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Why is the Dropbox desktop application not working on Linux Mint?

When I try to start launch the Dropbox GUI after installing Dropbox (from the Dropbox website) on my Linux Mint desktop, it just flashes and disappears. How can I fix this? Alternatively, how can I change the location of the Dropbox directory from the command line?

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AdamReed

I finally got it to change the directory as I wanted. It turned out that the directions in https://help.dropbox.com/installs/dropbox-desktop-app-for-linux are incomplete, and in the wrong order. The correct procedure on Linux Mint with Mate is:

Remove dropboxd and dropbox if either (or both) is/are already installed, following the instructions in https://help.dropbox.com/installs/uninstall-dropbox#uninstall-linux .
Restart.
Install libappindicator3-1.
Restart.
Install ayatana-indicator-application.
Restart.
Install dropbox and dropboxd.
Restart.
Add Indicator Applet Complete to panel.
Restart.
Use the right-hand menu over the IAC on the panel to install the dropbox icon if it is not already installed.
Restart. Now the icon will be ready for use.

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AdamReed

when I give the command "dropbox version", I only get

Dropbox daemon version: 228.4.5567
Dropbox command-line interface version: 2025.05.20

No GUI version. Does this mean that the GUI is not installed? If so, how can I install it?

Jay

Hi @AdamReed, thanks for joining the Community.

Could you let us know if you followed these steps to install the necessary items for Linux Mint?

This will help me to assist further!

AdamReed

I got as far as getting the "Create Launcher" pop-up from Custom Application Launcher. I chose "Application" for Type, and typed Dropbox for Name, but what should I type for Command? Or should I uninstall and re-install dropbox?

Megan

Hey @AdamReed, let me jump in here!

I would also suggest that you first uninstall the app using these steps.

Once that's done, follow the steps in the Help Center article provided by @Jay and let me know of the results.

AdamReed

@Megan, @Jay :

Megan: I followed your instructions, uninstalled according to your link, and re-started.

Jay: I followed the instructions in your link, and re-started.

Then I installed Dropbox again according to your instructions and re-started. I clicked on the pop-up to install the demon. Then I entered "dropbox start" under my own id, and was instructed to type "dropbox start -i" to install the demon. Then when I entered "dropbox start" again, I was given a link, which I opened, but all I got was an animated square, which continued until I got tired of it and closed the tab. then I did "sudo dropbox start -i", which installed a bunch of stuff, and I restarted my computer. Then I tried to star Dropbox from the Mint button, but nothing happened. Then when I entered "dropbox start" again, I was given a link, which I opened, but all I got was an animated square, which continued until I got tired of it and closed the tab. I restarted my computer. Tried again as root, same thing.

In summary, before I asked how to change my off-line directory, Dropbox apparently worked, but the off-line directory was on the wrong disk. Now dropbox status returns "Waiting to be linked to a Dropbox account..." and following the link tells me that I was successful. But the Dropbox directory is still on the wrong disk, and I do not seem to have any way to change its location - things seem to be as they were before I asked.

Jay

Thanks for the update, in order to look into this matter in more detail, I'd recommend contacting the support team directly for them to investigate further.

AdamReed

I finally got it to work, but when I try to post my reply with the correct procedure, I get "your post contains invalid HTML. Remove the following invalid tags before publishing: a, a (class)". How can I reply with plain text?

AdamReed