Everything Server: Exclude File List?

[JohnTravolski]

Hi, I am using a file list to index the content of .zip, .rar, and .7z archive files on several computers. I have a python script which runs nightly on each machine to generate the .efu files. Currently, I have been using "Tools->Options->Indexes->Folders" to allow some computers to index files on other computers.

A side effect of this is that any archive file will show up twice when searching for it, because it is now treated as both a file and a folder since I have the filelist set up like this:

Code: Select all

"\\netshare\f\Backups\ROM Tools\IPS to SMC Converter\floating131\src.zip\flips-w32.cpp",29617,2015-06-20T22:47:24,2015-06-20T22:47:24,
"\\netshare\f\Backups\ROM Tools\IPS to SMC Converter\floating131\src.zip\flips.Manifest",367,2014-05-27T17:25:20,2014-05-27T17:25:20,

I was able to get around this by creating filters, including "Not In Archives" and "In Archives Only", utilizing the Search field values of

Code: Select all

!filelistfilename:my_archive_filelist.efu

and

Code: Select all

filelistfilename:my_archive_filelist.efu

, respectively.

This setup is mostly working well for me, but I was curious to try Everything Server since it can help with some network folder refresh issues (when lots of files are created on a network share quickly, and I want to be able to search them from another computer, for example).

There are some issues that arise when I use Everything Server, and I'm not sure what the best solution is.

1. If I continue to have each computer generate an EFU file, then the archives on network share running the server will show up twice since Everything Server is now adding it to the network index. This isn't ideal.

2. However, if I remove the archives on the network share from the .efu files on the clients, then I can no longer use the filters I set up, since the clients have no knowledge of the filelist the server is using. So then I cannot easily search only the filesystem or only the archive contents.

3. Another possibility is removing the filelist from the server. However, I often use that computer to do similar searches that benefit from those filters.

So none of the three items listed above are viable for me.

If it is possible to prevent the filelist on the server from being shared with the clients, then I think this would solve my problem. However, there is only an "Include only" filter in the "Everything Server" configuration settings, so I'm not sure if this is possible.

Do you know if it is possible to prevent the filelist items from being shared with the clients? If not, do you have any other suggestions?

[void]

The Everything Server will flatten your index.

Filelists will appear as normal files and duplicates are removed.

Instead of indexing the file lists on the server side, please try indexing them on the client side.

[JohnTravolski]

I would still like to be able to search the archive contents on the server, though, so this would prevent me from doing so, right?

[void]

Clients can index a network index (Everything Server) and filelists.

[JohnTravolski]

I agree that this would solve the issues I described in my post for the clients, but the new problem introduced by doing it this way is that I can no longer search the archive contents on the computer that is running Everything Server, because I cannot use a file list on the server anymore.

Perhaps the confusion here is that currently I am already generating .efu files on both the server and the client. Removing the .efu file from the client prevents me from using the filter. Removing the .efu file from the server prevents me from being able to search archive contents from the server. I'm wanting to be able to do both.

[void]

Not the best solution, but you could run another instance of Everything just to index your file lists.

If you really wanted to, you could setup the instance to index the Everything Server and file lists on the server.

[JohnTravolski]

It appears this suggestion will solve my issue. I have not tried it yet, but I will give it a shot some time later and let you know how it works. Thanks for the help!

[NotNull]

A simple shortcut could be:

Searching for files in archives:

<.zip|.rar|.7z>\

Searching for regular files/folders:

!<.zip|.rar|.7z>\

Untested ..

(assuming you don't have folders that actallu\y have a .zip/.7z/.rar "extension")

[JohnTravolski]

Not the best solution, but you could run another instance of Everything just to index your file lists.

If you really wanted to, you could setup the instance to index the Everything Server and file lists on the server.

I appreciate the help. The second instance method has been working great so far. However, it is a bit convoluted to set up.

A simple shortcut could be:

Searching for files in archives:

<.zip|.rar|.7z>\

Searching for regular files/folders:

!<.zip|.rar|.7z>\

Untested ..

(assuming you don't have folders that actallu\y have a .zip/.7z/.rar "extension")

I also tried NotNull's solution with the filters (using the file list only on the server but not on the client), and this appears to work well too. I think I would prefer to use this method since it's simpler, but there does appear to be one minor drawback. I'm getting an issue where the archive file shows up twice on the client (without any filters applied). For example:



It only shows up once on the server, however:



I'm not entirely sure why this happens considering I'm no longer using the file list on the client. I noticed the file size is different. I assume the one without the date modified property is the sum of the sizes of the numbers I entered into the file list, which would be the uncompressed sizes. Perhaps it is related to this?

Any idea how I can prevent the archive files from showing up twice on the clients?

[void]

Please upload your Client -> Help -> Troubleshooting information in a bug report.

[JohnTravolski]

Please upload your Client -> Help -> Troubleshooting information in a bug report.

OK, I submitted a bug report with the information you requested and a link back to this post for reference. Let me know if you need anything else.

[void]

Thank you for the client trouble shooting information.

I don't have a good answer at the moment.
There should not be any dupes as you are only indexing the Everything Server.
There should not be any file list items any more as they have been removed from your index.

On the client, could you please do a search for:

Rufus 3.1p.7z

(same as before)
From the File menu, click Export....
Change Save as type to: EFU Everything File List.
Choose a filename and click Save.
Could you please upload this EFU file in a bug report.



Could you please upload the server -> Everything -> Help -> Troubleshooting information too.

[JohnTravolski]

Thank you for the client trouble shooting information.

I don't have a good answer at the moment.
There should not be any dupes as you are only indexing the Everything Server.
There should not be any file list items any more as they have been removed from your index.

On the client, could you please do a search for:

Rufus 3.1p.7z

(same as before)
From the File menu, click Export....
Change Save as type to: EFU Everything File List.
Choose a filename and click Save.
Could you please upload this EFU file in a bug report.



Could you please upload the server -> Everything -> Help -> Troubleshooting information too.

I submitted another report. Another thing I just thought of that might be useful, these are the relevant items in the file list the server is using that is causing the duplication (the duplication on the client goes away if I remove these entries from the server's file list):

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"D:\Installation\Additional Application Backups\Rufus\Rufus 3.1p.7z\rufus_files",0,2023-06-24T19:19:26,2023-06-24T19:19:26,
"D:\Installation\Additional Application Backups\Rufus\Rufus 3.1p.7z\rufus_files\syslinux-6.03",0,2023-06-24T19:19:26,2023-06-24T19:19:26,
"D:\Installation\Additional Application Backups\Rufus\Rufus 3.1p.7z\rufus_files\syslinux-6.03\20171017",0,2023-06-24T19:19:26,2023-06-24T19:19:26,
"D:\Installation\Additional Application Backups\Rufus\Rufus 3.1p.7z\rufus_files\syslinux-6.04",0,2023-06-24T19:19:26,2023-06-24T19:19:26,
"D:\Installation\Additional Application Backups\Rufus\Rufus 3.1p.7z\rufus_files\syslinux-6.04\20191223",0,2023-06-24T19:19:26,2023-06-24T19:19:26,
"D:\Installation\Additional Application Backups\Rufus\Rufus 3.1p.7z\rufus.ini",131,2025-12-25T12:39:24,2025-12-25T12:39:24,
"D:\Installation\Additional Application Backups\Rufus\Rufus 3.1p.7z\rufus_files\syslinux-6.03\20171017\ldlinux.bss",512,2019-07-18T18:02:50,2019-07-18T18:02:50,
"D:\Installation\Additional Application Backups\Rufus\Rufus 3.1p.7z\rufus_files\syslinux-6.03\20171017\ldlinux.sys",68599,2019-07-18T18:02:50,2019-07-18T18:02:50,
"D:\Installation\Additional Application Backups\Rufus\Rufus 3.1p.7z\rufus_files\syslinux-6.03\ldlinux.bss",512,2019-07-18T18:02:50,2019-07-18T18:02:50,
"D:\Installation\Additional Application Backups\Rufus\Rufus 3.1p.7z\rufus_files\syslinux-6.03\ldlinux.sys",68599,2019-07-18T18:02:50,2019-07-18T18:02:50,
"D:\Installation\Additional Application Backups\Rufus\Rufus 3.1p.7z\rufus_files\syslinux-6.04\20191223\ldlinux.bss",512,2021-09-18T13:44:48,2021-09-18T13:44:48,
"D:\Installation\Additional Application Backups\Rufus\Rufus 3.1p.7z\rufus_files\syslinux-6.04\20191223\ldlinux.sys",68121,2021-09-18T13:44:47,2021-09-18T13:44:47,
"D:\Installation\Additional Application Backups\Rufus\Rufus 3.1p.7z\rufus_files\syslinux-6.04\ldlinux.bss",512,2021-09-18T13:44:48,2021-09-18T13:44:48,
"D:\Installation\Additional Application Backups\Rufus\Rufus 3.1p.7z\rufus_files\syslinux-6.04\ldlinux.sys",68121,2021-09-18T13:44:47,2021-09-18T13:44:47,
"D:\Installation\Additional Application Backups\Rufus\Rufus 3.1p.7z\rufus-3.1p.exe",1018424,2018-06-20T15:02:53,2018-06-20T15:02:53,

[void]

Thank you for the file list and server info.

The file list shows Rufus 3.1p.7z with the larger size is a folder.
The smaller one is a file.

The Everything Server will not flatten files and folders.
Technically, you can have separate files and folders with the same name and path.



Is the folder version coming from your file list?
edit: OK, looks like it is from the file list.

I wonder why it's not shown on the server side?
-Whats the active filter on the server side?
-does the following search bring up more results:

path:"Rufus 3.1p.7z"

[JohnTravolski]

There is no filter on the server side (it is "EVERYTHING").

Yes, I do get more items if I use "path", but they aren't the same duplicates that the client sees:

Server:



Client:



Note, it appears that subfolders within the archive are also showing up duplicated on the client but not the server, such as the "rufus_files" folder.

[void]

Something is up on the server.

It should be listing the same as the client.

The server doesn't appear to be listing folders at all.
on the server, does a simple search for:

folder:

return any results?
Have you changed your Everything filter search?

[JohnTravolski]

Something is up on the server.

It should be listing the same as the client.

The server doesn't appear to be listing folders at all.
on the server, does a simple search for:

folder:

return any results?
Have you changed your Everything filter search?

Yes, using

Code: Select all

folder:

on the server returns plenty of folders.

I haven't changed the everything filter search. Here's the filter on the server:



I imagine this should be fairly simple to recreate on a fresh installation of Everything with a minimal file list containing the contents of an archive also indexed by the server. I might try to do this to confirm some time later. I have extra computers I can test with.

[void]

Everything is hiding the filelist reconstructed folders.

The server will send reconstructed folders as normal folders to the client.
They cannot be hidden on the client side.

To view reconstructed folders:

• On the Server, In Everything 1.5, from the Tools menu, click Options.
• Click the Advanced tab on the left.
• To the right of Show settings containing, search for:
  reconstructed
• Select: filelist_hide_reconstructed_folders
• Set the value to: false
• Click OK.

[JohnTravolski]

Everything is hiding the filelist reconstructed folders.

The server will send reconstructed folders as normal folders to the client.
They cannot be hidden on the client side.

To view reconstructed folders:

• On the Server, In Everything 1.5, from the Tools menu, click Options.
• Click the Advanced tab on the left.
• To the right of Show settings containing, search for:
  reconstructed
• Select: filelist_hide_reconstructed_folders
• Set the value to: false
• Click OK.

OK, setting "filelist_hide_reconstructed_folders" to "false" on the server is giving me the same behavior as the client now (same duplication of the archive file and the folders within an archive file).

Regardless of which setting I use on the client, I get the duplication though. This makes sense because the client doesn't know those items are from a file list.

Ideally I would have the ability to hide the reconstructed folders on the client so I don't get the duplicates. I take it there's no way to do this? Or no way to prevent the server from sending them to the client somehow?

If not, is there some clever way I can filter them out I wonder? It seems like the duplicate entries aren't getting a date modified property populating. I wonder if I can utilize this fact somehow.

[void]

Not over the Everything Server.
You would have to index the file list on the client side.

[JohnTravolski]

It looks like I can make use of the fact that the date modified field isn't populating for the reconstructed folders on the client to adjust my filters to remove the duplicate entries.

For example, going back to the original filters NotNull suggested, it appears I can modify them in this way to remove the duplicate entries:

Not In Archives

Code: Select all

dm:>=1900/01/01 !<.zip|.rar|.7z>\

In Archives Only

Code: Select all

dm:>=1900/01/01 <.zip|.rar|.7z>\

It's possible this may filter out some legitimate results, so I'll need to do some more in-depth testing. It's also possible there may be a better attribute to use other than date modified. If anyone has a better recommendation, please let me know. Thanks.