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Ubuntu One overview

Ubuntu One is the service to synchronize files, contacts and notes across different computers. The information synchronized can also be accessed via the web interface.

Ubuntu One File Sync

Ubuntu One provides file sync service. By default this service synchronizes Ubuntu One folder in your home directory. You can add more directories to sync as User Designated Folders using Nautilus extension or from command line.

File sync procedure

The synchronization is triggered by changes of the files. There is no periodical rescan of the directories so any changes that were made in Ubuntu One directories are immediately picked up by the synchronization daemon (ubuntuone-syncdaemon) and appropriate changes on the server side are being made. When the change is made on the server side all subscribed clients are notified and they download the changed file locally.

Queues

Ubuntu One file synchronization operates on queues. There are two queues - metadata and content. Metadata queue contains items that request information about files, directories. Whenever you do something with the folders or files special tasks are added to metadata queue. E.g. In this case I put a folder in ubuntuone:

$ u1sdtool --waiting-meta
 MakeDir(share_id=None, parent_id=0f862174-e250-4536-a20b-1105de76a952, name=ubuntutools, marker=5524a098-5bf2-434f-a09d-b54cb7ecd5f2)
 MakeDir(share_id=None, parent_id=b68db9f5-c8a8-45ac-ad89-9f34cd00261b, name=examples, marker=a5eb4b14-8e2b-4c61-926b-f757c0a03124)
 MakeDir(share_id=None, parent_id=b68db9f5-c8a8-45ac-ad89-9f34cd00261b, name=bash_completion, marker=830a601f-d1c3-485c-abef-cd53e794bc2e)
 MakeDir(share_id=None, parent_id=b68db9f5-c8a8-45ac-ad89-9f34cd00261b, name=doc, marker=fbfdf1dc-1eb8-4fcc-bae1-ed02bce2af0f)
 MakeFile(share_id=None, parent_id=b68db9f5-c8a8-45ac-ad89-9f34cd00261b, name=submittodebian, marker=dbc4414c-22e2-4d8f-85ae-512120e15775)
 MakeFile(share_id=None, parent_id=b68db9f5-c8a8-45ac-ad89-9f34cd00261b, name=lp-shell, marker=993972f0-79b4-46a0-98c1-9d18c1205341)
 MakeFile(share_id=None, parent_id=b68db9f5-c8a8-45ac-ad89-9f34cd00261b, name=dch-repeat, marker=3392204d-6021-40d0-9585-7231d5ed987a)
 MakeFile(share_id=None, parent_id=b68db9f5-c8a8-45ac-ad89-9f34cd00261b, name=README.updates, marker=d76cf48a-311b-4fcc-ad33-072149092acf)
 MakeFile(share_id=None, parent_id=b68db9f5-c8a8-45ac-ad89-9f34cd00261b, name=ubuntu-iso, marker=6020a2dd-9184-4cce-bf14-fb6c1e19c58d)
 MakeFile(share_id=None, parent_id=b68db9f5-c8a8-45ac-ad89-9f34cd00261b, name=check-symbols, marker=2b5c4a23-0afb-4bf2-ae02-fca1dc751903)
...

The server is instructed to create the directory - MakeDir and the placeholders for the files - MakeFile. Metadata needs to be processed completely before content queue is started:

$ u1sdtool --waiting-content
operation='Upload' node_id='dbc4414c-22e2-4d8f-85ae-512120e15775' share_id='' path='/home/rtg/Ubuntu One/ubuntu-dev-tools/submittodebian'
operation='Upload' node_id='993972f0-79b4-46a0-98c1-9d18c1205341' share_id='' path='/home/rtg/Ubuntu One/ubuntu-dev-tools/lp-shell'
operation='Upload' node_id='3392204d-6021-40d0-9585-7231d5ed987a' share_id='' path='/home/rtg/Ubuntu One/ubuntu-dev-tools/dch-repeat'
operation='Upload' node_id='d76cf48a-311b-4fcc-ad33-072149092acf' share_id='' path='/home/rtg/Ubuntu One/ubuntu-dev-tools/README.updates'
operation='Upload' node_id='6020a2dd-9184-4cce-bf14-fb6c1e19c58d' share_id='' path='/home/rtg/Ubuntu One/ubuntu-dev-tools/ubuntu-iso'
operation='Upload' node_id='2b5c4a23-0afb-4bf2-ae02-fca1dc751903' share_id='' path='/home/rtg/Ubuntu One/ubuntu-dev-tools/check-symbols'
...

Ubuntu One Desktop Couch

Ubuntu One Music Store