Clean Sync Conflicts

Overview

Syncthing creates .sync-conflict-* files when the same file is modified on two devices before sync completes. These files are stale snapshots that clutter the repo. This skill ensures they're safely reviewed and removed.

When to Use

• git status shows untracked *.sync-conflict-* files
• User mentions sync conflicts or Syncthing issues
• Session startup hook reports sync conflict files

Process

digraph clean_sync {
  "Detect sync-conflict files" -> "Diff each against original";
  "Diff each against original" -> "All originals strictly ahead?" [shape=diamond];
  "All originals strictly ahead?" -> "Delete conflict files" [label="yes"];
  "All originals strictly ahead?" -> "Flag files with unique changes" [label="no"];
  "Flag files with unique changes" -> "Ask user which version to keep";
  "Ask user which version to keep" -> "Delete conflict files";
  "Delete conflict files" -> "Verify .gitignore has pattern";
}

1. Detect

# Find all sync conflict files in the repo
git status --short | grep 'sync-conflict'
# Or broader search:
find . -name '*.sync-conflict-*' -not -path './node_modules/*'

2. Diff Each Against Original

For each conflict file, derive the original path by removing the .sync-conflict-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS-DEVICEID segment:

# Conflict: apps/cli/src/commands/dock.sync-conflict-20260316-182147-6PCZ3ZU.ts
# Original: apps/cli/src/commands/dock.ts

Run diff between each pair. Report whether:

• Original is ahead (conflict is stale) — safe to delete
• Conflict has unique changes (original may be missing work) — flag for user

3. Clean Up

• Delete all conflict files confirmed as stale
• If any conflict files have unique changes, show the diff and ask the user which version to keep before deleting

4. Verify .gitignore

Ensure the repo's .gitignore contains:

*.sync-conflict-*

If missing, add it under the OS section.

Quick Reference

Common Mistakes

• Deleting without diffing — Conflict files occasionally contain work that hasn't made it to the original. Always diff first.
• Missing the .gitignore entry — Without it, conflict files will keep showing up in git status on every conversation.
• Forgetting nested paths — Sync conflicts can appear anywhere in the tree, not just top-level. Use recursive search.