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linux:dropbox [2018/10/25 13:45] – [Dropbox] jansenlinux:dropbox [2020/07/22 09:15] (current) – [Setting up Dropbox on the Linux desktops] jansen
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 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.
   * **IMPORTANT**: As of October 2018, Dropbox is giving warnings that it will stop working on unsupported filesystems, which includes nfs (network file system, eg the /home disk). Two scenarios to solve this:   * **IMPORTANT**: As of October 2018, Dropbox is giving warnings that it will stop working on unsupported filesystems, which includes nfs (network file system, eg the /home disk). Two scenarios to solve this:
-  - A new setup of Dropbox will by default start in ''/home'' and complain. Go into the preferences and move Dropbox to a location on the local disk (''/data1'' or ''/data2'')+  - A new setup of Dropbox will by default start in ''/home'' and complain. Go into the preferences and move Dropbox to a location on the local disk (''/data1'' or ''/data2''). That should solve the issue and stop the warnings.
   - If you followed earlier advice, and moved ''~/Dropbox'' to a local disk, but kept a symbolic link, the warning will appear since dropbox apparently doesn't understand this. Unfortunately, you can not simply tell Dropbox where the directory actually is. So here is a series of actions to work around it, and end up with the desired setup: Dropbox on the local data disk, without the link and without complaints   - If you followed earlier advice, and moved ''~/Dropbox'' to a local disk, but kept a symbolic link, the warning will appear since dropbox apparently doesn't understand this. Unfortunately, you can not simply tell Dropbox where the directory actually is. So here is a series of actions to work around it, and end up with the desired setup: Dropbox on the local data disk, without the link and without complaints
     * Close dropbox to make sure nothing is running     * Close dropbox to make sure nothing is running
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     * Restart dropbox again. It will now work with the local location (''/data1/yourusername/Dropbox'')     * Restart dropbox again. It will now work with the local location (''/data1/yourusername/Dropbox'')
     * If you want, you can now remove the symbolic link from your home directory     * If you want, you can now remove the symbolic link from your home directory
-  * Disable LAN sync (Dropbox preferences general tab)It would only be useful to synchronize between computers in the local networkbut 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 flexibilityand not limited to a single directory of 2 GB)+  - An alternative method tricks dropbox into seeing another directory as your home, so you can avoid using the nfs mounted home diskHowever, using this method, dropbox cannot be started automatically when you log in, you have to use the commandline to start it upalthough file manager access will work once started
-  Do not run Dropbox on multiple desktops at the same time. Dropbox isn't aware of the factthat a data location like ''/net/computername/something'' is shared between computers, it will try to synchronize from that location on one computerto that same location on another computer, potentially overwriting or damaging the files. And againthere is no need to use Dropbox to synchronize between computers in our network  +    Stop Dropbox if it is already running 
-  Howeversynchronizing 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.+    * Create the directory where you want the Dropbox files on the local diskeg ''/data1/yourusername'' 
 +    * Point HOME to that location, and start installing dropbox ''( setenv HOME /data1/yourusername ; dropbox start -i )'' 
 +    Next time you log inrepeat this command without the -i option: ''( setenv HOME /data1/yourusername ; dropbox start )''
  
 ====== 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, and not limited to a single directory of 2 GB).
 +  * Do not run Dropbox on multiple desktops at the same time. Dropbox isn't aware of the fact, that a data location like ''/net/computername/something'' is shared between computers, it will try to synchronize from that location on one computer, to that same location on another computer, potentially overwriting or damaging the files. And again: there is no need to use Dropbox to synchronize between computers in our network 
 +  * 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 ======
linux/dropbox.1540475150.txt.gz · Last modified: 2018/10/25 13:45 by jansen