[ HELPFUL TIP ] Simple Saving Multiple SFTP And Samba Connections To Thunar

[LL-user]

Hi TC,

I've tested it now on another LL 3.0 64-bit system that does not have PCManFM installed. Same behavior!
Meaning, entries (addeded via leafpad) with or without / forward slash work just fine, also in regard to upper and lower case being displayed in Thunar. The / forward slash gets removed as soon as I rename the bookmark via Thunar.
I did editing tests before and after actually using the sftp bookmarks, i.e. connecting to the remote locations.

Regarding your question about PCManFM and data loss. No, PCManFM was not installed initially. After installation it never created a desktop icon of my network connection.
Agree, let's go back to the old thread if we continue to discuss the data loss issue. But from my side I have no further input at the moment. Am happy to run tests though, if you've got any idea/suggestion.

[trinidad]

Hi LL

Researching a bit it seems there is a bug with PCManFM that may be the cause of this on your end. It involves the fact that PCManFM is a desktop manager as well as a file manager, and a weird little complication involving volume management, and network connection desktop icons. I honestly think the / behavior and upper/lower case behavior is correct on my system; which makes sense to me,  given the text editor Leafpad involved, and the after the fact GUI renaming to allow upper case. I have never had any data loss issues while editing over a network connection from Thunar, but I only do heavier editing tasks via ad hoc or dc. Still I don't think your system is working properly, and it oddly seems to point back to your original issue with data loss.

When you originally experienced data loss over a network connection was PCManFM on your system as well? If it was, did it create a desktop icon for your network connection? When mousing over that connection icon did it ever just read "/" , or just disappear? It may also be that it never appeared at all in Linux Lite?

If we continue this discussion let's move it back to the original thread about data loss.

TC
         

[LL-user]

Hi TC,

I just did some more tests, this time also checking before and after actually connecting. Makes no change to my initial observation. Entries with or without / forward slash work just fine, also in regard to upper and lower case being displayed. The / forward slash gets removed as soon as I rename the bookmark via GUI in Thunar.
System is LL 3.0, 64-bit, up to date. There is also PCManFM installed for the trouble shooting we did together regarding data loss by editing remote txt files in Thunar.

For sure there must be a reason...

[trinidad]

Wow that's really strange LL. I'm using 3.0 up to date too. When I use the GUI to rename, the forward slash gets added in the text file automatically after testing the connection. When I reproduce the effect by adding a name to the text file with Leafpad the letters come up only in lower case in the GUI, and when I reopen the file to check after a connection the forward slash is added though I didn't type it in in the first place. Are you connecting to the links and then checking after? Maybe without the added slash they've not yet been connected. My LL systems all have another file manager on board so perhaps the forward slash occurs for me because of the shared gvfs accesses. I may have some different URI settings than default. Strange, but there must be a reason for the different behavior on my system somewhere. The bookmarks function for me like hot links. You just click on them and they connect, which is convenient when you have a lot of different connections like I do.

TC     

[LL-user]

Thanks, TC.

Just had a play around on LL 2.8 and LL.3.0, both 64-bit. I can't reproduce the lower case issue though. Interestingly, if I add a / forward slash via leafpad and then use the rename option within Thunar, the / forward slash gets removed. Seems to be the opposite behavior you face.

[trinidad]

You are right LL, but with one little Leafpad quirk. If a / forward slash is added after the IPv4 address, before the bookmark name, the letters of the bookmark name will come up in lower case in the GUI regardless of whether you entered them in upper case in Leafpad , also the forward slash is added automatically between the address and bookmark name to the gtk-3.0 text file after you close and reopen Thunar whether you entered it there or not. New users checking on this afterwards would notice the difference, and could enter future bookmarks with the  / forward slash and be confused by the improperly displayed upper/lower cases. If you capitalize from the rename function in the GUI the forward slash is added in the gtk-3.0 file and the upper case letters remain properly displayed. I didn't want to explain Leafpad functionality other then adding connection addresses to avoid confusion for new users.

You can also right click on a displayed passwordless Samba connection and bookmark it from the GUI in Thunar, but this does not suit our previous tutorials for Windows administrative file access on the Windows 10 HE box as it cannot be done before the first prompt for authentication thus defeating our purpose. Also adding users names and specific file access is fine, but we have set our connections up from the beginning as if we are working as a network administrator with full file access to each of our remote connections. If we were to refine our praxis for say some minor programming work, we would work with Double Commander instead, SSH keys, and set up specific hotlists which works much faster and only requires one connection. I am always writing of the least confusing ways for new users, Windows converts, dual booters, and the clicker user guys and gals, to access Linux networking power across platforms.

TC

[LL-user]

Hi TC,

Thanks for your ongoing contribution of tutorials. I'm sure users new to Linux Lite will appreciate them.
May I please add some additional information to this tutorial:

1. The name of the bookmark could also be entered straight away while editing the bookmark file with a space between the connection and the name. Something like this:

Code: [Select]

sftp://192.168.0.5 Mom’s PC

2. The user name could also be provided by the connection bookmark (might make sense if it's always the same).

Code: [Select]

sftp://[email protected] Mom’s PC

3. If the user "son" wishes to navigate straight away to a certain folder - let's assume "data" in his home folder - it can be achieved by:

Code: [Select]

sftp://[email protected]/home/son/data Mom’s PC

4. With sftp connections be aware of the bug/issue discussed here:
https://www.linuxliteos.com/forums/other-17/data-loss-when-using-thunar-and-sftp-connection/

Hope that helps

[trinidad]

          As we’ve gone along with these Linux Lite 3.x networking tutorials you may have created several SFTP and Samba connections using Thunar by now, and may be wondering what is the simplest way to keep track of them. It’s not too difficult to do once you become familiar with Thunar, so we will now go through the simplest steps for creating active bookmarks for Thunar in Linux Lite 3.x. I do it this way myself, and have multiple connections saved to one of my laptops. This simple tutorial does not cover settings for using multiple ssh listening addresses, multiple networks, and multiple keys, and does not apply to older versions of Thunar, but it should be enough to get you started with a simple way to keep track of your multiple connections on a single network in Thunar itself in Linux Lite 3.x.

          To begin open up Thunar on your Linux Lite desktop. Click on >View in the upper window menu. Scroll down and highlight >Side Pane and from the menu that appears check the >box to the left of Shortcuts. Scroll down in the same menu and check the >box to the left of Show Hidden Files.

          Now find the folder named .config and click on it to open it up. Next find the folder named gtk-3.0 and click on it to open it up. Click on the text file >Bookmarks that appears and it will open in Leafpad. On the first line below  - computer:/// Drives -  type in the connection you want to save in the following format examples, either-  sftp://192.168.0.5 or- smb://192.168.0.5 putting each new connection on its own line below the other. When you are done adding your connections click on >File in the upper window menu, and scroll down and click >Save and your changes will be saved, then scroll down and click >Quit and Leafpad will close.

          Now you can rename your connections that have appeared under Places in the side pane of Thunar from the GUI in Thunar with a simple method that allows upper and lower case character names. Right click on each connection in the side pane and select >rename and enter names, i/e, Mom’s PC, Kid’s PC, Camera, Security, or whatever your case may be.

          You should now have all your connections named, and listed in your Thunar side pane. Now carefully right click on the divider >Places in the side pane and a menu will appear with >Devices >Places and >Network listed. Scroll to and highlight >Places and another menu will appear with a list of your places with check boxes next to them. To hide your connections for convenience in the case you have several connections and don’t want the clutter, (to make them not show up in the side pane)  simply uncheck the boxes. To find them again in Thunar when you need to use them just right click on the >Places separator again, and go through the routine to raise the menu checking which connection you want to use.

TC