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linux:dropbox [2017/10/23 14:18] – jansen | linux:dropbox [2020/07/22 09:15] (current) – [Setting up Dropbox on the Linux desktops] jansen | ||
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Dropbox is a nice tool to synchronize some documents between computers. It is available on our Linux desktops, but take care of a couple of things: | Dropbox is a nice tool to synchronize some documents between computers. It is available on our Linux desktops, but take care of a couple of things: | ||
- | * Dropbox offers 2GB storage. But synchronization implies, that a local copy is made. Default location is in your home directory, but perhaps you don't have 2GB there (or you don't want to waste the limited space that you have in home). So make sure you move your Dropbox folder to another location, preferably on the local disk of your desktop. (Dropbox preferences - Advanced tab).\\ | + | * Dropbox offers 2GB storage. But synchronization implies, that a local copy is made. Default location is in your home directory, but perhaps you don't have 2GB there (or you don't want to waste the limited space that you have in home). So make sure you move your Dropbox folder to another location, preferably on the local disk of your desktop. (Dropbox preferences - Advanced tab). |
Not only will that prevent quota problems on /home, it will also be faster, because your local copy is actually local. | Not only will that prevent quota problems on /home, it will also be faster, because your local copy is actually local. | ||
- | * **BUG**: There seems to be a bug in the current version | + | * **IMPORTANT**: As of October 2018, Dropbox |
+ | - A new setup of Dropbox will by default start in ''/ | ||
+ | - If you followed earlier advice, and moved '' | ||
* Close dropbox to make sure nothing is running | * Close dropbox to make sure nothing is running | ||
- | * Move the directory.E.g. '' | + | * Rename |
- | * Make a symbolic link, e.g. '' | + | * Remove the symbolic link in your home directory, and create a new one: '' |
- | * Optionally edit the preferences | + | * Restart dropbox. It will complain, as usual. |
- | * Restart dropbox. It will now work through | + | * Go to the preferences |
- | | + | * Restart dropbox |
- | * Do not run Dropbox | + | * If you want, you can now remove |
- | | + | - An alternative method tricks dropbox into seeing another directory as your home, so you can avoid using the nfs mounted home disk. However, using this method, dropbox cannot |
+ | * Stop Dropbox | ||
+ | * Create the directory where you want the Dropbox | ||
+ | * Point HOME to that location, | ||
+ | | ||
====== Setting up Dropbox on the Linux desktops ====== | ====== Setting up Dropbox on the Linux desktops ====== | ||
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Note that Dropbox sync is not running when you don't have a desktop session active, eg if you log in over ssh. You can still add files to your Dropbox folder, and they will be sync'd the next time dropbox is started on the desktop, or commandline synchronization is started (see below). | Note that Dropbox sync is not running when you don't have a desktop session active, eg if you log in over ssh. You can still add files to your Dropbox folder, and they will be sync'd the next time dropbox is started on the desktop, or commandline synchronization is started (see below). | ||
+ | |||
+ | Some important settings: | ||
+ | * Location of your Dropbox folder. See above. Use the local disk of your desktop, not /home | ||
+ | * Disable LAN sync (Dropbox preferences - general tab). It would only be useful to synchronize between computers in the local network, but the computers in our network can share disks through automount, so there just is no point to have Dropbox generate a lot of network traffic to duplicate a feature we already offer (with much greater flexibility, | ||
+ | * Do not run Dropbox on multiple desktops at the same time. Dropbox isn't aware of the fact, that a data location like ''/ | ||
+ | * However, synchronizing between desktop and laptop is possible, and useful. No harm there, since there are no shared disks. But here as well, LAN sync will not work, so switch it off please. | ||
====== Commandline tools ====== | ====== Commandline tools ====== |