Large ._sync_*.db-wal file (18GB)

Desktop
1

Hi everyone,

I just noticed a large file named “._sync_f03e87212167.db-wal” in the root directory of my ownCloud account. It is 18 GB in size and, based on the name, I assume this is created/used by ownCloud somehow.
But it looks a bit large … can somebody please tell me what this is, how I can learn why it is so large and maybe how to shrink it again?

Best regards,
Marc

2

Client keeps a journal (SQLite) in the sync dir:
https://doc.owncloud.org/desktop/architecture.html#the-sync-journal

*.wal is needed for SQLite:
https://www.sqlite.org/wal.html

How many items (files & folder) do you sync?

2 Likes
3

My account is limited to 70 GB.
I’m using ~27GB of that, plus that 18GB *.db-wal file; it seems like only those 27GB count to my quota, telling from OC’s Web-GUI.
There are 37885 files in it.

Is 18GB a reasonable size for that? Or is is possible/necessary to clean it up somehow?

PS: From the link you shared, it reads:

The WAL file exists for as long as any database connection has the database open. Usually, the WAL file is deleted automatically when the last connection to the database closes.

This seems to not happen here, is it?
Shouldn’t it be safe then to:

  1. Stop OC Client
  2. Delete that file
  3. Start OC Client again

to get rid of that large monstrosity?

4

You only have that file on your desktop, correct?
It’s not on the server?

In theory ownCloud client should clean that file up from time to time, I wonder why it did not happen for you.
Can you make sure the sync finished properly, then restart the client?
If the file is not cleaned after a while, stop the client again and delete that -wal file (And only the -wal, not the other DB files).

1 Like