Is there other ways to synch notes other than nextcloud or dropbox?
how do you manually backup joplin? or what do i need to copy from desktop to my android ver?
What way would you like to sync?
Export to JEX
You sync.
By the way backup and sync are different concepts with different purposes.
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You may use in the desktop version as synchronisation target the file system.
Then you can copy the folder on your android device.
There you also set the synchronisation target to the file system and the target is the copied folder on your android device.
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What way would you like to sync?
like pc to mobile with no third party. like if i press a button all my changes from mobile will appear on my pc
Export to JEX
does it also backup the revision/history?
This all depends on what you consider third party. If you think of third party as any other piece of software, be it local or in the cloud then the answer is no. If you are willing to compromise with local software then there is Syncthing or anything similar.
This can be done by going in General Options and Configuration respectively and selecting File System under Synchronization target. Creating a Folder that will be shared by the chosen local machine third party - in this case Syncthing - and then imputing the location of said folder in the newly created Absolute path space. Unfortunately Joplin doesn’t allow one to browse for that particular file location so the address has to be introduced manually. If you intend to encrypt the notes so that they are encrypted when synced over the web, now is the time.
After you have set up one joplin device - and only one, this is actually important - you can DL syncthing on both your mobile and your pc, there are PC versions for all major platforms. Assuming you chose to make mobile the starting point, you open synchign, you select the folder you wanted to share - let’s call it Joplin Notes for this example - then you open Syncthing on your pc, you connect your PC and your phone via syncthing and select your joplin notes folder to share. When prompted on the PC you accept.
Now, and only now you open the pc version of Joplin, you don’t input yet another id and password in the encryption option, you don’t do anything other then going to General Options, selecting sync to Local Folder, putting in the adresa of the folder Syncthing just created and then, if you had any encryption activated on mobile, once Joplin has synced with the file in the Syncthing shared folder it will ask you for a password to decrypt the files, once that is done both your mobile and PC will only sync notes in an encrypted form.
Is this very easy? no. Is it technically more secure then sending your files to a server - well, technically.
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This is a very detailed and nice description for setting up Joplin with syncthing.
You should add that to the FAQ.md and create a PR. I’m sure others would benefit from this.
Only one remark on your first paragraph. If someone is willing to install syncthing, they could also install nextcloud or a webdav server. But that’s a matter of opinion. I think the OP meant by 3rd party SW something that is not under his/her control, but I could be wrong.
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Wille Nextcloud, webDAV and SyncThing are all technically servers, Syncthign is the only one actually designed to run on a desktop or mobile, wile Nextcloud/Onecloud and webDav are designed to run on actual servers. I’m not saying he couldn’t run them on his own desktop machine, but they wouldn’t be the tool for what he seemed to be looking for.
A lot of people run their own Nextcloud or WebDAV on a server (dedicated server, shared hosting, …).
The majority of people don’t though. Though Nextcloud, webDAV and SyncThing might all be server software, only the Syncthing “server” is designed to run on your phone, tablet, laptop or desktop and to be used by Joe Average. Nextcloud and webDAV tend to be made for actual server hardware, and for people with actual sysadmin knowledge. Yes, a lot of people do indeed run their own web servers just so they can run Nextcloud or webDAV but the vast majority don’t. Especially people that use Windows and Mac.
I think AlucardNoir(*) is right. I think the main difference between WebDAV and Syncthing is that Syncthing does not require an always-on server. You could put it on your PC and Mobile, and if you're OK with only being able to sync when your PC is turned on, you're set. You don't need any external services or components, because unlike NextCloud, it seems to be designed specifically for peer-to-peer transfers.
(*) With a nick like that, I hope you've watched Hellsing Ultimate Abridged 
Guys, I’m not arguing against your arguments. Please read my comments as they are written. I have used conditionals (they could also install) and stated a fact (A lot of people run their own Nextcloud or WebDAV on a server). Furthermore the most important part was apparently ignored:
This is a very detailed and nice description for setting up Joplin with syncthing.
You should add that to the FAQ.md and create a PR. I’m sure others would benefit from this.
We did read them. I'm not attacking your position, merely joining into the discussion in what I hope is a friendly enough manner. ;D (My elaboration was meant more for people who may read this, but not know where the important difference between the two services/models lies.)
I’m not ignoring it, I just don’t think my answer id good enough for what you suggest. I’m sure I could spend a few hours rewriting it to make it worthy of and official FAQ page but as it stands it isn’t good enough.
Also, I sorta moved away from Windows a month or so ago and I no longer have a Win 10 systems to test things on, if other people with Windows, Mac and a iOS would be willing to help and give me the actual necessary steps for their OS, or confirm the steps and terminology, then we might be up to something.
Edit: actually forget the iOS stuff, I just checked and Syncthing doesn’t have an iOS version.
Edit 2: And just so you understand what I mean by “I don’t think it’s good enough” :https://joplinapp.org/#synchronisation - my post doesn’t really compare.
My two cents: I used to use Dropbox to synchronize my machines among themselves and also with my cell phone. Not any more. Now use Syncthing and it has been providing me with very good and free service. Syncthing provides very fine-grained control on several aspects of directory and file synchronization. And using it is much safer than using Dropbox or similar products.
Things being so, when I left Evernote in the past and moved to Joplin, it was only natural that I chose Synthing to do the sync for me. It has worked so far (except for some glitches that are related to Joplin itself, not to the sync software).
Happy so far both with Syncthing and Joplin.
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is there a way to make it a two way synch? like if i want to edit the notes from my mobile using my desktop it will also show changes in the android mobile too?
Maybe I don’t understand your question.
If you set up sync on both your phone and your computer, the changes will propagate, yes, that’s what the sync does.
sorry man i didnt mean to quote you. I was going for alucardnoir’s suggestion
@AlucardNoir
since i decided i will use syncthing is there a way to make it a two way synch? like if i want to edit the notes from my mobile using my desktop it will also show changes in the android mobile too?
… I don’t think I fully understand your question. That’s how it works. You have Joplin, be it on mobile or desktop, sync with a folder on your system and have syncthing make sure any changes that happen in that folder on one device happen on all synced devices. What you’re describing is literally syncing. There is no way to sync that doesn’t do what you’re asking for.
EDIT. Actually, to better explain it.
What you’re doing when you’re using syncthing to sync is two very different thing. The first is that you tell Joplin, on every single system you are on, that it’s supposed to compare it’s internal files with files in this one folder - the syncing folder - on your system and that it’s supposed to give priority to the files in that folder over it’s internal files. Secondly, you tell Syncthing that you have this one folder that you want to synced on all the linked devices.
Whenever you write a note in Joplin on your phone, Joplin will make a copy of that note in the folder you told it to sync to. Whenever Synchthing detects a change in the folder you told it to monitor it will contact all other systems you have Syncthing installed on - assuming they are online - and ask if they have that folder, if the answer is no it will use the internet to transfer a copy of that new file to every system you set up. When you then open joplin on one of those other systems - say a desktop - Joplin will check the folder you told it to sync to and see if there are any changes between that folder and it’s internal notes, if there are it will update it’s internal notes, in the above case you will see a brand new note on your desktop system, one created on Joplin on your phone.
The reverse is also true. You create a note on the desktop, Joplin syncs the note with the folder you told it to use for syncing. Syncthing is set to moniter that folder. Syncthing identifies a change in that folder and makes a copy of that new note to every other device you have linked and when you open Joplin on any of those other devices, Joplin checks the folders on those devices, sees there are new notes and adds them to it’s own internal notes for you to see and edit.
Also, please not that this doesn’t just work for new notes and notebooks but also for deleting notes and notebooks. You delete a note in the Joplin app, the Joplin app syncs to the folder you told it to sync. Syncthing detects the change and makes the appropriate changes on all systems, you open Joplin on the desktop, it syncs with the folder you told it to use for syncing and then you see the same note that was still there when you opened Joplin on Desktop just disappear when the sync is complete, because it was deleted on mobile and the deletion was propagated to all other systems - not unlike what you’d expect from Dropbox or some other such system. Joplin does technically have a history feature but I’ve never had need to use it so I don’t know how it works.
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Sure. Syncthing synchronizes in both directions (or any number of them). But you can, if you so want, to configure a machine as a “master” machine. In this case, it will send changes to other machines, but will not take changes from them.
Just to add a bit of input.
- Each device will have a local copy.
- To make a fixed backup, export to a JEX file.
- If you are worried about third party possession of a centralized sync, encrypting everything is an option.
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