iOS can't open .ooutline "file package" stored on dropbox

iOS can’t open .ooutline “file package” stored on dropbox. It sees it as a folder and just opens the folder. Is

I author my outlines on macOS using OmniOutliner 5.2 Pro (v184.4 r300005). I use the “file package” format, because plain text searches are an essential part of my workflows. Dropbox is my cloud storage solution.

I want to be able to access these outlines while mobile on my iPhone. I just installed iOS OmniOutliner 3 (3.1) Pro. I’m unsuccessful in opening these outlines.

Additional Details: I tried copying one of these outlines to iCloud and iOS Outliner 3.1 was successfully about to open it there, but iCloud isn’t a cloud storage product I’d consider using without its file level revision history.

Here’s the comment from Dropbox about this https://www.dropbox.com/help/desktop-web/package-files. It would be great if they did have this support, so you may want to request it.

Package files do work with iCloud Drive because they support package formats. You can still work with dropbox, but only with the flat file formats or using the workaround they suggest. Google Drive and other cloud providers do handle the package formats, so there are options if you aren’t interested in iCloud. You could also try Omni Sync Server or WebDAV if you want to host your own.

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Thank you @lanettetest for the reply. The Dropbox article is interesting but doesn’t seem to say much more than uploading a macOS package in the web browser doesn’t work.

If I was to make a support request to Dropbox what am I requesting of them? Is it an issue with their iOS filesystem implementation? – that you say Google Drive doesn’t have this problem is a great data point. Are there other popular apps by other creators that have this symptom with Dropbox?

The request is that they support package files. This issue will happen with absolutely any file formats that use packages, so that is all Omni applications, GarageBand, Keynote, Pages, Numbers, and many other kinds of software that originates from macOS. There is a wikipedia page about the Packages at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Package_(macOS). I haven’t checked in with Dropbox lately, so if they have any workarounds since last year that allow Dropbox to work with packages, or any updates to check out, please let us know here so that other users can benefit.

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I have this same exact issue but on Google Drive. I opened another thread, but it’s probably very related:

@lanettetest Since you say Google Drive works, could you help me figure it out? Maybe something changed in the Google Drive client recently, or in iOS?

Thanks!

Please send us an email when time allows at omnioutliner-ios@omnigroup.com and we’d be glad to look into this with you! Sorry to hear about the trouble.