In our Desktop App M1 Chip Mac Overview article, we mentioned our work on a new desktop application for Mac to address the issues surrounding deployment and freezing on boot. That application has now been tested by dozens of customers and is released for all Egnyte users.
The new application is called Egnyte Desktop App Core and is created to address the issues with app deployment (approving kernel extensions) and freeze issues that occur on M1 Pro and M1 Max devices.
We want to share some additional details about the new experience, what changes you can expect, and what are the biggest known limitations.
Why We Are Building a New Desktop App?
The Egnyte Desktop App Core was built using a new Apple technology, the File Provider framework. This framework allows for much tighter integration with the operating system and an improved end-user experience. This ensures future support of the application, since the older Egnyte Desktop App is built on technology that is now being deprecated by Apple.
Will the Existing Desktop App Still Work?
The current Egnyte Desktop App for macOS will continue to function and there aren't any immediate plans to stop supporting it. Once Desktop App Core has full feature parity with the older Desktop App, it will eventually replace the Desktop App.
Prerequisites
Before installing make sure you are aware of the list of features that are not included in the Desktop App Core for Mac, when compared to the Desktop App for Mac.
Be sure to also check the list of differences and other notable limitations.
Before You Install Desktop App Core
Before you install make sure you are aware of the list of features that are NOT included in the Desktop App Core when compared to the Desktop App for Mac.
Be sure to check also the list of differences and other notable limitations.
Installation and First Usage
Download the Egnyte Desktop App Core for Mac (DMG)
Double-click the downloaded and drag to move the app to Applications.
Then simply start the app from the applications.
After you connect a drive, you will need to approve the Finder extension.
Once the app is running, users can mount a drive as they would in the older Egnyte Desktop App. Once mounted, the Egnyte drive is visible under the Locations section in Finder (it can be dragged and dropped into the Favorites section).
If the Egnyte drive is not connected this information will appear in the Finder top bar.
Most Notable Limitations and Differences Between Desktop App Core and Desktop App
New Visual Indicators
Desktop App Core uses new visual indicators.
Content Available for Download
When content is available to download it is represented by a cloud icon with a down arrow . When content is downloaded it is stored in the local cache and the cloud icon is gone. Such content will be available even if the drive is not connected (for example when there is no Internet connection).
Error With Syncing Content
When there has been some problem with syncing content a cloud icon with an exclamation point will be presented . On hover, there will be additional information on why the file couldn't be saved to the Egnyte cloud.
Lock Indicators
When a file is opened by a user, a lock is placed on the file and will remain there until the user closes the file. The lock is represented by a blue padlock icon if the current user is the lock owner.
If the file is locked by another user, the padlock icon will be red, and the current lock owner will be visible when hovering over the file.
The application will renew the lock for opened items every 30 seconds.
Currently, locks for files in folders synced for offline access are displayed but don’t actually block other users from editing files. This is a temporary limitation that we are working on removing.
Different Behavior on Drag and Drop
With the Egnyte Desktop App Core, dragging and dropping a file or a folder from the local file system to a folder in Egnyte will result in the item being moved. In the Desktop App for Mac, dragging and dropping resulted in a copy operation. The difference in move/copy behavior between the two apps is shown below:
Press and hold the option ⌥ button to copy files during drag and drop.
Disconnecting Drive and Cached Content
Any files that are accessed with the Egnyte Desktop App Core are stored in the local OS-managed cache and are available to a user even if the user does not have the drive connected. With the older Egnyte Desktop App, such files were available ONLY if the user used Sync For Offline access option on a folder.
If the drive is disconnected the user is informed about this fact in the Finder window
Using Native Search
Any files that were accessed on Egnyte Desktop App Core can be found using native search (either inside Finder or through Spotlight search).
Only content that is cached locally will be searched - the content that was not downloaded will not be looked at
Drive Removal
If the drive is removed by the user, all unsynced files and folders (for example, unresolved skips) are moved to: ~/Library/CloudStorage/
Drive Labels
Drive labels are only partly adjustable (the drive will always be named as the application: Egnyte). If a user has multiple drives connected, the label can be adjusted; however, the “Egnyte—" prefix will remain.
Drive Alias
Users can now create a shortcut to their drives on the desktop. To enable alias, go to Drives → 3 dot menu → Configure and select Show alias for this drive on the desktop checkbox.
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Egnyte Desktop App for Mac
These three major released versions are supported:
- macOS Sequoia
- macOS Sonoma
- macOS Ventura
Reporting
In audit reports, this app will be presented as "Desktop App".
Notable Limitations
Refer to this article for the list of known limitations.