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Status:
Investigating
Add .dropboxignore directory to exclude folders without using selective sync
Please please please can you add a feature that allows folders to be excluded from the Dropbox account (on windows and mac). For sure I'm not the first person to request this, but I'm yet to find a good explanation of why it's not there. A quick google search reveals loads of people also looking for the same feature. I really like the workflow I have with dropbox, but it's getting to the point where I might switch providers in order to allow better selective sync.
I've seen hackish solutions using selective sync, but it would be great if this could be done in one of the following ways:
- global pattern matching eg "node_modules"
- a marker file in the directory like .dropboxignore
- a simple right click context menu "Ignore this folder"
Other than that, keep up the good work. Cheers.
Tom
I've been dealing with a Dropbox that is very slow, and very abusive of my CPU for a while now. I have a web project with large folders like node_modules, and tmp, containing many symlinks, hundreds of thousands of files, etc.
I have deselected problem folders using Selective Sync, however the problems remain.
I recently spent a few weeks talking with Dropbox support, and trying to figure out why it's still slow. I was escalated to higher levels of support 5 times, and found out a few pieces of information that may help people here, if only to help them to decide to finally move on, as I am.
It turns out, even when a folder is deselected using Selective Sync, Dropbox will still scan the entire folder unnecessarily. This has been confirmed by one Dropbox support member named "Benjamin".
It also turns out that Dropbox will blindly follow symlinks and cough and splutter it's way to a halt, and chew your CPU indefinitely. Again, confirmed by Dropbox support.
I voiced a few obvious suggestions to fix these issues such as "Don't scan folders unnecessarily", "automatically ignore symlinks", and "check out this thread about .dropboxignore". The support member I spoke to merely said that he will "pass this onto our engineers".
This is where the news goes from bad to worse. This is not the first time I have heard this from one of their support people, with the first instance being more than a year ago. I'm fairly certain this means my/our suggestions will not be heard or considered by anyone capable of influencing change at Dropbox, let alone actioned.
I politely asked if there was a way I could follow progress, to which I was declined.
I am one of the most optimistic people you will ever meet. But I'm sorry to say that I'm beat.
Once upon a time I loved Dropbox as a company. I used to shout Dropbox from the rooftops. I loved Mailbox too. I'm disappointed to say those days are gone.
+1
.dropboxignore would solve so many problems
I agree with Sam B..
Ed, can you please give us more information about the status of this instead of referencing a 2 months old comment which doesn't tell us anything really?462 total votes.
+1! Please, add .exclude_pattern for every folder!
+1
write
+1
And again a +1
Dropbox, you've lost me because of this and not only me I suppose...
