Desktop: Decrypted backup does not create zip file

[beegeenyc]

This behavior emerged sometime in the past month or so, in version 3. Is this an intentional change to the app's behavior?

Steps to reproduce:

1. Launch Standard Notes 3.3.2 in MacOS 10.15.3.
2. Select Account > Data Backups > Decrypted > Download Backup
3. Observe that Standard Notes creates a decrypted backup file as expected, but not a zip file containing my notes in individual plain text files (like it always did before - for details please see https://standardnotes.org/help/14/how-do-i-create-and-import-backups-of-my-standard-notes-data).

[mobitar]

Hmm I'm not seeing this behavior. Possibly an exception is occurring for you. Can you click Help > Toggle Error Console, then download the backup, and see if any errors are shown?

[beegeenyc]

Thank you for your fast response! When the "Error Console" is open (i.e., DevTools), both files are created (txt & zip). I cannot tell you whether any errors are shown because I don't know where to look for them, but I can tell you that I don't see any text when "Console" is selected from DevTools' menu bar. After I close DevTools, the behavior reverts to what's described above. So for the time being, opening DevTools is a pragmatic workaround to obtain the zip file.

[mobitar]

Very strange! We'll keep an eye on this issue.

[beegeenyc]

Still occurs in 3.3.5.

[JaspalSuri]

I can confirm this via the desktop app for macOS. What OS are you using? I'll pass this info along to the rest of the team.

[beegeenyc]

Thank you! I'm still using MacOS 10.15.3.

[mobitar]

I can't replicate this issue. When I download a Decrypted backup, the desktop app first prompts me to save a txt file, then, after some delay, it prompts me to save a zip file.

[johnny243]

I couldn't replicate this, using desktop 3.3.5 on macOS 10.15.4

[JaspalSuri]

I wondering if there's a 3rd party program or setting that's preventing the second prompt from appearing. I've tried it several times but haven't been prompted to save a zip file. It works consistently on Windows, though.

[beegeenyc]

@JaspalSuri If you have thoughts about how we might diagnose that, I'll be happy to try.

[JaspalSuri]

@beegeenyc Please try clicking "save" as soon as you see the first finder prompt. It appears that if you do not do so within 2 seconds, it will prevent the second one from opening. Let us know if that works for you! Obviously this is currently not ideal but I'm sure the team will work on improving this experience based on the information they find for macOS-related issues.

[beegeenyc]

@JaspalSuri Thank you - yes, that works for me, and so does choosing "Cancel" as soon as I see the first Finder prompt (if I only want the second variant of the backup (the ZIP file)).

So now we can choose either of two workarounds: we can open the Error Console before backing up, or respond to the first Finder prompt immediately. Thanks again!

[baptiste-grob]

The following commit should fix this bug, so when the next version of the app releases you won't have to do any funky tricks to get the behavior you want 😅: https://github.com/standardnotes/desktop/commit/084c9ea8a8ff87850d951ad7af059dddeba319a7

[beegeenyc]

Wow - thank you!

[beegeenyc]

Fixed in 3.4.1 - thanks again!