| Raw/on VPN/alt. (WAN conn.) |
Little Snitch (Firewall) |
Get “Preparing”… dialogs | (E.g.) Records | |
| 0. Before / ‘common’ case | Raw GFiber | Yes | ✅ Nope/Ok (no dialog) | None, as wasn’t a problem |
| 1. Problem starts, early April 2026 | Raw GFiber ⚠️ | Yes | ❌ Start getting dialogs, stays up 2o-5o seconds when shows | 2026-04-02 13.58.44 Preparing to move …. .png |
| 2. 2026-04-20+ Mon+ Tries VPN On/Off | When on VPN ✅ | Yes | ✅ Nope/Ok (no dialog) | No dialogs when on VPN |
| 3. 2026-04-24 Fri Tries different networks | ||||
| 3.1. 2026-04-24 09.23+ Using ALT network – Personal Hotspot Cell phone, thus using cellular network | Cell phone as hotspot ✅ | Yes | ✅ Nope/Ok (no dialog) | No dialogs when via cellular network |
| 3.2. try diff WiFi networks but via GFiber modem | Raw GFiber ⚠️ | Yes | ❌ Getting the dialogs | So far common denominator IS Raw GFiber |
| 3.3. tries with VPN | On VPN ✅ | Yes | ✅ Nope/Ok (no dialog) | So far common denominator IS Raw GFiber |
| 4. New network HW 2026-04-28 19.20+ Wi-Fi network is OFF, create JAMP3 and turn ON alias | (WiFi 6 HW) | <– | <– ❌ (Getting the dialogs, when Raw) | (No changes, still Raw GFiber common denominator) |
| 4.5. Create test tool and test env. filesystemtests-by-j.sh | (own utility) | (Just to get a tool for easy replication of problem.) | ||
| 5. Finder-reset. Finder- Resetting Finder, 2026-05-10 | (Finder reset) | ❌ (Reset Finder didn’t help) | (No changes, still Raw GFiber common denominator) | |
| 6. Dropbox-reset. Dropbox reinstall, resync, LOTS, 2026-05-20+ | (Dropbox reset) | ❌ (Reset Dropbox didn’t help) | (No changes, still Raw GFiber common denominator) | |
| 2026-07-08 Wed – finally DO call Google/GFiber again (3rd call); some IP provisioning to take 6-24 hrs |
||||
| 2026-07-09 Thu (within the ‘6-24 hrs’) (but never see or hear anything) | ||||
| 2026-07-10 Fri Call #4, … | ||||
| 2026-07-12 08.03.49 EMAIL, with claim fix had been made; GFiber, Following Up on Your Recent GFiber Chat | ||||
| 2026-07-12 08.07.31 POWER CYCLE EQ | ||||
| 2026-07-12 08.29+ Preparing … dialog – so NOT fixed yet | Raw GFiber ⚠️ | Yes | ❌ Getting the dialogs | |
| Raw GFiber ⚠️ | OFF ⚠️ | ❌ Getting the dialogs | 2026-07-13 09.06.05 Turning OFF Little Snitch; DO HAVE PROBLEMS | |
| Raw GFiber ⚠️ | Yes/On | ❌ Getting the dialogs | 2026-07-13 09.26.23 go back ON Little Snitch; DO HAVE PROBLEMS | |
| On VPN | Yes/On | ✅ Nope/Ok (no dialog) | 2026-07-13 09.48.26 Go ONTO VPN again |
2026-07-13 Test tools seems less reliable for recreating Preparing dialogs..
Do ‘new’ test suite
- Create a new folder, ‘untitled folder’, on cloud-drive managed by a specified ecosystem manager
- Make a copy of a folder in Downloads folder
- Move this into the new folder in #1
| Dropbox | iCloud (Apple) | OneDrive (MS) | ||
| Test 1. 3 steps above | ❌ Getting the dialog | ✅ Nope/Ok (no dialog) | ✅ Nope/Ok (no dialog) | |
| Test 2. -“- | ❌ Getting the dialog | ✅ Nope/Ok (no dialog) | ✅ Nope/Ok (no dialog) | |
| Test 3. tool below | ✅ Not getting dialog, 2 second for GUI | no tested | no tested |
MB2314:~ johan$ filesystemtests-by-j.sh -t 5 -c -g
2026-07-13 14.45.30 Took 0 seconds for 5 tests (CLI), 0 sec per test in average, === Ok~ ===, from LOCAL to CLOUD (Dropbox), WiFi JAMP3 *NOT* VPN
2026-07-13 14.45.30 Took 2 seconds for 5 tests (GUI), 0 sec per test in average, === Ok~ ===, from LOCAL to CLOUD (Dropbox), WiFi JAMP3 *NOT* VPN
MB2314:~ johan$
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.