Devices and syncing

Syncing lets other computers, tills and phones work on a copy of your books and send their changes to the computer that keeps the books. It is only partly finished. Read the list of what has not been done before you plan around it.

How it is designed

• One computer is the host. It holds the company file. Every other device is a client.
• Clients work offline and send changes. Only the host posts to the books.
• A client can send an expense claim, which becomes a draft claim, or a till day, which can post one entry if you set the till accounts.
• Two routes carry the same sealed messages: the same office network, or a mailbox on thepopstreet.com. The mailbox only stores sealed messages. It cannot read or change your books. Messages are removed once received, or after 30 days.
• Each device only gets the part of the books its role needs. An Employee gets accounts, categories and own claims. A Till gets items, prices, tax and its own sales.

What to do (Mac, today)

1. On the computer that keeps the books, open Devices and press Turn on syncing.
2. Press Add a device. A code appears as a QR picture and as 8 words. It works for 10 minutes, for one device, and for 5 tries.
3. On the new device choose "Join a company" and scan the code or type the words.
4. Back on the host, press Approve as and pick the device's role.
5. To stop a device, use Revoke. It stops at once and cannot come back. Add it again as a new device.
6. Let devices on this office network connect turns on same-office syncing.

Only Owners and Admins can manage devices.

Safety

Every message is signed and sealed. A copy of an old message is ignored. If the same item is sent twice, only the first is used. If two edits meet, the last edit wins and the replaced text is kept in a conflicts list.

Not built yet, or not tried

• The client app has not been built. The Mac or Windows app as a client, and a finished phone app, are not ready.
• No live relay run. The relay on thepopstreet.com has not been tested end to end with the app.
• Windows has no Devices screen. Only unverified code stubs exist.
• The Mac Devices screen was not clicked through.
• Finding the host automatically has not been built. The QR code carries the host's address.
• A client stores its secret keys in a plain file. That must move into the system's key store before it is shipped.
• Large receipts are not split across messages. One message is capped at 1 MB.
• Items, prices and tax rows for tills are not sent yet. A till sends sales only.
• If your updates plan lapses, the internet mailbox pauses with "Relay paused". Same-office sync still works.
• Phone camera capture, install to the home screen and offline use were not tried on a real phone.