1. Adding connection to bwSync&Share
2. Adding connection to your home folder
3. Declaring a folder to a sync folder

Important note: Since iOS 14 there is a privacy feature called Local network implemented. Please allow this for PDF Expert when you do want to use it with your home folder.

For setting up a direct connection to bwSync&Share we do need some preparation steps. It is recommended to use the Split View feature of iOS. On the one hand you open Safari (this is for the preparation steps) and on the other hand PDF Expert (for the setup steps). If you do so you can just copy the needed information from the source to the destination. Note: App Switching is not working together with setting up a connection in PDF Expert. When you switch apps while adding a connection the so far inserted data will vanish.

First, you have to login into the webfrontend of bwSync&Share. As recommended use Safari to open the URL on your iOS device (e.g. iPad Pro).

After you have authenticated using your KIT credentials you should end up in the webfrontend seeing your files and folders (if there are any). Look out for “Settings” (“Einstellungen”) in the lower left corner. Clicking/Tapping on it will reveal an URL below “WebDAV”. This one you have to copy into the URL field during the setup steps.

Now you will need to create an so-called app password. This is special authentication data (username and password) for allowing an app to authenticate against the bwSync&Share service. You have to open the menu entry “Settings” (“Einstellungen”) that will reveal after clicking/tapping on your initial in the upper right corner. In the opening view you have to click/tap in the left pane on “Security” (“Sicherheit”).

Then very probably there will show up a list of Devices & Sessions. At the end of the list you will find a form field for entering an “App name” and a button “Create new app password”. Type in “PDF Expert” (or similar) as the “App name”. You will then have a chance to revoke the proper app password when something is going wrong later. After clicking/tapping on the button you will see generated authentication data. Both (username/password) need to copied into the “Login” and “Password” fields accordingly during the setup steps.

The username and password is only shown once. When you leave the view by clicking/tapping on other links, closing the browser windows or else there is no way to view the app password again. When something goes wrong just keep in mind that you have revoke the app password and set a new one. To revoke one you will have to click/tap on the three dots behind the app name and choose “Revoke” (“Widerrufen”).

When you have opened “PDF Expert” tap in the left pane on the “+ Add connection” (“+ Verbindung hinzufügen”). Then you will have to choose the connection type; tap on “WebDAV” beneath the category “Network” (“Netzwerk”). This will lead to a form with different fields as Title, URL, Login, and Password.

The title can be choosen freely, use “bwS&S” for example. The URL corresponds to the WebDAV URL from above. So do the login (username) and the password. Save the data with tapping “Done” (“Fertig”).

Again, note: App Switching is not working together with setting up a connection in PDF Expert. When you switch apps while adding a connection the so far inserted data will vanish.

When tapping on “bwS&S” in the left pane you should see all folders of yours which have been uploaded so far; this can be your own folders or even shared folders from other persons.

For setting up a direct connection to your home folder we do not need any preparation steps. Perhaps you want to create a folder in your directory which you may call “PDFExpert”.

When you have opened “PDF Expert” tap in the left pane on the “+ Add connection” (“+ Verbindung hinzufügen”). Then you will have to choose the connection type; tap on “SFTP” beneath the category “Network” (“Netzwerk”). This will lead to a form with different fields as Title, Host, Login, Password, and Login path besides others.

The Title can be choosen freely, use “na-login” for example. For Host type in “na-login.math.kit.edu”. For Login and Password use your KIT credentials (ab1234 and password). Set the Login path to “/home/<surname>” (for full access to your home folder) or “/home/<surname>/PDFExpert/” (for accessing only the “PDFExpert” folder created beforehand). Save the data with tapping “Done” (“Fertig”).

You can declare any remote folder to be a sync folder. This means the content of the whole folder will be synchronized between the local copy within PDF Expert and the remote source. This is easily done with tapping on the three dots in the lower right corner of a (remote) folder. A menu will popup where you select “Sync”. To view and access your configured sync folder you have to tap on “My files” (“Meine Dateien”) in the left pane. In the right pane there is a special folder called “Syncronized folders” (“Synchronisierte Ordner”). Enter this folder by tapping on it and you will be shown all of your sync folders.