Configure and Setup Sync

Enable Sync

Tomboy can synchronize your notes between multiple computers. This allows you to have a backup of your notes on another computer or to share your notes between computers so you always have access to your notes.

You can enable sync by opening Tomboy Preferences by using your mouse to right click on the Tomboy icon in your panel, taskbar or dock and choose Preferences and then select the Synchronization tab. You can also open Tomboy Preferences from the Search All Notes dialog. From the menu choose Edit ▸ Preferences.

Managing Note Conflict

You can set the default behavior for Tomboy when a note is discovered to be a conflict. This can occur when notes are not synced on a regular basis.

In the Preferences dialog press the Advanced button. You can select from three choices as the default behavior in managing conflicts:

  • Always ask me what to do. This is the default choice and when Tomboy encounters a conflict Tomboy will always prompt you to ask you if you want to rename the local note or replace your local note with the note the server has stored.

  • Rename my local note. If this option is selected, Tomboy will automatically replace the note with a copy from the remote computer and rename the note on your computer so you don't lose your information in your note.

  • Replace my local note with the server's update. If you have selected this option, when you sync, Tomboy will overwrite and replace your note stored on your computer with a copy from the remote computer.

    Automatically overwriting the note is permanent. Your local note will be replaced by the copy on the remote computer and you will lose your information that was stored prior to syncing.

Configure Sync using WebDav

In order to synchronize your notes with a WebDAV server, you will need the wdfs FUSE file system installed. Follow the documentation for your operating system to set up FUSE for your user. You will also need the GNOME Keyring installed.

Choose WebDAV from the Service drop-down list. Fill in the connection information for your server, and then select the Save button. You are now ready to synchronize your notes.

Configure Sync using SSH

In order to synchronize your notes with an SSH server, you will need the FUSE file system, also called sshfs installed. Follow the documentation for your operating system to set up FUSE for your user. You will also need an SSH key for your SSH server account that can be provided by the Seahorse application, which is also known as Passwords and Encryption Keys.

It is recommended to use a third computer or server as the remote computer to store the synchronized notes that are to be synced between multiple computers.

Open Passwords and Encryption Keys by choosing Applications ▸ Accessories ▸ Passwords and Encryption Keys. Click on your key, and from the menu choose Remote ▸ Configure Key for Secure Shell and enter the domain name or IP address of the computer you want to sync to in Computer Name. Enter the username of the remote computer in Login Name: and press Set Up. When prompted, enter the password and setting up your key will be completed.

In Tomboy, choose SSH from the Service drop-down list. Fill in the connection information for your server, and select the Save button. The Folder Path, while optional, should point at an empty folder. You are now ready to synchronize your notes.

Configure Sync to a local folder

You may want to synchronize your notes to a local folder if that folder is available to your other systems, or if that folder represents a local mount of a remote server.

Choose Local Folder from the Service drop-down list. Choose the desired synchronization Folder Path and then click the Save button. You are now ready to synchronize your notes.