Dropbox preventing apps from opening files in multiple apps

[dalepres]

If I try to create a new node.js app using npm init, the process fails because it can't create files.  If I kill dropbox then it works.

In another app, Neck Diagrams 2, I have it configured to backup to my Dropbox folder.  The backup fails because it can't access the files it creates.  It creates a temp file in zip format and, when the copy is completed, changes the extension to .zip.  This fails because the file is in use by another app - dropbox.

How can I resolve this without having to stop Dropbox while I'm working?

[Elixir · Accepted solution]

Hi @dalepres, I think it is better to create app folders like nodejs outside of Dropbox sync folders. nodejs creates tens of thousands of files inside the node_modules folder. If it is inside Dropbox, perhaps it tries to index as soon as they are created, and there is some permission issues. Also if you sync such large number of files via Dropbox its performance would downgrade. 

[dalepres]

I think you're probably right but the node files are pretty stable, once synced.  I should probably just use github for this but github requires me to explicitly sync each device where Dropbox is automatic.  Plus with github I wouldn't commit the node files.