Changing database location on Windows

fark · 2020-11-14T19:17:43.399Z

I'm surprised to discover there's no official way to change the location of the database (I'm on Windows).

I have my data backed up from various locations on my drive and I want to put my database in one of them. Without data backup, anything that's in Joplin should be considered expendable, which isn't what I want.

1001bricks · 2020-11-14T19:31:09.694Z

About Backup, normally you'd sync to somewhere, like another drive, ex: S:\Joplin or a Network drive like \MyServer\Backup\Joplin.

This way, the sync keeps a permanent backup.

I don't know if you can change in a config the local folder on Windows (which one, 7, 8.1, 10?) - but if you really want this you could use a Junction to link the local .config folder to another drive... Again, how to set it up depends the Windows version.

But IMHO the easiest is the filesystem sync - see above.

laurent · 2020-11-14T19:33:38.750Z

Don't you backup your user folder? Because everything is in there, under .config

tessus · 2020-11-14T20:54:14.299Z

1001bricks:

About Backup, normally you'd sync to somewhere, like another drive, ex: S:\Joplin or a Network drive like \MyServer\Backup\Joplin.

This way, the sync keeps a permanent backup.

No, syncing is not a backup solution. Do not use it as such!

If something happens to your sync location your local data will be lost! There's no master/server and slave/client concept. It's a 2-way sync.

The only way to do a backup: Export to JEX

1001bricks · 2020-11-14T21:01:22.706Z

Thanks! You're very certainly right @tessus - and I do use export to JEX (but I also backup the sync folder)

But anyway it wasn't the OP's question, in fact.

Edit: I could restore the local folder even if I'd loose everything on one PC as I've the same app and config on a few PCs (syncing to a network drive), so I just would have to restore the local .config from another PC. I guess, anyway...

itc-ger · 2021-02-04T21:10:38.458Z

@fark Maybe using the --profile option is a solution which could work for you?

See

Is there any way to use as a portable app? Support

redacted

laurent · 2021-02-04T21:12:00.197Z

Why answer this 3 months later? (and I've deleted my own answer as --profile is actually an unsupported flag)

itc-ger · 2021-02-04T21:29:57.639Z

@laurent

today I ran into the same issue as the thread starter. And after I found your profile switch solution I posted it here so other people like me could find it more easily

In my case I don't want to have the user data in $HOME/.config (linux) - because in this location I store configuration data only. The .config directory doesn't contain any sensitive data - and I want to keep it that way.

Therefore I like to have all my private user data at another location. That location is encrypted with another security key and other backup intervals (and locations) apply.

If you remove the --profile switch I have to workaround this by symlinking .config/joplin-desktop to my secure user data location. That would be an ugly solution.

P.S.: IMHO it would be better if the database location can be configured in Joplin's settings.

tessus · 2021-02-04T22:08:24.213Z

itc-ger:

P.S.: IMHO it would be better if the database location can be configured in Joplin's settings.

Hmm, the settings are stored in the database....

tessus · 2021-02-04T22:09:09.356Z

itc-ger:

If you remove the --profile switch I have to workaround this by symlinking .config/joplin-desktop to my secure user data location. That would be an ugly solution.

Not really. That's why there are sym links on Linux. Also, this setup would be supported.