchronization between smartphones and computers, synchronizing with a file is only possible between computers.
In this option, a sync file is created in Mapeo Desktop on one computer and then it is used by another computer with Mapeo to exchange data. During the synchronization, all data contained in the sync file is transferred to the computer that is syncing with it, and all data in the Mapeo database of the computer will also be transferred to the sync file. It uses the same two-way method as synchronization via Wi-Fi. To learn more about how synchronization works, see Peer-to-peer & Mapeo sync.
  • If devices are near each other, this is a good sync option when you can't create a local Wi-Fi network. You can instead use a
    USB drive to copy and paste the sync file between different devices. It works with
    no internet connection.
  • If devices are not near each other, this is also a good sync option. In this case, you will either need to transport a
    USB drive to the location of the second device or have access to an
    internet connection.
Other requirements:

Create a sync file

  1. 1.
    Open
    Mapeo Desktop on
    computer 1, the computer on which you want to create a sync file. The generated sync file will include all the Mapeo data from that computer.
  2. 2.
    Click on Synchronize on the Mapeo modes panel
3. Click on the Create a sync file button and choose the name and location where the generated file will be saved.

Send or copy the sync file to the second device

There are two options for sharing a sync file:

Option 1. Send sync file via email or file sharing service

Computer 1 (black) generates sync file and sends it via email to Computer 2 (blue). Computer 2 then syncs with the file.
  1. 1.
    Locate the generated sync file on
    computer 1.
  2. 2.
    In your email app (
    Gmail,
    Hotmail, etc.), create a new email and attach the sync file. Send it to the user of the
    computer 2, the computer with which you want to sync.
  3. 3.
    ​
     Computer 2 must receive the sync file and save it. It is important to remember where has it been saved.
If the sync file is too large to be sent by email, you can use other platforms such as
WeTransfer,
Google Drive, or
​Dropbox. You can send files up to 2GB for free using these apps.

Option 2. Copy and paste sync file using a USB drive

Computer 1 (black) generates sync file and transfers it via USB drive to Computer 2 (blue). Computer 2 then syncs with the file.
​
  • Connect a
    USB drive to
    computer 1, where you generated the sync file.
  • Locate the generated sync file on
    computer 1 and click on it using the right button of the mouse. Select Copy.
  • Navigate to the
    USB drive in the file system. Right-click on the location and select Paste to paste the sync file onto the drive.
  • Disconnect the
    USB drive and connect it to the computer you want to sync with (
     computer 2).
  • Navigate to the
    USB drive folder and locate the sync file. Right-click on the file and select Copy. Navigate to where you would like to save the sync file on
    computer 2. Right-click on the location and select Paste.

Start synchronization

  1. 1.
    Locate the received or pasted sync file on
    computer 2, the computer you want to sync with.
  2. 2.
    Open
    Mapeo Desktop on
    computer 2.
  3. 3.
    Click on Synchronize in the Mapeo modes panel.
4. Click on the Sync from a file button and in the pop-up window, navigate until you find the desired sync file. Then click on it and click Open.Start synchronization
The synchronization with the file will automatically begin.
Important: Keep the Synchronize screen open on both devices until the synchronization process is complete.
When the synchronization is complete,
computer 2 and the sync file will have identical copies of the Mapeo database. To complete a 2-way synchronization between the two computers, repeat the process to copy the sync file back to
computer 1 and use it to Sync from a file.

View synced observations

To learn about viewing and managing synchronized data in Mapeo Desktop Observations mode, continue to:
Previous
Synchronizing via Wi-Fi
Next
Viewing observations
Last modified 1yr ago