Troubleshooting

Server Data Management #

Clearing Server Data #

If you need to reset your server data (for example, to start fresh or resolve sync issues), you can directly modify the SQLite database.

Warning: These operations are destructive and will permanently delete data. Always create a backup first.

Backup First #

# Create a backup
sqlite3 /var/lib/dnote/server.db ".backup /var/lib/dnote/backups/backup-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S).db"

Clear All Data for a User #

To delete all books and notes for a specific user:

# Connect to database
sqlite3 /var/lib/dnote/server.db

# Find your user ID
SELECT id, email FROM users;

# Delete all notes and books for user (replace USER_ID with your user ID)
DELETE FROM notes WHERE user_id = USER_ID;
DELETE FROM books WHERE user_id = USER_ID;

# Reset user's sync state to empty
UPDATE users SET max_usn = 0 WHERE id = USER_ID;

# Verify
SELECT COUNT(*) FROM notes WHERE user_id = USER_ID;
SELECT COUNT(*) FROM books WHERE user_id = USER_ID;

# Exit
.quit

Clear All Data (All Users) #

To completely reset the server (useful for testing or fresh start):

sqlite3 /var/lib/dnote/server.db << EOF
DELETE FROM notes;
DELETE FROM books;
UPDATE users SET max_usn = 0;
VACUUM;
EOF

After Clearing Server Data #

After clearing server data, clients will need to re-sync. The next time a client syncs:

  1. The server is now empty (max_usn = 0)
  2. Clients with local data will be prompted to upload their data
  3. Confirm the upload to restore data from that client

Note: Only confirm the upload from the client with the data you want to keep. If you have multiple clients, pick one to upload from, then sync the others normally afterward.

Sync Modes #

Full Sync vs Incremental Sync #

Dnote supports two sync modes:

Incremental Sync (Default) #

The default sync mode. It only syncs changes since your last sync:

dnote sync

How it works:

  • Downloads only new/changed items from server (based on USN)
  • Uploads only local changes (dirty items)
  • Fast and efficient for regular use

Full Sync #

Downloads all data from the server and reconciles with local state:

dnote sync --full

How it works:

  1. Downloads ALL books and notes from server (not just changes)
  2. Cleans up orphaned local data - deletes local items that don’t exist on server (unless they’re new/dirty)
  3. Merges server data with local data
  4. Uploads local changes

Warning: Full sync will delete local items that don’t exist on server (unless they’re new unsynced items). If you have local data you want to keep:

  1. Make sure it has been uploaded to the server first, OR

Sync Issues #

“Server is empty but you have local data” #

This warning appears when:

  • Your server’s max_usn is 0 (empty)
  • Your client has previously synced (last_max_usn > 0)
  • You have local books or notes

Causes:

  • You switched to a new empty server
  • Server data was accidentally deleted
  • You’re setting up a new server after using a different one

Solutions:

  • Confirm the upload when prompted to push local data to the empty server

Orphaned Notes After Sync #

Orphaned notes occur when notes reference non-existent books. This can happen due to sync conflicts or interrupted syncs.

Check for orphaned notes:

sqlite3 ~/.local/share/dnote/dnote.db << EOF
SELECT n.uuid, n.body, n.book_uuid
FROM notes n
WHERE n.deleted = 0
AND n.book_uuid NOT IN (SELECT uuid FROM books WHERE deleted = 0);
EOF

Fix orphaned notes:

If you find orphaned notes, you can either:

  1. Delete them locally and sync:
sqlite3 ~/.local/share/dnote/dnote.db << EOF
DELETE FROM notes
WHERE deleted = 0
AND book_uuid NOT IN (SELECT uuid FROM books WHERE deleted = 0);
EOF
  1. Sync again to upload the corrected local state
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