Setting up your sync storage

Sync works through a storage location you own — there's no Todebaran server in the middle. That means you set the storage up once, then point every Mac at it. This page walks through the free (or nearly free) ways to get one, end to end, and tells you exactly what to type into Settings → Sync.

Which one should I choose?#

All three keep your data in your storage. Whichever you pick, remember the golden rule: every device points at the exact same location, and each sync pipe needs a location of its own (see One location per pipe).

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Option 1 — A shared folder#

The simplest backend. You reuse a folder that iCloud Drive or Dropbox already keeps in step between your Macs, and Todebaran writes its sync files there.

iCloud Drive#

1. On each Mac, make sure iCloud Drive is on: System Settings → your name → iCloud → Drive.
2. In Finder, open iCloud Drive and make a new folder — for example Todebaran Sync. You only need to create it once; it appears on your other Macs automatically.
3. In Todebaran, open Settings → Sync, set Sync via to Shared Folder, press Choose folder…, and select that folder.
4. On every other Mac, choose the same folder inside iCloud Drive.

Dropbox (or Google Drive, OneDrive…)#

Same idea: create a folder inside the service's synced folder, point Todebaran at it on each Mac, and make sure the provider keeps it downloaded rather than online-only.

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Option 2 — An S3 bucket#

"S3" is a storage format, not a single company. Amazon invented it, but many providers offer S3-compatible buckets that speak the same language — and Todebaran works with all of them. You'll fill in the same six fields no matter which provider you pick:

Below: Cloudflare R2 (the easiest free option), then Backblaze B2 and Amazon S3. Pick one.

Cloudflare R2 (recommended)#

R2 gives you 10 GB of storage free every month — far more than a task database needs — and doesn't charge for downloads. It's the option we'd reach for.

1. Create a free account at dash.cloudflare.com and, in the sidebar, open R2. Cloudflare asks for a card to switch R2 on, but the free allowance covers normal use — you're very unlikely to be billed.
2. Create bucket → give it a name (e.g. todebaran-sync) → create. Leave it private.
3. Find your S3 API endpoint. On the R2 overview (or the bucket's Settings), it looks like https://<your-account-id>.r2.cloudflarestorage.com. Copy it — note it does not include the bucket name.
4. Create an API token: R2 → Manage R2 API Tokens → Create API token. Give it Object Read & Write, and scope it to your bucket. Cloudflare shows you an Access Key ID and a Secret Access Key — copy both now; the secret is shown only once.
5. In Todebaran, Settings → Sync, set Sync via to S3, and fill in:

6. Press Test connection, then Enable sync.

Backblaze B2#

Backblaze gives you 10 GB free and exposes an S3-compatible API.

1. Sign up at backblaze.com, then open B2 Cloud Storage and Create a Bucket — keep it Private.
2. On the bucket's details, note its Endpoint, which looks like s3.us-west-004.backblazeb2.com. The middle part (us-west-004) is your region.
3. Create an Application Key: App Keys → Add a New Application Key, restrict it to your bucket with Read and Write access. You get a keyID and an applicationKey — these are your access key ID and secret access key.
4. In Todebaran fill in:

Amazon S3#

The original. AWS's free tier includes 5 GB for the first 12 months, after which you pay (a task database costs pennies).

1. In the AWS console, open S3 → Create bucket, pick a Region (e.g. eu-central-1), and create it. Keep Block all public access on.
2. Create an IAM user with programmatic access and a policy granting read/write on that bucket, then generate an access key (access key ID + secret).
3. In Todebaran fill in:

Your own S3 server (MinIO)#

Running MinIO or another self-hosted S3 server works too: use its address as the Endpoint, any region it expects (often us-east-1), and a bucket plus an access/secret key you create in its console.

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Option 3 — WebDAV#

If you already run a WebDAV server — most commonly Nextcloud, but also ownCloud, a NAS, or a plain web server — you can sync straight to it. Todebaran needs three things:

Using a hosted Nextcloud#

Plenty of hosts offer managed Nextcloud (some with a free tier). Once you have an account:

1. In Nextcloud's Files, create a folder for Todebaran (e.g. Todebaran).
2. Build the Server URL. Nextcloud's WebDAV path looks like: https://cloud.example.com/remote.php/dav/files/<username>/Todebaran
3. Create an app password: Settings → Security → Devices & sessions → Create new app password. Use that instead of your real password.
4. In Todebaran, Settings → Sync → Sync via → WebDAV, enter the URL, username, and app password, then Test connection.

Self-hosting#

Any WebDAV server works — Nextcloud/ownCloud, a NAS's WebDAV feature, Apache with mod_dav, or a quick rclone serve webdav. Point the Server URL at a folder on it and use a dedicated account.

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Test connection#

Both the WebDAV and S3 forms have a Test connection button — use it before enabling sync. It's non-destructive: it only checks that Todebaran can reach the location and read it, without writing anything. Green Connection OK means you're good; a red result shows the reason (a wrong key, bucket, region, or URL). For a shared folder, the folder picker itself confirms access.

One location per pipe#

Give each thing its own empty location. Don't point your personal device sync and a shared space at the same folder or bucket — Todebaran detects the clash and refuses it rather than tangling two datasets together. If you want several datasets in one S3 bucket, give each a different Prefix.

Adding your other Macs#

Once the first Mac is syncing, set up the rest the same way: install Todebaran, sign in to Pro, and point Settings → Sync at the same location — the same folder, or the same S3/WebDAV details. Don't copy Todebaran's data folder between Macs; let each one sync itself. Full walkthrough in Syncing across devices.

If something won't connect, see Sync isn't working.