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65b82c0516
- Removed obsolete information about the different macOS builds for classic synchronization and file provider extension because we now have only one universal macOS client left. - Clarified the conflict between the classic folder synchronization integration and file provider extension. - Removed specific installation information because it is redundant with the general client installation documentation. - Shifted the terminology a bit towards "file provider extension" instead of "virtual files" because the former is the official terminology used by Apple and macOS for this kind of software and what users are more likely to understand. macOS also uses this terminology in its system settings where our integration is listed. - Clarified the benefits of enabling push notifications on the server side. - Updated feature list. - Updated screenshots. The user interface has changed significantly. The screenshots now have a consistent appearance. The screenshots were taken on macOS 26 Tahoe which is the latest major release as off writing. This shows that our support of macOS is up to date. Also dedicated demo content and user account was used. - Screenshots are now in optimized JPG format instead of PNG. There is no notable quality loss but the image sizes are drastically reduced. - Added information about the preservation of unsynchronized changes on file provider domain removal. - Extended explanation of status symbols on file provider items. Signed-off-by: Iva Horn <iva.horn@nextcloud.com>
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5.6 KiB
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145 lines
5.6 KiB
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==========================
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macOS Virtual Files Client
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==========================
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On macOS, our client can also seamlessly integrate Nextcloud files into macOS
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as a file provider extension. Any newly configured Nextcloud account will have
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the integration enabled by default.
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Supported features
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------------------
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- Keeping files or whole folders available offline
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- Freeing up local disk space by evicting local copies without deleting items
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- Intelligent and automatic local data eviction
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- File previews within Finder for files which are not downloaded yet
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- Support for Apple-specific formats, for example Pages, Numbers or Keynote bundles
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- Support for server-side file locking (if supported by the connected server)
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- “Edit locally” support
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- Sharing with other users
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- Server-side actions integrated directly in Finder's context menu
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- Automatic discovery of server-side changes
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Configuration
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-------------
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Virtual files-related settings can be adjusted on a per-account basis
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via the Nextcloud desktop client's settings window.
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.. image:: images/macosvfs-settings.jpg
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:alt: Screenshot of client settings for the file provider extension
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Here the integration into Finder can be enabled or disabled.
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When disabling the file provider extension while still having unsynchronized
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changes, macOS will save the unsynchronized items in a folder that is
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automatically revealed after the integration is disabled.
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Finder integration
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------------------
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On macOS, remote storage like a Nextcloud files account appears like a
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dedicated location in the Finder sidebar. The actual location of the
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content on disk is defined by macOS.
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.. image:: images/macosvfs-finder-sidebar.jpg
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:alt: Finder sidebar showing a Nextcloud file provider domain
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.. note::
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To accelerate server-side change detection, we recommend enabling the
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``notify_push`` app on your Nextcloud server. This app will notify
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the desktop client of changes on the server as soon as they happen,
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reducing the time it takes for changes to appear in Finder.
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Otherwise the client needs to poll the server which will result in an
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increased delay between a change on the server and its local visibility.
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Sync status indicators
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----------------------
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Similar to classic synchronization folders, Finder displays status
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indicators next to items. Unlike the custom indicators in classic
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synchronization folders, these standardized indicators are provided by macOS to
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ensure a consistent appearance across all cloud storage apps which a user may
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use on their system.
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- *Cloud with downward arrow*: The item and its descendants are not downloaded
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yet. They can be downloaded, assuming a network connection is available.
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- *Outlined cloud*: The item is not fully uploaded yet in its current local
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state.
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- *Strikethrough cloud*: The item is excluded from synchronization.
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- *Pie chart*: The item is currently being uploaded or downloaded, and the progress
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is visualized.
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- *Filled circle with downward arrow*: The item is available offline and will
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be kept locally.
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- *No icon*: The item is available offline and up to date.
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Context menu actions
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--------------------
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.. image:: images/macosvfs-context-menu.jpg
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:alt: Screenshot of Finder with an open context menu
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The file provider extension also provides special Nextcloud features through
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the context menu in Finder.
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Keep Downloaded
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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Depending on the download state of a folder or file, the context menu will
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offer to always keep an item downloaded or free up local disk space by
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evicting the local copy while not actually deleting the item. This way, it
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stays available any time for download from the server.
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Locking
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^^^^^^^
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.. image:: images/macosvfs-file-locking.jpg
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:alt: Screenshot of Finder showing the successful locking of a file
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If the server supports file locking, the client will offer manual locking and
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unlocking of files in Finder.
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Sharing
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^^^^^^^
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.. image:: images/macosvfs-file-sharing.jpg
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:alt: Screenshot of Finder showing the share management
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When the server supports sharing and the item is allowed to be shared,
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then you can create new shares or manage existing shares for an item directly
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from the context menu in Finder, as in the Nextcloud web interface.
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File actions
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^^^^^^^^^^^^
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If the server has apps installed which provide file actions for the selected
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file types, these actions will also be available in the context menu in Finder.
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This allows you to use server-side features of your Nextcloud instance directly
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from the Finder.
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Known issues
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------------
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macOS Extensions conflict
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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Due to technical limitations in macOS which are imposed by Apple,
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it is not possible to have the Finder integration for classic sync folders
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running in parallel to an enabled virtual files integration.
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This means that item decorations and context menu options will be
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unavailable for classic sync folders while the file provider extension is
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enabled.
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Alias files
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^^^^^^^^^^^
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When opening a macOS alias file stored on Nextcloud for the first time on a
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device where it has not yet been downloaded, the file may open as a binary
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document in a text editor instead of jumping to its target. This happens
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because macOS decides how to open a file before downloading it, and alias files
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carry no recognisable file extension or type information on the server — the
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only way to identify them is by reading their content. Once the file has been
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opened or downloaded once, Nextcloud Desktop learns that it is an alias and
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stores that information locally, so all subsequent opens will work correctly.
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To avoid the issue entirely, right-click the alias file in Finder and choose
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**Keep Downloaded** before opening it for the first time. |