2026-04-25 notes:
Problems started showing, and still are, when doing file operations in graphical user environment, Finder on macOS.
Moving a file or folder can take tens of seconds
completely independent of size of items, even creating a new folder can take substantial time.
Taking seconds to tens of seconds, even clocked more than 50 seconds for dialog to go away and file management operation to finish.
Suspect something with GUI environment and Apple’s File Provider framework and verifications of file system items before executing on, like a move.
I.e. Low-level data communications related, but have no idea of involved protocols and servers.
Narrow down to Google Fiber internet service. I.e.
NO problems when
– Try a completely different Internet connection, using cell phone as hot spot.
– Not if enable VPN connection somewhere, i.e. tunnel through GFbier services
– and doesn’t matter where connect, inside US or foreign countries.
Addition tests, quite a lot overall
– changing internet router doesn’t make any difference
- Dropbox, community.dropbox.com
- File Provider – related
- Expected changes with Dropbox on File Provider
help.dropbox.com/installs/macos-support-for-expected-changes - Support for Dropbox on File Provider
help.dropbox.com/installs/dropbox-for-macos-support#How-to-opt-out-of-Dropbox-on-File-Provider - has Dropbox changed use of ~/Library/CloudStorage
search.brave.com/search?q=has+Dropbox+changed+use+of+~%2FLibrary%2FCloudStorage - search.brave.com/search?q=apple+file+provider+dropbox&source=desktop
- search.brave.com/search?q=how+to+figure+out+which+files+are+being+synced+apple+file+provider
- Expected changes with Dropbox on File Provider
- in “Dropbox Extensions”, I got multiple things to set on/off – “File Provider, “Dropbox”, “Dropbox Finder Extension” (which is actually OFF), and “Sharing” – what’s each of these good for?
search.brave.com/search?q=in+%22Dropbox+Extensions%22%2C+I+got+multiple+things+to+set+on%2Foff+-+%22File+Provider%2C+%22Dropbox%22%2C+%22Dropbox+Finder+Extension%22+%28which+is+actually+OFF%29%2C+and+%22Sharing%22+-+what%27s+each+of+these+good+for%3F - Other questions
- figure why “syncing”
community.dropbox.com/en/search?domain=discussions&query=figure%20why%20%22syncing%22&scope=site&categoryIDs[0]=2&includeChildCategories=true&source=community - command to check if a file is downloaded –
community.dropbox.com/en/search?domain=discussions&query=command%20to%20check%20if%20a%20file%20is%20downloaded&scope=site&categoryIDs[0]=2&includeChildCategories=true&source=community - community.dropbox.com/en/discussion/comment/591774#Comment_591774?utm_source=community-search&utm_medium=organic-search&utm_term=command+to+check+if+a+file+is+downloaded
- community.dropbox.com/en/discussion/860355/dropbox-sync-stuck-forever-no-idea-why?tab=all#latest
- figure why “syncing”
+n%3A%22s%7B7%7D%5D.gif%22+doc+dls+sz%3A280+m%3Arwx+ct%3A985996704.0+mt%3A985996704.0+xa%3Ac%7B1%7Dm.d%7B5%7Dx.i%7B6%7Dl%3A%7B0%7D%2Cc%7B1%7Dm.d%7B5%7Dx.a%7B3%7Ds%3A%7B26%7D%3E)+why%3AitemChangedRemotely+sched%3Autility%231779355845.941844+from%3A%3Cfile-ino(269625166)%3E+%E2%A7%97persisted%3E+2026-05-21+05%3A28%3A34.704+Df+fileproviderd%5B738%3A218f9c%5D+%5Bcom.apple.FileProvider%3Acom.getdropbox.dropbox.fileprovider%2F7%7B34%7D4%5D+%E2%94%9719c0cea+2026-05-21+05%3A28%3A34.736+Df+fileproviderd%5B738%3A218f9c%5D+%5Bcom.apple.FileProvider%3Acom.getdropbox.dropbox.fileprovider%2F7%7B34%7D4%5D+%E2%94%B319c0ceb+%E2%9C%85+done+executing+%3CJ540+%E2%8F%B3+create-item(propagated%3A%3Cdbitem%3A871963+dbver%3A0+domver%3A%3Cnil%3E%3E+requested%3A%3Cp%3AfileID(269454522)+n%3A%22w%7B3%7D%5D.jpg%22+doc+dls+sz%3A285+m%3Arwx+ct%3A1027166904.0+mt%3A1027166904.0+xa%3Ac%7B1%7Dm.d%7B5%7Dx.a%7B3%7Ds%3A%7B26%7D%2Cc%7B1%7Dm.d%7B5%7Dx.i%7B6%7Dl%3A%7B0%7D%3E)+why%3AitemChangedRemotely+sched%3Autility%231779355847.926101+from%3A%3Cfile-ino(269625167)%3E+%E2%A7%97persisted%3E+%5Bduration+43ms34%C2%B5s%5D+2026-05-21+05%3A28%3A34.736+Df+fileproviderd%5B738%3A218f9c%5D+%5Bcom.apple.FileProvider%3Acom.getdropbox.dropbox.fileprovider%2F7%7B34%7D4%5D+%E2%9C%8D%EF%B8%8F+persist+job%3A+%3CJ540+%E2%8F%B3+create-item(propagated%3A%3Cdbitem%3A871963+dbver%3A0+domver%3A%3Cnil%3E%3E+requested%3A%3Cp%3AfileID(269454522)+n%3A%22w%7B3%7D%5D.jpg%22+doc+dls+sz%3A285+m%3Arwx+ct%3A1027166904.0+mt%3A1027166904.0+xa%3Ac%7B1%7Dm.d%7B5%7Dx.a%7B3%7Ds%3A%7B26%7D%2Cc%7B1%7Dm.d%7B5%7Dx.i%7B6%7Dl%3A%7B0%7D%3E)+why%3AitemChangedRemotely+sched%3Autility%231779355847.926101+from%3A%3Cfile-ino(269625167)%3E+%E2%A7%97persisted%3E+2026-05-21+05%3A28%3A34.736+Df+fileproviderd%5B738%3A218f9c%5D+%5Bcom.apple.FileProvider%3Acom.getdropbox.dropbox.fileprovider%2F7%7B34%7D4%5D+%E2%94%9719c0ceb&source=desktop){kind=link}
Apple’s File Provider framework in general
- Personal chat: chatgpt.com/c/69e3afa3-fa04-83ea-8a70-fc594dd578be
- how to figure out which files are being synced apple file provider
- ‘fileproviderctl status’ does not have a status option
- macOS also fails brctl log –wait –shorten
- I simply want to have a reliable means to check status on one given file. Why is this so ridiculously complicated?
- Seriously?! Two issues: 1) All the above does NOT work. Tried on two different files, file that IS fully downloaded, one that is NOT (at all), i iCloud storage. All tests shows identical values. 2) Even if not any standard tool, surely there must be SOME means – low-level library call, that someone has created a utility around, and made globally available (in e.g. github). Anyone that writes (e.g.) Folder Actions, that require fully downloaded file for successful operation, needs a tool like I am asking for. And I can’t believe I’m the first one looking for such tool.
- Ok, finally, something actually usable.