SET UP YOUR FIRST SYNC FOLDER

1 Select a folder to share

Click Add Folder to open a multi-tabbed window. On the General tab, clear the current Folder Path entry and type / [slash]. You should see an auto-suggest list appear, enabling you to select a folder in your PC’S root directory. Select this and a popup will show you available sub-folders within that folder. Keep selecting folders until you’ve entered the path to your folder.

2 Supply a label

We recommend typing a Folder Label – this helps identify each shared folder in the Folders list and is unique to your PC (other devices can set this as they see fit when they connect to the share). Leave Folder ID untouched. Now switch to the File Versioning tab to decide what Syncthing should do with older versions of files (see the box, facing page).

3 Final tweaks

The Ignore Patterns tab enables you to select specific files or filetypes to ignore, while Advanced makes it possible to determine whether the folder operates as a two-way sync, or in one direction only. If you tick the Ignore Permissions box, make sure it’s for the reasons stated (for example, a filesystem with no permissions support). Click Save to complete the basic setup.

4 Add new device

The folder will be listed as Unshared – before you can share it with anyone else, you need to connect to at least one other device. Click Add Remote Device under Remote Devices and you’ll be prompted to either enter a device ID manually or select another device on the same network. Once entered, give it a friendly name and click Save.

5 Share folder

Click to expand your new folder on the left, and choose Edit. Switch to the Sharing tab, where your recently added device should appear. Tick the box to share this with that device and then click Save. Now switch to your other device (do this from a new tab in your web browser if you’ve configured the device for remote access).

6 Confirm connection and sync

Once logged into your new device, you should see a prompt inviting you to connect – click Add Device to do so. Again, give it an easily identifiable name and click Save. After a short pause, you should be invited to connect to the folder – set it up following the first three steps of the walkthrough. Once done, you should see the folders sync.