8.5 Creating and Uploading an iFolder

You can create an iFolder by converting an existing folder that satisfies the following guidelines:

If the folder does not exist, you can browse to a location and create the new folder as part of the process.

IMPORTANT:You can share only the regular iFolders. Encrypted iFolders cannot be shared.

Within the iFolder, you can set up any subdirectory structure that suits your personal or corporate work habits. The subdirectory structure is constant across all member iFolders. Each workstation can specify a different parent directory for the shared iFolder.

When you exceeds the limit for number of iFolders an individual user can create, iFolder displays an error message. For example, if your administrator has set the policy for Number of iFolder per user to 10 and you attempt to create the eleventh iFolder, iFolder notifies you about the policy violation.

8.5.1 Linux

You can create iFolders with a file manager or with the iFolder browser, which is available in the client application. Use the following methods to create an iFolder:

Creating iFolders in the iFolders Browser

  1. In the notification area, use one of the following methods to open the iFolder browser:

    • Click the iFolder Services icon .

    • Right-click the iFolder Services icon , then click iFolders.

  2. Click iFolder > Upload a folder.

  3. Under More Options, specify the iFolder Account you want to use for this iFolder.

    If you have multiple iFolder accounts, the default account is listed first. Use the drop-down list to select a different account.

  4. In the browser, navigate to the directory where you want to create an iFolder.

  5. Select the normal folder you want to make an iFolder, using one of these methods:

    • If the normal folder exists, select the folder, then click OK.

    • If the normal folder does not exist, click Create Folder to create it, select the newly created folder, then click OK.

  6. Select the iFolder Type from the given options. You can decide whether to create an encrypted iFolders or it to be shared with other users.

    NOTE:You are permitted to create encrypted iFolders only if your iFolder administrator has set your encryption policy to On. If not, you can create only regular iFolders, and this option is selected by default. In this case, both the options for Type are disabled.

    • Select Passphrase Encryption to enable encryption for the selected iFolder.

      If you have not set the passphrase during the login session, and you select Passphrase Encryption, it prompts you to enter the passphrase. Specify the passphrase in the Passphrase dialog box.

    • Select Regular to enable sharing for the selected iFolder.

      iFolder announces the availability of shared iFolders with a pop-up message in the notification area. Shared users can click the message to set up the iFolder at that time, or close the message and download the iFolder later.

  7. Select Secure Sync to enable secure synchronization of files in the iFolder you are creating.

    For more information on Secure Sync, see Secure Sync in the Table 8-4, Synchronization Parameters for iFolders Stored Locally.

    NOTE:You can also enable secure sync for a selected iFolder on your machine by using the right-click iFolder > Properties option in the iFolder main window. For that, right-click the iFolder and select Properties. In the General tab of the iFolder properties window, select the Secure Sync check box.

  8. Click OK.

    The iFolder appears in the iFolders on This Computer list.

  9. If the iFolder Created message appears, do one of the following:

    • Click Close to dismiss the message.

    • Select Do Not Show This Message Again to disable future notifications, then click Close to dismiss the message.

      If you later decide that you want to get confirmation messages, go to iFolder Preferences, select Show Confirmation Dialog When Creating iFolders, then click OK.

Creating iFolders in a File Manager

  1. Use the file manager to navigate to the folder you want to convert to an iFolder, then select the folder.

  2. Use one of the following methods:

    • Right-click the folder icon, then click Convert to an iFolder.

    • On the toolbar, click File > Convert to an iFolder.

    The folder icon changes to a folder with an overlay of the iFolder emblem (green “i”).

  3. If the iFolder Created message appears, do one of the following:

    • Click Close to dismiss the message.

    • Select Do not show this message again to disable future notifications, then click Close to dismiss the message.

      If you later decide that you want to get confirmation messages, go to iFolder Preferences, select Show Confirmation Dialog When Creating iFolders, then click OK.

8.5.2 Windows

You can create iFolders with a file manager or with the iFolder browser, which is available in the client application. Use the following methods to create an iFolder:

Creating iFolders in the iFolders Browser

  1. In the notification area, use one of the following methods to open the iFolder browser:

    • Click the iFolder Services icon.

    • Right-click the iFolder Services icon, then click iFolders.

  2. Click iFolder > Upload a folder.

  3. From the drop-down list, select the iFolder account you want to use for this iFolder.

    If you have multiple iFolder accounts, the default account is listed first. You can use the drop-down list to select a different account.

  4. In the browser, navigate to the directory where you want to create an iFolder.

  5. Select the normal folder you want to make an iFolder, using one of these methods:

    • If the normal folder exists, select the folder, then click OK.

    • If the normal folder does not exist, click Make New Folder to create it, and select the newly created folder.

  6. Select the iFolder type from one of the following from the given options:

    NOTE:You are permitted to create encrypted iFolders only if your iFolder Administrators has set your encryption policy to On. If not, you can create only regular iFolders, and this option is selected by default. In this case, both the options for Type are disabled.

    • Select Passphrase Encryption to enable encryption for the selected iFolder.

      If you did not set the passphrase during the login session, and you select Encrypted, it prompts you to enter the passphrase.

    • Select Regular to enable sharing for the selected iFolder.

      When you share your iFolder with other iFolder members, iFolder announces the availability of shared iFolders with a pop-up message in the notification area. Shared users can click the message to set up the iFolder at that time, or close the message to download the iFolder later.

  7. Select Secure Sync to enable secure synchronization of files in the iFolder you are creating.

    NOTE:You can also enable secure sync for a selected iFolder on your machine by using the right-click iFolder > Properties option in the iFolder main window. For that, right-click the iFolder and select Properties. In the General tab of the iFolder properties window, select the Secure Sync check box.

    For more information on Secure Sync, see Secure Sync in the Table 8-4, Synchronization Parameters for iFolders Stored Locally.

  8. Click OK.

    The iFolder appears in the iFolders on This Computer list.

  9. If the iFolder Created message appears, do one of the following:

    • Click Close to dismiss the message.

    • Select Do not show this message again to disable future notifications, then click Close to dismiss the message.

      If you later decide that you want to get confirmation messages, go to iFolder Preferences, select Show Confirmation Dialog When Creating iFolders, then click OK.

Creating iFolders in a File Manager

  1. Use the file manager to navigate to the folder you want to convert to an iFolder, then select the folder.

  2. Use one of the following methods:

    • Right-click the folder icon, then click Convert to an iFolder.

    • On the toolbar, click File > Convert to an iFolder.

    The folder icon changes to a folder with an overlay of the iFolder emblem (green “i”).

  3. If the iFolder Created message appears, do one of the following:

    • Click Close to dismiss the message.

    • Select Do Not Show This Message Again to disable future notifications, then click Close to dismiss the message.

      If you later decide that you want to get confirmation messages, go to iFolder Preferences, select Show Confirmation Dialog When Creating iFolders, then click OK.

8.5.3 Macintosh

You can create iFolders with the iFolder browser, which is available in the client application.

  1. Click the iFolder Services icon from the dock to open the iFolder browser.

  2. Use one of the following methods to open the browser.

    • Click New in the toolbar

    • Click File > New in the menu bar

  3. In the browser, navigate to the directory where you want to create an iFolder.

  4. Select the normal folder you want to make into an iFolder, then click Open.

  5. Select the iFolder type from one of the following from the given options:

    NOTE:You are permitted to create encrypted iFolders only if your iFolder Administrators has set your encryption policy to On. If not, you can create only regular iFolders, and this option is selected by default. In this case, both the options for Type are disabled.

    • Select Passphrase Encryption to enable encryption for the selected iFolder.

      If you did not set the passphrase during the login session, and you select Passphrase Encryption, it prompts you to enter the passphrase.

    • Select Regular to enable sharing for the selected iFolder.

      When you share your iFolder with other iFolder members, iFolder announces the availability of shared iFolders with a pop-up message in the notification area. Shared users can click the message to set up the iFolder at that time, or close the message to download the iFolder later.

  6. Select Secure Sync to enable secure synchronization of files in the iFolder you are creating.

    For more information on Secure Sync, see Secure Sync in the Table 8-4, Synchronization Parameters for iFolders Stored Locally.

    NOTE:You can also enable secure sync for a selected iFolder on your machine by using the right-click iFolder > Properties option in the iFolder main window. For that, right-click the iFolder and select Properties. In the General tab of the iFolder properties window, select the Secure Sync check box.

  7. Click OK.

    The iFolder appears in the iFolders on This Computer list.

  8. Click OK.

    The iFolder appears in the iFolder browser window.

8.5.4 Creating iFolders on a FAT32 Mount Point (Linux)

On Linux, iFolder supports creating and using iFolders on a mount point for a FAT32 file system. Before you can create new iFolders or set up shared iFolders on a FAT32 volume on your Linux computer, the iFolder user must own the FAT32 mount point where you want to store the iFolders, and the /etc/fstab file must explicitly identify the iFolder user’s local user ID for the mount point.

IMPORTANT:This is required because FAT32 does not support file permissions. Any other file system that does not support permissions has the same issue.

For dual boot systems, you can access the data in iFolders as normal folders from the system where the folder is not set up as an iFolder. If you set up the folder as an iFolder on both platforms, the data set is stored in two different iFolders on the server, which consumes double your allocated server disk resources.

Because the FAT32 file system does not support POSIX file system permissions, make sure the iFolder user is the local owner of the mount point. Modify the /etc/fstab file to set the user ID (UID) parameter of the user’s local login identity to the iFolder user who creates iFolders on that mount point.

  1. Log in to your computer as the root user.

  2. Create the directory where you want to mount the FAT32 file system. At a command prompt, enter

    mkdir /home/username/fsmount

    Replace username with the username of the user who plans to use the FAT32 drive for iFolders. Replace fsmount with the directory name you want to use as the mount point. For example, if the username is jsmith and the directory name is fat32mntpt for a FAT32 drive or partition, enter

    mkdir /home/jsmith/fat32mntpt

  3. Mount the FAT32 drive at the desired mount point. At a command prompt, enter

    mount -t vfat /dev/hda1 /home/username/fsmount

    Replace /dev/hda1 with the device or partition name of the non-Linux device. Replace username with the username of the iFolder user. Replace fsmount with the directory name you want to use as the mount point.

    Continuing the example, where the FAT32 file system (vfat) is on the hda4 device (/dev/hda4), the username is jsmith, and the mount point directory is /home/jsmith/fat32mntpt, enter

    mount -t vfat /dev/hda4 /home/jsmith/fat32mntpt

  4. Edit the /etc/fstab file by adding the uid=username parameter of the iFolder user on the line that defines the FAT32 mount point.

    /dev/hda1  /home/username/fsmount  vfat  uid=username

    Continuing the example, modify /etc/fstab file by adding uid=jsmith to the mount point:

    /dev/hda4  /home/jsmith/fat32mntpt  vfat  uid=jsmith