# JabRef 3.3 spawns save.bib files

**URL:** <https://discourse.jabref.org/t/jabref-3-3-spawns-save-bib-files/470>\
**Category:** Help\
**Created:** [February 17, 2017, 10:34pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/jabref-3-3-spawns-save-bib-files/470 "2017-02-17T22:34:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Haines](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4da419/32.png) [@Haines](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Haines)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2017, 10:34pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/jabref-3-3-spawns-save-bib-files/470/1 "2017-02-17T22:34:08Z")

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I upgraded to JabRef 3.3 from JabRef 2.\* about 2-3 weeks ago. Things were working fine until now. When I now try to save my databases it turns out that my /tmp directory (in Debian) has become 100% full (2 Gb?). In it are perhaps a hundred files of the form jabref3890608024893401806save.bib. The date of the files falls within the last 2-3 weeks.

When I use JabRef, I’m in the habit of saving frequently because in the past I sometimes loose data I just put in, and it is entirely possible the hundred saves are from the last few weeks. What is JabRef 3.3’s mechanism for disposing of dated backup files?

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**Author:** ![stefan-kolb](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/stefan-kolb/32/4_2.png) [@stefan-kolb](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/stefan-kolb)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2017, 3:09pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/jabref-3-3-spawns-save-bib-files/470/2 "2017-02-27T15:09:10Z")

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Do you get any errors in the JabRef log, like “Cannot delete temporary file”?

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**Author:** ![Haines](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4da419/32.png) [@Haines](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Haines)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2017, 3:50pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/jabref-3-3-spawns-save-bib-files/470/3 "2017-02-27T15:50:12Z")

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I didn’t follow up on my question because when I did $ rm  
jabref\*.save.bib, not only did I recover space in that partition, but  
henceforth sames too the form jabref\*.save (if I recall correctly).

But now you ask about the jabref log file. I never new jabref had a log  
file. but in searching for it, I discovered my old problem had  
returned. I have now about 60 backups in the form /tmp/jabref\*.save.bib  
of each of my seven .bib database files.

Please, where is this jabref.log file? I looked at the manual and did an  
online search briefly, and nothing popped up.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![stefan-kolb](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/stefan-kolb/32/4_2.png) [@stefan-kolb](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/stefan-kolb)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2017, 4:02pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/jabref-3-3-spawns-save-bib-files/470/4 "2017-02-27T16:02:00Z")

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With log file I mean `Help -> Show error console` output.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Haines](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4da419/32.png) [@Haines](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Haines)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2017, 5:43pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/jabref-3-3-spawns-save-bib-files/470/5 "2017-02-27T17:43:58Z")

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Understood. I look at the log. I assume new reports are appended to the  
end. It starts with errors save exception: no space left on device. So I  
look at the end of the file. There are a couple small problems that are  
not relevant here, but just before them I get:

11:26:22.796 [Spin-1323] ERROR net.sf.jabref.exporter.SaveDatabaseAction - Problem saving file  
net.sf.jabref.exporter.SaveException: rt  
at net.sf.jabref.exporter.SaveDatabaseAction.saveDatabase(SaveDatabaseAction.java:246) ~[JabRef-3.3.jar:?]  
at net.sf.jabref.exporter.SaveDatabaseAction.run(SaveDatabaseAction.java:171) [JabRef-3.3.jar:?]  
at sun.reflect.GeneratedMethodAccessor33.invoke(Unknown Source) ~[?:?]  
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43) ~[?:1.8.0\_121]  
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:498) ~[?:1.8.0\_121]  
at spin.Invocation.evaluate(Invocation.java:175) [JabRef-3.3.jar:?]  
at spin.off.SpinOffEvaluator$1.run(SpinOffEvaluator.java:108) [JabRef-3.3.jar:?]  
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:745) [?:1.8.0\_121]

I hope this is revealing.

Haines Brown