Icloud drive can create files that will crash obsidian when it tries to sync

3rd party plugins in use Advanced Tables, Calendar, Kanban, Obsidian Git. no custom CSS
This issue does cause issues with the git plugin but will also break obsidian

Steps to reproduce

  1. Create an obsidian Repo that uses Icloud to sync and add some files
  2. edit some of the documents and wait for iCloud to try and sync. There is some vagueness here because I have not been able to find out when or why iCloud causes these issues. It usually occurs in more complex files with many links + formatting
  3. For a specific file i.e. filename.md icloud will create a filename(1).md and will usually give you a notification that obsidian needs it to download from icloud.
  4. the download or sync freezes and obsidian doesn’t allow you to edit or open any other files.
  5. To fix close obsidian, delete the created file, and open obsidian back up

I’ve had a similar issue that I believe is related where a file I was working on disappeared and only re appeared a few minutes later with a filename(1).md file version.

Expected result

icloud sync works cleanly and doesn’t create copies of files or cause obsidian crashes.

Actual result

file un-necessarily created and an obsidian crash

Environment

  • Operating system: Windows 10
  • Obsidian version: 0.12.15
  • iCloud version: 12.5

Additional information

the git plugin actually has trouble with the icloud files too, for whatever reason they can’t be added to a commit. I’m guessing because iCloud thinks it isn’t “local”

What I’m guessing is happening is iCloud tries to sync up and for whatever reason can’t so just creates a filename(1).md to minimize any potential data loss. I assume this is created in the cloud and then sent down to you local repo. When it tries to do that it iCloud has trouble with that process and somewhere in that syncing process iCloud stops obsidian from letting you open/edit any files. It might be possible that iCloud is stopping obsidian from editing files while it waits to finish a sync(which it won’t because the syncing process hangs)

We don’t provide support for third party sync services and when third party plugins are used. I Moved this to help.

Ok, So I think I might have found an exact cause of what’s happening.
With two computers A,B I have a file that I want to edit.
If I open A and edit the file there, close A and then open B I should have no issues. iCloud can update while obsidian opens and there should be no issues created.

Now if I open A and edit the file there while B is open iCloud can’t sync properly because some files are allocated by obsidian. Because iCloud can’t sync B’s iCloud folder it creates a file(1) or it just creates an entirely new copy of your obsidian repo(I believe this is related to the scope of your changes). What is weird is that this change would only be reflected in B’s icloud folder, and this can cause havoc as far as source control is concerned. Any attempts to update the files/folders can result in some data loss because of how iCloud syncs it’s files.

I don’t think there will be a good fix for this unless you could force an obsidian refresh when it sees a new file come in or after a period of inactivity un-allocate the files.

if only I had known about this before the sync price increase lol

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