Exporting 1Password data to an emergency drive

LonePalm
LonePalm
Community Member

Greetings,
I am attempting to copy my data to an external (SDHC card) drive that I will use as an emergency drive for my MacBook Air. My requirements are an OS (Mavericks), Diskwarrior and 1Password. I've got it all except for 1P, for which I cannot seem to locate the data file. I did not install 1P on the card, I merely copied the application from the main drive.
Any suggestions for exporting/transferring the data file would be greatly appreciated.

Comments

  • sjk
    sjk
    1Password Alumni
    edited January 2014

    Hi, @LonePalm.

    1Password 4 databases are located here, under user home folders:

    • Mac App Store version:

      ~/Library/Containers/2BUA8C4S2C.com.agilebits.onepassword-osx-helper/Data/Library/Data

    • AgileBits Store and beta version:

      ~/Library/Application Support/1Password 4/Data

    An alternative to directly copying the 1P4 Data folder would be to copy backup files of the database:

    Where the backup files are stored?

    I hope that helps. :)

  • LonePalm
    LonePalm
    Community Member

    Thanks so much for your response.
    Here is the issue: I copied a backup zip file over to the emergency drive. When I boot from that drive, launch 1P, tell it I've used 1P before and then go locate the file, double-clicking on it does nothing. I've also opened the (hidden) library folder and selected the data file located there, and again nothing happens - I get brought back to the "rookie/veteran" screen. Same holds true for copying over the sqlite files.
    Kinda lost at this point. I wish there was a drag-and-drop option for this. I do not know how to copy a file to the application support folder of a non-boot drive, since I do not know how to access the application support folder on a non-boot drive. Any thoughts?

  • sjk
    sjk
    1Password Alumni

    Hi, @LonePalm.

    Thanks for the additional information. Which version of 1P4 are you running when you boot from the emergency drive and which folder is is it in?

    As an alternative to copying backup or data files, my suggestion would be to start with using Folder Syncing in 1P4 on your regular drive to create a 1Password keychain of its data vault somewhere you can access it when booted from your emergency drive. Then try opening that 1P keychain with 1P4 after booting from your emergency drive, either by double-clicking it to create a new vault or configuring Folder Sync to merge it with an existing vault.

    Please let me know if you try that and how it works out, or if you're rather try something else. Thanks!

  • LonePalm
    LonePalm
    Community Member

    I moved the data vault and..... Success! Thank you! However, I have a security query. My sync folder was in the relatively obscure library folder, but I cannot access that from the emergency drive. I moved the sync folder to a less obscure location, but I worry about the long-term implications security-wise. I do not use Chronos or DropBox.
    Now, as to your questions above, I'm running v. 4.1.3, located in the Applications folder. Did a full install of 10.9 on the emergency drive and then copied 1P over to the applications folder. The plan is to have an alternative drive in the event of a main boot drive failure, and 1P and DiskWarrior are a huge part of that plan. Now I just have to find a way to remove the recovery partition on the emergency drive as it's redundant and I need the space.

  • sjk
    sjk
    1Password Alumni

    Hi, @LonePalm.

    I'm glad you've made some progress with this.

    My sync folder was in the relatively obscure library folder, but I cannot access that from the emergency drive.

    How and where specifically can't you access it? In Finder, have you tried using Go > Go to Folder… (⇧⌘G)?

    That keyboard shortcut for it also works in Open/Save dialogs for most apps, including 1P4.

    Now I just have to find a way to remove the recovery partition on the emergency drive as it's redundant and I need the space.

    Since I have a license my personal preference would be: Coriolis Systems :: Products :: iPartition

    Try a web search for remove "recovery partition" mac to see plenty of alternatives, including free. :)

  • LonePalm
    LonePalm
    Community Member

    I can access the Library folder on the emergency drive, but typing in the path for the main boot drive library folder does not work, neither does the Open/Save dialog. I typed the following in the Go To Folder dialog box: /Macintosh HD/Users/MyUserName/Library/ and it tells me it can't be found. If I can get there or preferably, negotiate via the Open/Save dialog, I can move the data folder back to the Library folder of the main drive. If we can ascertain this we can say, as OS 7/8/9 used to say, "Do this, then you're done.".

  • sjk
    sjk
    1Password Alumni

    Hi, @LonePalm.

    If your main startup volume is mounted when running from the emergency boot volume then try using /Volumes/Macintosh HD/Users/MyUserName/Library/ as the pathname to access that folder on the main startup volume.

  • LonePalm
    LonePalm
    Community Member
    edited January 2014

    That worked. Now, pardon my ignorance, but how does that allow me to move my data folder back to the standard Library folder location? The issue for me is selecting the Library folder from the Preferences:Sync:Folder selection. I cannot seem to get to the Library folder from there. This holds true for both the main drive and the emergency drive, as I have to first move the data file back and then tell the emergency drive program where to sync. Is there a key combo I'm missing? I greatly appreciate your extreme patience with me on this issue.

  • sjk
    sjk
    1Password Alumni

    Hi, @LonePalm.

    Are you wanting to move the 1P4 data folder from the emergency drive volume back to the main drive volume? Are there changes in your 1P4 database on the emergency drive volume that need to be in the 1P4 database on the main drive volume? Please pardon my confusion. :)

    You won't be able to directly select/use 1P4 database files for syncing. Intermediary 1Password keychains are used for syncing and not normally stored under ~/Library folders.

    Instead of moving 1P4 data folders around it would be preferable to configure syncing something like this:

    Main 1P4 vault --->folder sync---> 1Password keychain --->folder sync---> Emergency 1P4 vault

    The reason for the one-way "--->" arrows is to intentionally treat your Emergency 1P4 vault as read-only and not sync back changes to your Main 1P4 vault.

    Presumably your emergency drive is offline most of the time, with 1P4 syncing only enabled when you want to update Emergency 1P4 vault. And 1Password keychain can be deleted when it's not being used as the intermediary for copying data from Main 1P4 vault to Emergency 1P4 vault.

    Let me know if something like that makes sense and could work for you.

    Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted out. :)

  • LonePalm
    LonePalm
    Community Member

    Sorry for the confusion, sjk, and sorting this out has become quite fascinating. I think I've discovered my inner geek.

    "No" to many of the above. I do not need to move the emergency drive data file back to the main drive. Originally I moved the main drive data folder to a different location on the main drive so the emergency drive (hereafter: e-drive) could sync to it. I'd like to move it back to the Library folder. (How?) Your suggestion "Main 1P4 vault --->folder sync---> 1Password keychain --->folder sync---> Emergency 1P4 vault" for ongoing syncing seems logical and workable.

    As for syncing - This will be a one-way operation; e-drive syncs to (from the) main boot drive data file only. Any data file changes made will be made to the main drive file. I will periodically boot from the e-drive to allow a proper sync just to keep the e-drive up-to-date. Then I can run from the e-drive if necessary and have basic functionality. I'll keep the e-drive stored until needed, just like an optical disk of, say, DiskWarrior or Drive Genius. I'll work on enabling syncing on the e-drive only when booted from it. FWIW, I doubt I'd add any passwords or logins if I am ever forced to run from the e-drive. I'll have my hands busy with bigger issues.

    Hope this clarifies some issues. Any help in moving the data file back to the Library folder so that I can implement your suggestion will be greatly appreciated. Can I just drag-and-drop the files?

    BTW - Kudos, and thanks, for being around today.

  • sjk
    sjk
    1Password Alumni

    Hey, @LonePalm.

    I thank your inner geek for helping clarify this. :)

    Unless I'm mistaken you've got two issues:

    1) Possibly returning your main 1P4 database to where it belongs, and 2) Copying your main 1P4 data to your e-drive so its usable when booting from it. My fault for not giving you more info earlier to accomplish the second without going through the first.

    So now the first needs to be resolved first:

    Originally I moved the main drive data folder to a different location on the main drive so the emergency drive (hereafter: e-drive) could sync to it.

    Did you move the entire ~/Library/Application Support/1Password 4/Data folder to a different location and has it been modified since then? And when you run 1P4 from the main drive are you still seeing the "rookie/veteran" screen you mentioned earlier or it it in some other incomplete state? It's not necessary to move anything if you're satisfied with your 1P data when you run 1P4 now. Otherwise …

    If that complete Data folder is still as-is where you moved it then simply returning it to its original ~/Library/Application Support/1Password 4/Data location should work fine. Before doing that you'll want to run 1P4 and Quit 1Password 4 and 1Password mini, which you can do with the ^⌘Q keyboard shortcut or by holding down the Control key while selecting Quit under the main 1Password 4 menu:

    Then move the Data folder back to ~/Library/Application Support/1Password 4/Data, relaunch 1P4, and all should be fine.

    Please let me know how that goes or if there's some other missing factor to consider. After you've got 1P4 the way you want it on the main drive we'll move on to the second step of copy-syncing its data to the e-drive.

  • danco
    danco
    Volunteer Moderator

    Part (probably the major part) of the problem is that by default your Library folder is hidden. I guess that this still applies to the Library folder on your internal drive when you are booting from the external drive, and that is why when trying to select the Library folder from the Preferences:Sync:Folder selection, you cannot seem to get to the Library folder from there.

    You might want to try making the Library folder permanently visible by an easy Terminal command. Open Terminal and type

    chflags nohidden ~/Library

    and press Return. Then your Library will always be visible.

  • LonePalm
    LonePalm
    Community Member

    sjk, You nailed it. Humblest apologies, however. I moved one of the keychains to a separate folder, not the data file, so everything is as it should be, with the exception of a keychain file being moved or copied. Guess that problem is solved, and again apologies for time wasted on this part. So all is well in 1P land - both installs of 1P, main drive and e-drive, function accordingly. The 1P install on the e-drive does not give the rookie/veteran screen. However, since the e-drive install is syncing to a seemingly fixed keychain I feel it may not be keeping current with the main boot drive's data file changes. So, the issue remaining is proper syncing to the data file.

    Danco's suggestion (thank you) seems workable, but I'd like to hide the Library folder again after I manage the syncing. I assume the command to return it to hidden status is:

    chflags hidden ~/Library

    but I am no Terminal genius. (I know why they call it Terminal - type something incorrectly and it could be terminal.)

    (It's nice to know that the data file can be moved.)

  • LonePalm
    LonePalm
    Community Member

    As an aside - one thing I tried did not work. I made the Library folder visible and dragged it to the sidebar of a Finder window. Now the Library folder is always accessible, except that it was not visible via the 1P:Preferences:Sync:SyncWith window. Just an FYI.

  • sjk
    sjk
    1Password Alumni

    Sounds like you're making good progress, @LonePalm. :)

    I've been re-thinking how you might want to copy your 1P4 data from the main to e-drive that would be simpler than syncing for your purposes. I'll post that in a separate reply.

    For now let's cover accessing arbitrary folders from Open (and Save) windows.

    After selecting Dropbox or Folder in the Preferences > Sync window, clicking choose folder…, and pressing Shift-Command-G (⇧⌘G) you should see a sheet like this in the Open window:

    You can enter any folder name there that you want to open. ~/Library/Application Support/1Password 4/Diagnostics isn't the best example since I'd never store a 1Password keychain there; it's just the last folder I'd accessed this way from some other app.

    I also suggest trying it in Finder, both with Desktop or any folder is selected.

    Once you've got the hang of using that it doesn't really matter if ~/Library is hidden or not. And in Finder (since 10.8), if you select the Go menu and press the Option key you'll see Library added to the list of locations you can open. And 10.9 adds this:

    Mavericks Makes It Way Easier To Access Your Library Folder [OS X Tips] | Cult of Mac

    If you do that, then add Library to Finder's sidebar it will show up in the Open window of 1P4 syncing configuration.

  • sjk
    sjk
    1Password Alumni
    edited January 2014

    Back again, @LonePalm.

    A few replies ago you wrote:

    As for syncing - This will be a one-way operation; e-drive syncs to (from the) main boot drive data file only. Any data file changes made will be made to the main drive file. I will periodically boot from the e-drive to allow a proper sync just to keep the e-drive up-to-date. Then I can run from the e-drive if necessary and have basic functionality. I'll keep the e-drive stored until needed, just like an optical disk of, say, DiskWarrior or Drive Genius. I'll work on enabling syncing on the e-drive only when booted from it. FWIW, I doubt I'd add any passwords or logins if I am ever forced to run from the e-drive. I'll have my hands busy with bigger issues.

    Because this would only be one-way copying of 1Password data from your main to e-drive you probably could simply copy the Data folder, which returns us to what I think you were originally trying to do. :)

    For example, after quitting 1Password and 1Password mini, open these two folders in Finder windows on the main drive:

    ~/Library/Application Support/1Password 4 (on your main drive)

    /Volumes/Macintosh HD/Users/MyUserName/Library/Application Support/1Password 4 (wherever it is on your e-drive)

    Then drag the Data folder from the main drive folder to the e-drive folder, best while holding the Option key just to make sure it copies it instead of moves it. You can replace the Data folder that's in the e-drive folder.

    And next time you boot from the e-drive and run 1P4 you'll have the same data there as when it was last copied from the main drive.

    If using that method I'd have all 1P4 syncing disabled, at least during copying. And I'm extra careful when manually accessing anything under ~/Library.

    Back in post #3 you wished:

    I wish there was a drag-and-drop option for this.

    Copying the Data folder from m-drive to e-drive pretty much grants it. :)

    How does that sound; any questions or concerns?

  • LonePalm
    LonePalm
    Community Member

    Ding ding ding ding! We have a winna! The Cult of Mac link from your post #16 worked like a charm. With post #17 I can now keep my data up-to-date manually and automatically. My slightly ob-com inner geek is satiated.

    Now that I can access the Library file from the Sync dialog box, my drag-and-drop dream has come to fruition - but - in my defense, I did not know the tip when I posted my wish.

    Many, many thanks for helping me resolve this. I know I was a challenge. Remember - "He who carries the wood sits closest the fire.".

  • sjk
    sjk
    1Password Alumni

    That's great, @LonePalm!

    My pleasure helping you with this, enjoying your sense of humor along the way. :)

    As always, we're here to help if you come up with anything else!

This discussion has been closed.