Ubuntu One renames files to filename.u1conflict - but there is no conflict at all

[László Torma]

Ubuntu One renames some files to filename.u1conflict, without having a real conflict.

How I was able to reproduce the bug:
1. I cleaned all files from my Ubuntu One account, and deleted the Ubuntu One folder and the .cache/ubuntuone folder from both of my machines to create a clean state
2. I restarted both of my machines, and let the Ubuntu One daemon recreate my Ubuntu One folder
3. I created a folder in my Ubuntu One folder on my first computer, and copied a file into it (karmic-boot.png)
4. I restarted the Ubuntu One daemon on my second computer, and waited until it synced the file
5. I copied a second file on my first computer into the same folder created in the 3rd step (karmic-frog.png)
6. I restarted the Ubuntu One daemon on my second computer, and waited until it synced the file (still no conflict at this point)
7. I restarted the Ubuntu One daemon on my first computer
8. I restarted the Ubuntu One daemon on my second computer: the karmic-frog.png has been quickly renamed to karmic-frog.png.u1conflict

I checked the syncdaemon.log on the second machine, and it was nearly 2.3MBytes. However, after checking the file more thoroughly, I found that most of it was generated in just 5 seconds, and it repeats the same messages. So I was able to strip it down to just 26.5KB, containing just the important part. The syncdaemon.log on the first machine is just 39.5KB. I attach both of them to this bugreport.

The logfile of the first machine: first-syncdaemon.log
The (stripped down) logfile of the second machine: second-syncdaemon.log

[László Torma (tormalaszlo)]

Full syncdaemon logfiles from the second machine

[Matthias Sommer (sunny0815)]

The same here too, even afer update from this morning (0.95.1+r222)

[Rob (rob-robmorton)]

I started using Ubuntu One 4 days ago. I thought I would try it at first just as a back-up facility until I got more familiar with it.

On my account there was only my own computer running Lucid Lynx conversing with my 2GB cloud.

I left Ubuntu One uploading a backup of the development copy of my web site plus my projects directory.

Today I discovered inexplicable broken links on my web site. I ran a link check and found that the web links didn't work because the referred file names had been changed. They had ".u1conflict" added to them. Fortunately, I caught the problem early and disconnected Ubuntu One. I have just spent a frustrating day correcting all the file names. There are almost 4000 files on my web site so it could potentially have caused a lot of havoc.

Firstly, there can have been not conflicts. There is no other computer involved on which a given file could have been independently updated in conflict with an update of the same file on my computer. So the conflict indications were definitely false.

Secondly, I think that some other means of recording conflicts would be a lot safer than changing file names on people's computers. Perhaps a conflicts registry file could be made accessible from the Ubuntu One client in a drop-down "details window" or something. There could be a conflict alert icon displayed on the Ubuntu One client panel also perhaps.

As to how the false indications of conflict could arise, my machine is on dynamic IP. Perhaps the cloud saw me on a different IP on a different day and concluded that it was a different computer. Nevertheless, my computer's Unix name would be the same.

I did disconnect and re-connect to Ubuntu One at one point. Perhaps this could have upset the synchronizing process. Also, perhaps more significant, is that once when I opened the Ubuntu One client, the Update Manager appeared and offered an update that included an update of the Ubuntu One client. Perhaps the updated client appeared to the cloud as a new computer(?).

I have had to cancel my Ubuntu One account for the time being because I cannot afford the potential difficulties that the wholesale changing of filenames could cause to my website and project development system.

I hope this helps with the continued development of Ubuntu One.