Does Dropbox or any other similar solution ignore files based on regexp?

Question

I want to setup ignoring policies using syntax similar to .gitignore. Does any of “Dropbox-like” services allow this?

Answer 1

Ubuntu One allows you to do this with a global configuration file.

On Linux, a section of the configuration file ~/.config/ubuntuone/syncdaemon.conf allows you to specify Python regular expressions to be ignored. A similar configuration file exists on other platforms.

Answer 2

Not your preferred solution, but Dropbox and Google Drive allow you to set specific directories not to synchronize to a particular system.

Dropbox support: How do I select which folders to sync to my computer?

Selective sync is a feature of the Dropbox desktop application that allows you to select only the folders you want to be synced to your computer. Selective Sync gives you the control to ensure you have only the files you need on any computer. It's especially handy if you want to save space on netbooks and other computers with small hard drives.

Google support: Choose what syncs to your computer

Everything in My Drive will sync to your Google Drive folder, unless you choose to sync individual folders:

1. Organize your files into folders that you plan to sync.
2. Click the Google Drive desktop icon google drive desktop icon on your computer.
3. Select "Preferences..." (Mac) or "Settings" (PC).
4. Check the box next to "Only sync some folders to this computer."
5. Select which folders you'd like to sync to your Google Drive folder.
6. Click Apply changes.

And, just today, SkyDrive now has selective sync, which looks like it works exactly the same as the others.