Info How to tell if Drive is connected to the DS (iOS/iPadOS)

[WST16]

The only telltale sign I found that indicates that my Synology Drive iOS/iPadOS app is connected to my DS is when the user icon shows the avatar.
Now I’m not sure how I’ve assigned the avatar in the first place! I think it was on Synology’s Calendar web interface.



Anyone knows of any other ways?

 

[Rusty]

Yep via Drive web ui

 

[jono]

Slightly off topic, but I've been using Secure Shellfish on my iPad to access my Synology's via the Files app. I much prefer it, it feels a lot more iOS native.

 

[WST16]

Yep via Drive web ui

Hmm... I was talking about the iOS app!

 

[WST16]

Slightly off topic, but I've been using Secure Shellfish on my iPad to access my Synology's via the Files app. I much prefer it, it feels a lot more iOS native.

Interesting. I’ll take a look. Thank you.

 

[WST16]

Slightly off topic, but I've been using Secure Shellfish on my iPad to access my Synology's via the Files app. I much prefer it, it feels a lot more iOS native.

Did you try it with iOS apps like Numbers, Pages and Keynote?

The thing about iOS is that it copies the file you’re working on to the iOS device. You’re not actually editing the file on the NAS (via WebDAV for instance) which is problematic for me and solved by using Drive (flushes changes back to the NAS).

Does this behave like Drive without versioning and the need for its own structure on the NAS? If so, I might buy it despite the very ugly icon (IMHO)

I can’t tell without paying for the full version. Appreciate your feedback if you know

 

[jeyare]

Slightly off topic, but I've been using Secure Shellfish on my iPad to access my Synology's via the Files app. I much prefer it, it feels a lot more iOS native.

OK - as a replacement of Syno DS File client for iOS, it’s up to you
but
then you will lose two of useful feature of Synology DS File - create shared links to your data + and all previously generated links management (same as in DSM File station)

but when you preferred different data connection App, it’s always up to you.

 

[jono]

Did you try it with iOS apps like Numbers, Pages and Keynote?

The thing about iOS is that it copies the file you’re working on to the iOS device. You’re not actually editing the file on the NAS (via WebDAV for instance) which is problematic for me and solved by using Drive (flushes changes back to the NAS).

I opened a Numbers spreadsheet that's on my NAS using Files app and it showed an option to open it or make a copy

I opened it rather than making a copy, edited it then closed it. I then went to my NAS, found the spreadsheet and found it was the updated edited version.

Does this behave like Drive without versioning and the need for its own structure on the NAS?

I'm guessing versioning doesn't work, but haven't looked. Not sure what you mean about ' its own structure on the NAS'.

If so, I might buy it despite the very ugly icon (IMHO)

Agreed

Although I set some folders as favourites (top-level NAS, favourite folders on the NAS etc.) and mainly access them from there, so don't see that icon too much.

I only really use this for file management (moving, renaming, copying elsewhere etc.), so don't really use it to open and work on files straight off the NAS.

 

[jono]

OK - as a replacement of Syno DS File client for iOS, it’s up to you
but
then you will lose two of useful feature of Synology DS File - create shared links to your data + and all previously generated links management (same as in DSM File station)

but when you preferred different data connection App, it’s always up to you.

True, but those are features I don't use so not important to me.

 

[fredbert]

@jono Thanks for the tip on Secure Shellfish. Haven't yet tried it but it did spur me on to look at my various file access apps and have found that my preferred app (FileBrowser) now plays better with iOS Files, or previously I didn't go further to find how it worked.

I've loads of servers and logins setup in FileBrowser and it used to (or I thought) require the specific server to be logged in before then accessing via iOS Files. I now find that yes Files says FileBrowser requires authentication but there's a launch link and then you tap back using '< Files' ... hey presto! all the servers are now available for navigation (yeah!).

I may be able to delete DS file. And I don't use the file sharing feature either.

 

[WST16]

I opened a Numbers spreadsheet that's on my NAS using Files app and it showed an option to open it or make a copy

The message (to me at least) implies that Numbers didn’t “see” this file as an iOS Numbers file (I know you said it is) and that’s why it’s offering to make a copy, not because it’s sensing that this is a remote file.

I opened it rather than making a copy, edited it then closed it. I then went to my NAS, found the spreadsheet and found it was the updated edited version.

That‘s good

I'm guessing versioning doesn't work, but haven't looked. Not sure what you mean about ' its own structure on the NAS'.

I don’t expect it to do versioning of course and what I meant by Drive’s structure, is that it creates its own directories and everything goes in there. However with this (Shellfish), you can work with any file on the NAS as long as you have the correct user privilege.

I only really use this for file management (moving, renaming, copying elsewhere etc.), so don't really use it to open and work on files straight off the NAS.

I’m I right in assuming that the use of this app requires SSH to be enabled for SFTP?

Thank you for trying all that

 

[fredbert]

I’m I right in assuming that the use of this app requires SSH to be enabled for SFTP?

SFTP and SSH both default to the same port TCP 22. Depending on the implementation it can be an extension of the SSH server or separate from it:

SSH File Transfer Protocol - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

In DSM they default to the standard port but you can set different ports for SSH and SFTP. You can deny Internet to SSH while still allowing access to SFTP: setup appropriate firewall and port forward rules. Also, SFTP isn't restricted to admin users, unlike SSH.

 

[jono]

@jono Thanks for the tip on Secure Shellfish. Haven't yet tried it but it did spur me on to look at my various file access apps and have found that my preferred app (FileBrowser) now plays better with iOS Files, or previously I didn't go further to find how it worked.

I've read good things about FileBrowser

The message (to me at least) implies that Numbers didn’t “see” this file as an iOS Numbers file (I know you said it is) and that’s why it’s offering to make a copy, not because it’s sensing that this is a remote file.

I dunno, it opened the file in Numbers so it must 'know something'

However with this (Shellfish), you can work with any file on the NAS as long as you have the correct user privilege.

Yep, that's right.

I’m I right in assuming that the use of this app requires SSH to be enabled for SFTP?

Yep

 

[WST16]

In DSM they default to the standard port but you can set different ports for SSH and SFTP. You can deny Internet to SSH while still allowing access to SFTP: setup appropriate firewall and port forward rules. Also, SFTP isn't restricted to admin users, unlike SSH.

When I read your reply I remembered that SFTP has its own settings in DSM. Thanks

 

[WST16]

Thanks @jono. Will download it, play with it and see.