Manual sync for Opera Link

I have found no way to manually sync on-demand using Opera Link. An option to sync only manually would be much appreciated, since a user can decide when he wishes to sync his stuff. Currently, Opera will sync automatically behind the scenes, and this is fine for many people. However, this can cause some issues when using a master password: the password dialogue window will always pop up upon launching Opera, which gets annoying very quickly.

By allowing a user to choose the "manual sync" option, he will not be prompted for the master password at every launch of the browser, and he will have more control over when he decides to sync his data.

This option is available in services such as Xmarks and Read It Later. They allow you to choose either automatic sync or manual sync.

From the IRC channel, I was given help on how to manually sync on demand, which is half of the solution. The problem described above still exists. I cannot figure out how to disable automatic sync (as allowed in other services such as Xmarks and Read It Later.)

Every launch of Opera, I am prompted for the master password to authenticate with my Opera Link account.

With Xmarks enabled in Firefox, here is what I do:
"Xmarks > Sync Now"

With Read It Later enabled in Firefox here is what I do:
"Click on Sync button"

With Opera Link, here is what I have to do:
"Opera > Synchronize Opera > Enable Synchronization, then click Sync Now (which is redundant, since it already syncs upon enabling), then Opera > Synchronize Opera > Configure > Disable" (then repeat these steps for next time.)

Without doing the extra steps written above, I am prompted for my master password whenever I launch Opera, no matter the reason: clicking on links, quick launch to read a URL, using the IRC chat, etc. Having to go back and forth, enabling and disabling Link, seems like extra steps just to get around the prompt at every launch of the browser. I do not get such prompts with Firefox, even when using 2 sync services, since they are set to sync *only* on demand; manually.

After reading this thread, another benefit for the option to manually sync is that it allows the user to force a Opera Link to sync the changes to the servers. Without such an option, there is a level of uncertainty of "Did Opera Link sync those recent notes and bookmarks I added?" Without an option to manually sync on demand, a user must disable Opera Link and then re-enable it. I think it would be an excellent addition to the menu if it looked like this:

Opera > Synchronize Opera > Sync Now

As mentioned before: Xmarks and Read It Later, among other services, have this essential feature. Why not Opera Link?

Instead of relying on custom buttons and bizzare workarounds, this should be built-in to Opera Link and the Opera browser.

+1
For this. Yo can sync your news feeds in Opera Mail manually too, i don't know how they forgot adding this option to Opera Link. =P

I believe the recent issues I had with Opera Link breaking on me is due to this very faulty design:

http://my.opera.com/community/forums/topic.dml?id=1497812

http://my.opera.com/community/forums/topic.dml?id=1468462

http://my.opera.com/community/forums/topic.dml?id=1421192


When I use my laptop, I suspend it when I finish my work. During this time, I have Opera Link always enabled, yet there is no way for me to configure Opera Link to only sync manually on demand. Because of this, it's possible that Link will attempt to sync with the server while I am putting the laptop into suspend, and this is what probably caused it to break on the specific machine. At this point, I have to reset everything and start all over from scratch, which is very painful and just sad.

Yes, there is a "button" to "Sync Now", but it's pathetic: there is no indication anything happens when you click the button; no progress; no errors; no acknowledgements; nothing. It's like one of those dummy buttons when you are creating a GUI for a school programming project. And having this button does not allow you to disable Link's automatic sync. Link attempts to sync.... every 10 minutes? every 5 minutes? every 30 minutes? I have no clue, and it's nowhere to be found when you configure an Opera Link account.

These problems could easily be avoided if the Opera developers would improve Link to allow the user to choose automatic or manual-only modes, just like... Xmarks.

Here is an example that compares Xmarks' design to Opera Link's design:

* Xmarks allows you to choose to enable or disable automatic sync. If you have Xmarks enabled, you are able to disable automatic mode.
* Opera Link does not allow you to choose to enable or disable automatic sync. If you have Link enabled, it is always on automatic mode.

* When manually syncing with Xmarks, there is an activity indicator that lets the user know when the sync process has completed. The user can now safely suspend his laptop.
* When manually syncing with Opera Link, there is no activity indicator, and the user is not sure exactly when the changes have hit the server. He either has to cross his fingers or visit and login to https://link.opera.com to verify the changes went through.

Opera developers: Please improve Link with the above recommendations. This is a matter of data integrity, predictability, configurability, and GUI completeness. Please, please. This isn't just about aesthetics.

Currently, as a workaround, I need to disable Opera Link entirely before I suspend my laptop, just to make sure that it isn't trying to sync to the server in the moment. Why? Because I cannot disable automatic sync! It's silly that the user must disable a data sync service because he cannot configure it to only sync manually.

+1 for manual sync and a way to see that the "Sync now" actually does something.

Link support really needs to be improved, a history would also be helpful (for example they could keep the last 3 versions of your notes/bookmarks, so if something goes wrong you can still recover).

+1

+1

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I agree and should also create a panel data management synchronized like Google Dashboard.
that allow us delete and modify every data synchronized, like search engine, bookmarks, speed dial, Content Blocker rules, and more...
except passwords which can only be erased
All this in the Operalink's site, so the information would already be always updated on the server

This feature got me a ton of frustration. And this is what is gonna make me step away from Opera. Being an Opera user since v.3.10, I believe Opera Link is the worst part ever of this software. As mentioned above, you dunno what's happening once it is enabled. More over, you cannot edit data stored on Opera's server that easily (i.e. you cannot delete a bookmark folder). The remove duplicate is a joke. You cannot reset, clear, erase data from Opera servers which is very bad and I'm concerned with privacy.
so: +1 meetoo

Very useful feature! Since I almost lost my bookmarks switching to another account, there must be the way to control links manually.
+1

+1