Not understanding how syncing works

[Robert F.41]

I've read all of Dropbox's documentation about keeping computers in sync but I still don't think I'm understanding how it works. I have two Mac laptops and all I want to do is 1) Keep local copies of all the files and folders in my Documents and Desktop folders so I can access them offline; 2) keep those two folders, Documents and Desktop, in sync between the laptops; and 3) make sure everything in those two folders is backed up so that I can go back to an earlier version if I need to.  I have a Dropbox "Plus" account for individuals.

When I first installed Dropbox on each laptop, I could be mistaken but I *thought* it asked me if I wanted to sync my Documents and Desktop folders to Dropbox and I said "yes". I also said I didn't want my files to only be stored in the cloud (I want local copies). In addition, I enabled Dropbox backups. Backups seem to be working because when I go to dropbox.com, I see a "Mac" folder for my first laptop and a "Mac (2)" folder for my second laptop and when I go into these folders, it says "Dropbox Backup" at the top.

What I don't understand is why, if Dropbox is supposed to be keeping the Documents and Desktop folders in sync between the two computers, there aren't Documents and Desktop folders up on dropbox.com? If I create a test file "testdropbox.txt" in the Documents folder on laptop 1, it doesn't automatically appear in the Documents folder on laptop 2. Do I have to literally move the Documents and Desktop folders from my local home directory to the Dropbox folder inside my home directory (/Users/me/Dropbox) to cause this to occur? Or is that not how Dropbox is supposed to work? Are you only supposed to create isolated folders (e.g. "project_docs") on dropbox.com, set the Sync preferences on each laptop so that that project_docs folder will be seen on the local laptop, and then move project documents into that folder from your local Documents folder to make them available on your other laptop?

As it stands, the only way I can see my Documents folder on laptop 2 from laptop 1 is to click on the Dropbox icon in the Finder Sidebar on laptop 1 and then click on "Mac (2)". And on laptop 2, I have to click on the Dropbox icon in the Finder and click on "Mac" to see my Documents folder on laptop 1. In other words, I have to look at the other laptop's backups to see the Documents and Desktop folders.

Finally, what I really don't understand is why, on laptop 2, if I click on the Documents icon in the Finder Sidebar, all the folders within Documents have the green circle with white checkmark (which means "Available offline") icon next to each folder (which is what I want) and yet those same folders on laptop 1 don't have those checkmarks. If I right-click on any of those folders, there is an option "Make online only" which implies that they're available offline. But if the later is true, why don't they have green/white checkmarks next to them?

I'm sorry for such a long-winded question but this is all super confusing to me.  I can see that Dropbox is genuinely trying to provide a lot of documentation but it all seems to be written from the "how Dropbox works" point of view rather than "how you can use Dropbox" point of view.  There is a subtle difference.  Thanks for your help!

[Rich · Accepted solution]

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@Robert F.41 wrote:

What I don't understand is why, if Dropbox is supposed to be keeping the Documents and Desktop folders in sync between the two computers, there aren't Documents and Desktop folders up on dropbox.com?

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That's not what Dropbox does. Dropbox will keep the local Dropbox folder in sync between your computers. It does not keep the Desktop or Documents folders in sync between your computers.

The idea behind Dropbox (and other cloud storage/sync services) is that you no longer need a Documents folder. The intent is that you move your files into the Dropbox folder so they can sync to your account and any other computer that you've Dropbox installed on, and work on them from there. Dropbox can only sync the files and folders that are in your Dropbox folder.

Where I believe the confusion is coming from is with the Backup feature. When you enable Backup you're allowing Dropbox to MOVE your key folders, in your case, Desktop and Documents, into your Dropbox folder so they sync, but since this is a backup operating and not just a normal sync, those folders only sync to a specific Mac folder in your account, and will not sync to any other devices.

[Robert F.41]

Rich, thanks for your explanation!  So, it sounds like I can do what I want but I need to move the Documents and Desktop folders on each of my laptops from my home directory (/Users/myhome) into the Dropbox directory (/Users/myhome/Dropbox).  This way I'll still have local copies on each machine for offline use but those two directories will always look the same on both laptops.  Does that sound like the right way to do it?  My concern is timing and the synchronization order.  It sounds like I would:

1. Have all of my files as I want them in the Documents and Desktop folders on laptop 1.
2. Ensure those folders are empty on laptop 2.
3. Log into Dropbox on laptop 1 and allow my two folders to get synchronized to dropbox.com.
4. Log into Dropbox on laptop 2.  At this point, the contents of those folders would get pushed down to laptop 2.

Hopefully, logging in from the laptop 1 first, the one with all the files, would ensure that Dropbox doesn't look at laptop 2 which doesn't have any files, and think it should delete all the files on dropbox.com and laptop 1 so that they look like laptop 2.

From this point on, the two folders would always stay in sync so long as I'm online.  If I'm ever offline, any changes would get pushed from one laptop up to dropbox.com and then pulled down onto the other laptop whenever each laptop comes online.

And then I could continue to run Dropbox backup on each laptop to ensure that the lastest version of any file on either laptop is always backed up?

Thanks for your help!  I greatly appreciate it.

[Jay]

Hi @Robert F.41, it isn't possible to just move those folders into the Dropbox folder, since they're system folders.

You won't be able to perform what you're asking for the Documents or Desktop. However, if any files are in the normal Dropbox folder, they would sync between those two machines.