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services.sync.syncInterval is reset/overwritten when I 'Sync Now'

  • 8 replies
  • 6 have this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by cor-el

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Hi,

I use Firefox sync with multiple devices and I wanted to reduce the sync interval so that my stuff gets sync'ed more frequently.

Note I sync "Add-Ons", "Bookmarks" and "Preferences" between devices.

If I go into the about:config preferences and change the "services.sync.syncInterval" value from the default 3600000 to 60000 I see the value change.

HOWEVER if I then perform a "Sync Now" from the menu I immediately see the "services.sync.syncInterval" value reset to 3600000.

I was expecting that the 60000 would instead be sync'ed across to all my devices and would remain.

Can someone please advise how I might resolve this?

Appreciate any help, thanks for reading!

Hi, I use Firefox sync with multiple devices and I wanted to reduce the sync interval so that my stuff gets sync'ed more frequently. Note I sync "Add-Ons", "Bookmarks" and "Preferences" between devices. If I go into the about:config preferences and change the "services.sync.syncInterval" value from the default 3600000 to 60000 I see the value change. HOWEVER if I then perform a "Sync Now" from the menu I immediately see the "services.sync.syncInterval" value reset to 3600000. I was expecting that the 60000 would instead be sync'ed across to all my devices and would remain. Can someone please advise how I might resolve this? Appreciate any help, thanks for reading!

All Replies (8)

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hello, i suspect this is a setting which is getting pushed to clients during the sync process by the server for load-balancing stuff, controlled maintenance periods, etc.

https://twitter.com/mozservices/status/373108653693235200

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philipp thank you very much for taking the time to reply.

If I understand what you've said correctly, you're suggesting that Mozilla are undertaking some scheduled maintenance to servers and so are temporarily forcing users syncInterval to 12 hours?

However, having taken a look at Twitter, that maintenance and the 12 hour sync force finished over a month ago...

https://twitter.com/mozservices/status/373242687320641536

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FYI also just found another report from a user experiencing the same thing:

https://mail.mozilla.org/pipermail/services-dev/2013-April/001735.html

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hey, no this was only meant as an example that the sync interval is controlled by the server side (the tweet shouldn't indicate that there is an ongoing maintenance currently).

edit: but i'm not entirely sure on how that preference is intended to work and what should happen when a user sets a custom value either...

Modified by philipp

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See:

Looks that is is derived from the services.sync.scheduler.singleDeviceInterval pref.

this.singleDeviceInterval = Svc.Prefs.get("scheduler.singleDeviceInterval") * 1000;
  
get syncInterval() Svc.Prefs.get("syncInterval", this.singleDeviceInterval),
set syncInterval(value) Svc.Prefs.set("syncInterval", value),
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Thanks for your reply cor-el but unfortunately setting the "singleDeviceInterval" value seems to make no difference to resetting of the syncInterval, its always reset to 3600000 regardless.

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This is insanely annoying, and apparently has been doing it for awhile. Firefox's sync is about a joke, I can't depend on it to sync in a timely matter, can't change the interval without being reset, none of the interface settings sync, so I have to make changes at work anytime I change them at home, this is just annoying. Chrome's syncing is awesome. I switched back to firefox because of user interface customizations, and general privacy concerns, but I'm very close to just switching to chromium. Sync is one of the biggest features a browser can have, and firefox's is a joke compared to chromes.

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