SYNC causes duplicates on Start Page

[WetGeek]

There are three laptops and three desktops on our internal network. All six are Linux machines, and all six have Vivaldi as the only installed browser. I've noticed that when I do a sync, it results in multiple duplicate thumbnails on my Start Page.

I've heard that one instance of Vivaldi can be identified as the master, so the duplicates can be deleted there before a sync, and they'll be removed from the remote machines, but I can't find any documentation that confirms that, or tells how to accomplish that.

Can anyone help me with this?

[ComputerJoe]

Vivaldi functionality: Merge
To my understanding, bookmarks are distinguished in Vivaldi by folder and URL. On the same computer you cannot save the same URL into two different bookmark folders. Vivaldi realizes that this URL is already saved. When you save the BM to a different folder, it will be removed on the old folder.

However, if you move the same URL/bookmark into a different bookmark folder on a second computer and you do the sync, it becomes a duplicate on the first computer.
The same undesired effect certainly happens when you do a very first sync among computers that have the same/similar bookmark populations. You will get lots of duplicates and even in the same folder.

Bookmark Extensions
In Eversync, you can override all bookmarks either on the local machine or on the server. Hence this is a master functionality.

The third option is the merge bookmarks from local and server.
see a Screenshot via Techbasket

In terms of Eversync, Vivaldi always does a merge.

As for duplicate bookmarks I recommend Bookmark Dupes.
Here you should be able to delete duplicates from one computer using the advanced folder functions.

Ways to remedy
I would suggest the following way.

1. Determine the master and get all bookmarks here.
2. Delete all duplicates with Bookmark Dupes
3. Delete all bookmarks on the slaves.
4. Start the sync either with Eversync or Vivaldi.
5. If you regularly modify bookmarks and bookmark order on the "slave computers" then use Eversync, otherwise Vivaldi sync. This is an either/or. Preferably do not use both.

[ComputerJoe]

Just wanted to emphasize that you should not use two sync engines. I just used Vivaldi sync and Eversync and had lots of duplicates after it. Apparently the interpretation of URL and folder is different.
Maybe bookmarks are synched based on events like "New bookmark in Folder X" and "Delete bookmark in Folder Y".

I was using Eversync, because I used both Vivaldi and Opera browsers.
But now I will only use Vivaldi and therefore only Vivaldi sync. I will still be creating bookmarks on Mac and Windows and move them into folders on one of the two computers. Let's see if Vivaldi sync is able to recognize the move into folders, or if it creates duplicates.

[Ayespy]

@computerjoe What it does here, between Windows, Android and Linux, is display the exact same structure and folder tree in all three. The only time I get a problem is if is fire up a machine after Sync has forgotten that it exists, at which time duplicate bookmarks can be created. To avert this annoyance, when I fire up a long-dormant machine, I first delete all bookmarks and notes before I sync. Then it just gets what's on server, same as all my active machines.

[ComputerJoe]

@ayespy so you are saying that Vivaldi Sync does not create duplicates.
Except at the very first time, when you add a new device?
Workaround: Delete all bookmark on the device and then start the sync.

[Ayespy]

@computerjoe That's what I do.