I’m working on a project and I’m using Google Drive to back up my files. The problem is, it’s syncing everything, including the node_modules folders. These folders are huge and take forever to sync. Plus, they’re not really necessary to back up.
Does anyone know if there’s a way to tell Google Drive to ignore these folders? I’m using a Mac, so if Google Drive can’t do it, are there any other Mac apps that can sync to Google Drive but let me exclude certain folders?
I’ve tried looking through the Google Drive settings, but I can’t find anything that lets me exclude specific folders. Any help would be really appreciated!
I’ve encountered this problem as well. One effective solution is to use the Google Drive selective sync feature. On your Mac, click the Google Drive icon in the menu bar, go to Preferences, then Sync Settings. From there, you can deselect specific folders you don’t want to sync, including node_modules. This approach keeps your Drive organized without sacrificing backup for important files. If you need more control, consider using a version control system like Git alongside Drive for your development projects. This combination provides better management of large, frequently changing directories like node_modules.
hey Alice45, i’ve dealt with this issue too. try using .gitignore files in your project folders. Google Drive usually respects these. just add ‘node_modules/’ to the file. if that doesn’t work, consider using a different backup solution like Backblaze or Arq that offer more granular control over what gets synced.
As someone who’s been in your shoes, I can tell you that managing node_modules with Google Drive can be a real headache. Here’s what worked for me: I started using a tool called ‘rclone’. It’s a command-line program that lets you sync files with cloud storage, including Google Drive, and it gives you much more control over what gets synced.
With rclone, you can set up filters to exclude certain directories or file types. I created a simple rclone config that excludes node_modules and it’s been a game-changer. The initial setup takes a bit of time to get used to, but once it’s running, it’s hands-off and works like a charm.
If you’re not comfortable with command-line tools, another option is to move your node_modules outside of your project directory. You can use npm’s config to set a global location for all node_modules. This way, Google Drive won’t see them as part of your project folder at all.