How do you successfully import & merge & overwrite multiple keepass.kdbx files between Windows & Android?

[Arlen G. Holder]

How do you successfully import & merge & overwrite keepass.kdbx files
between Windows & Android (when you edit on both platforms)?

If I make a change on Android in Keepass2Android & save,
and then I make a change in Windows in Keepass, & save,
when I import the files, it's not currently merging.

In Windows, for example, I run this sequence:
Keepass Password Safe version 2.39.1

For some reason, the desktop "File > Import" doesn't seem to merge data:
KeepssPasswordSafe: File > Import > KeePass (KDBX) 2.x > android.kdbx > OK
(o)Overwrite if newer (KeePass will compare the last-modified times of the
groups/entries and replace the existing ones only if the ones to import are
newer) > OK

Neither does the desktop Keepass Synchronize option:
KeepssPasswordSafe: File > Synchronize > Synchronize with File >
android.kdbx

Which option do YOU use to synchronize your keepass kdbx files when you
make additions and changes and deletions on _both_ the Android device and
on Windows 10?

[Arlen G. Holder]

On Mon, 22 Jul 2019 18:55:32 -0000 (UTC), Arlen G. Holder wrote:

> In summary, I think the Synchronize is NOT looking at the data inside the
> file, but I think the Synchronize is ONLY looking at the date stamp of the
> file.

Hi Poutnik,

The SYNCHRONIZE command does not seem to even _exist_ on the Android app!

While there is a SYNCHRONIZE command on the Windows KeePass:
o KeePass Password Safe, Windows 10, version 2.39.1)
<https://sourceforge.net/projects/keepass/files/KeePass%202.x/2.39.1/KeePass-2.39.1-Setup.exe/download>

What's interesting is that there does NOT seem to be a SYNCHRONIZE command
on my version of the Android Keepass.
o Keepass2Android
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=keepass2android.keepass2android>

Given that oddity, I think this will be my MAIN use model, moving forward:
a. Add/change password on the "master" desktop kdbx
b. On Android - IMPORT that "master" desktop kdbx

Once in a while, this will be my SECONDARY use model, moving forward:
a. Continue to add/change passwds on the "master" desktop kdbx
b. Once in a while, add/change passwds on the "mobile" kdbx
c. On the desktop, SYNCHRONIZE the "mobile" kdbx with the "master" kdbx

The main caveat to that synchronize step is that I have to ensure that the
DATE STAMP on the mobile kdbx is at a LATER date than the date stamp of the
"master" kdbx, which I can do with a simple "touch" command process on the
desktop.

Seems silly to have to change the date stamp - but the synchronize on the
desktop did not work until I changed the date stamp on the mobile kdbx.

Anyone else experience this problem with the Windows SYNCHRONIZE command
when they added a password on the mobile device?

[Libor Striz]

"Arlen G. Holder" <arling...@nospam.net> Wrote in message:

> On Mon, 22 Jul 2019 18:55:32 -0000 (UTC), Arlen G. Holder wrote:

> The SYNCHRONIZE command does not seem to even _exist_ on the Android app!

It is interesting, as I use it regularly in Keeoass2Android.

But it seems making sense for remote syncing only. For your case the transport of the DB to Windows platform is on you, doing syncing on Windows only by Keepass2

About the Keepass2 synchronization see also https://keepass.info/help/v2/sync.html

It seems as eventual items write conflicts are managed by putting older modification into item history.

I do not use a master DB, making changes on all Linux/Android/Windows(less frequently) platforms.

I use Android local DB <> webDAV DB <> Windows Local DB.

Alternative is manual managing to get the "remote" DB copy to local Windows storage and making syncing with this file.

KeePassXC on Linux support just 1 way merge, so I download DB from WebDAV, merge it to the Linux Local DB and upload the result back to WebDAV, that gets synced with the Keepass2Android internal local DB copy.


--
Poutnik ( the Wanderer )



----Android NewsGroup Reader----
http://usenet.sinaapp.com/

[Arlen G. Holder]

On Tue, 23 Jul 2019 06:37:54 +0200 (GMT+02:00), Libor Striz wrote:

> It is interesting, as I use it regularly in Keeoass2Android.

Hi Poutnik,

I think the issue is that there are different "keepass" Android apps,
where, perhaps, the one you use has a "synchronize" button, while the one I
use doesn't seem to have that "synchronize" button.
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=keepass2android.keepass2android_nonet>
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=keepass2android.keepass2android>

[Libor Striz]

"Arlen G. Holder" <arling...@nospam.net> Wrote in message:

> On Tue, 23 Jul 2019 06:37:54 +0200 (GMT+02:00), Libor Striz wrote:> It is interesting, as I use it regularly in Keeoass2Android.Hi Poutnik,I think the issue is that there are different "keepass" Android apps, where, perhaps, the one you use has a "synchronize" button, while the one Iuse doesn't seem to have that "synchronize" button.<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=keepass2android.keepass2android_nonet><https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=keepass2android.keepass2android>

Probably.
Btw it is a menu item, not a button
There is green icon app with network feature and a networkless version I guess with a blue icon.

But it should be enough to just port the offline file between the Android and Windows and do syncing on Windows.

[Arlen G. Holder]

On Fri, 26 Jul 2019 17:07:28 +0200 (GMT+02:00), Libor Striz wrote:

> But it should be enough to just port the offline file between the Android and Windows and do syncing on Windows.

Yup.

The methodolgy turns out to be simple between Android & Windows.
1. Keep the "master file" on the desktop
2. Export/Import that master file to Android
3. When changes are made on Android, "syncrhonize" to the desktop

The only caveat is that for synchronize to work, the desktop keepass.kdbx
file has to have an _older_ datestamp than the Android keepass.kdbx file
(which, is strange since the data entry is what matters - not the file
date).

[Arlen G. Holder]

On Sat, 27 Jul 2019 09:04:59 -0000 (UTC), Arlen G. Holder wrote:

> The methodolgy turns out to be simple between Android & Windows.

OK. I finally figured it out - I think.
o I wish someone had told me that 3 of the 4 Android Keepass apps are
fundamentally worthless for use on a home network simultaneously with a
keepass kdbx file on the home network.

Given the test results below, I think I solved the dilemma of _why_ Poutnik
had a synchronize in his Android version of Keepass while I couldn't find a
synchronize on my Android version of Keepass (where synchronize was on the
Windows version only).

So far, this is what I've been able to ascertain by empirical tests today.
BEST to Worst:
1. Keepass2Android Password Safe
2. Keepass2Android Offline
3. KeePass DX
4. KeePassDroid
Where, if you modify the passwd file on both Android & the desktop, the
only viable answer, really, is "Keepass2Android Password Safe", and where
the latter two are nearly worthless on a network, as they're really
stand-alone apps.

*ICON*
o Keepass2An...: Green background, white & green lock icon
o Keepass2An...: Blue background, white & blue lock icon
o KeePass DX: Green background, white & blue key icon
o KeePassDroid: White background, blue circle, B&W lock icon

*APK*
o Keepass2An... === Keepass2Android Password Safe, by Philipp Crocoll (Croco Apps)
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=keepass2android.keepass2android>
o Keepass2An... === Keepass2Android Offline, by Philipp Crocoll (Croco Apps)
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=keepass2android.keepass2android_nonet>
o KeePass DX === KeePass DX, by Kunzisoft
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kunzisoft.keepass.free>
o KeePassDroid === KeePassDroid, by Brian Pellin
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.android.keepass>

On Android, these are the main issues with free KeePass clones:

*Keepass2Android Password Safe*
o Change Database filespec option exists (on the padlock screen)
o An import database option exists (imports to internal folder)
o An export option exists
o A synchronize option exists

*Keepass2Android Offline*
o Change Database filespec option exists (on the opening screen)
o An import database option exists (imports to internal folder)
o An export option exists
o No synchronize option could be found

*KeePass DX*
o Change Database filespec option exists (on the opening screen)
o No import option could be found
o No export option could be found
o No synchronize option could be found

*KeePassDroid*
o Default = /storage/emulated/0/keepass/keepass.kdbx
o Amazingly, it doesn't seem to be able to change that filespec!
o No import option could be found
o No export option could be found
o No synchronize option could be found

While I might have made a mistake in that emperical summary above, if my
tests above can be repeated, then it seems very clear the only tool that
has all four options of synchromize, import, export, and change database
filespec ... is ...
o *Keepass2Android Password Safe*
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=keepass2android.keepass2android>

This *Keepass2Android Password Safe* also had the option of selecting the
kdbx file from a variety of inputs, from dropbox, to Google Drive,
OneDrive, SFTP, FTP, HTTP WebDav, OwnCloud, NextCloud, PCloud, or
third-party apps.

As an aside, all four had the option of using the fingerprint reader (which
I don't bother with as I don't even have a PIN on my phone).