Introduction to HtkCloudSync

Welcome to the HtkCloudSync manual. This page presents the application as a whole: what it does, the three parts it is made of and the states it shows. The following pages detail each action.

What the application does

HtkCloudSync keeps a folder on your Ubuntu computer identical to your Google Drive, both ways. You work on your files as usual, with your usual applications; syncing happens in the background. Local changes are detected instantly, cloud changes are picked up at a regular interval (30 seconds by default).

You choose what lives on the computer: an unticked folder stays in the cloud without using your disk. Google documents (Docs, Sheets, Slides) are not downloaded: they appear as small link files that open the document in your browser.

The safety rules are the same everywhere: syncing never deletes anything permanently, conflicts keep both versions, and a mass deletion waits for your confirmation. The Data safety page details them.

Three parts

The window

The window is your dashboard. Its sidebar gives access to four pages:

“Accounts”: your connected accounts, their storage, their status and the usual actions (pause, immediate sync, disconnection).
“Folders”: the tree of cloud folders, with a checkbox per folder to choose what is kept on the computer.
“Activity”: the log of transfers, conflicts and errors, file by file.
“Settings”: start with the session, notifications, language, sync rhythm, conflicts, bandwidth, ignored files.

At the bottom of the sidebar, a dot and a label sum up the overall status, for instance “Everything is up to date” followed by the time of the last sync. The ☰ menu, top right, gathers Sync now, Add an account, Keyboard shortcuts, About HtkCloudSync and Quit. A banner appears above the content when a decision is yours: reconnecting an account, deletions to confirm, choosing the folders of a new account.

Closing the window stops nothing: syncing goes on.

The service

Syncing itself is done by a service running in the background, independent of the window. It starts automatically as soon as you open HtkCloudSync and, if the “Start with the session” setting is on (it is by default), as soon as you log in. It watches your folder, talks to Google Drive, sends the notifications and drives the system tray indicator. If the service cannot be reached when the window opens, a “Sync service unavailable” message explains it.

The indicator

In the system tray, the HtkCloudSync icon changes with the status: syncing, paused, attention required. Its menu opens the window, starts a sync, pauses everything or quits the service. The System tray page describes the indicator and the notifications.

The states

Each account shows a status on the “Accounts” page, and the indicator sums them up:

Status	Meaning
“Up to date”	The last sync finished without leaving anything pending
“Syncing…”, “Checking…”, “Starting…”	A cycle is running
“Paused”	You paused the account; nothing moves until Resume
“Offline”	The cloud cannot be reached; the app retries on its own at growing intervals
“Sign-in required”	The saved sign-in no longer works; click Sign in again
“Confirmation required”	A batch of deletions exceeds the threshold; the banner invites you to review it
“Choose folders to sync”	New account: nothing is downloaded until you have chosen your folders
“Attention required”	Google Drive or your disk is full; the waiting transfers will resume on their own as soon as space is freed
“Error”	The service could not work; the “Status” line of the “Accounts” page gives the reason

The indicator and the dot of the window show the most urgent status of all accounts, for instance “Attention required” as soon as a single account is waiting for you.

Note: HtkCloudSync only syncs “My Drive”. Shared drives, the “Shared with me” folder and Drive shortcuts are not supported in this version.