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Unable to access preference menu on linux

Hello, I just wanted to move the Dropbox folder location through the preference menu but I just can't access the any menu at all.

See below :

Screenshot from 2017-07-14 13-19-14.png

What should I do ?

Regards,

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Accepted answers

maximecb

I found how to fix it. I'm on xubuntu 18.04. There is a new indicator plugin that you have to ask for the task bar. With the new indicator plugin, the dropbox icon works, but not with the default indicator plugin.

All comments

Sanchez

Hey @Unic0, welcome to our forum!

What Linux distribution are you running?

Ordinarily, in this case, I would uninstall and reinstall, using an offline version of our app.

I would also make sure that you use a current stable version of our app. Betas sometimes have these little quirks.

Let me know when you can.

Thanks!

Unic0

Hi ! Thank you for your quick answer, I am running on linux ubuntu 16.04 LTS. I am currently on a workstation and I don't have all the access, but I can still install the application via terminal command. But again after reinstallation, same probleme. I have been installing the current stable version 12.10.1

Regards,

Unic0

Is there any possibility to move the folder with command line ?

Jane

Hey @Unic0,

Hmmmm... :thinking: Because the menu on the client is not loading at all, I'd recommend a fresh re-installation, since the issue seems related to an incomplete installation, hence visual elements appearing incorrectly.

Depending on your OS and the package you used to perform the installation, you could have files in two different locations. I'm sending you instructions for both of the cases, so if some of the commands error out don't worry.

Run the following commands in your terminal:

dropbox stop

dropbox status # Should report "not running"

rm -rf ~/.dropbox-dist

rm -rf /var/lib/dropbox

rm -rf ~/.dropbox*

sudo apt-get remove nautilus-dropbox

sudo apt-get remove dropbox

rm /etc/apt/source.d/dropbox

Once you're done you have two options:

#1. Install the Dropbox application with its graphical components using one of our packages. If you want to do that, download the correct package for your OS and architecture here:

https://www.dropbox.com/install?os=linux

Open your downloads folder and double click on the package file to start the installer.

When Dropbox has finished installing, please sign in and apply any Selective Sync settings you may have had prior to the reinstall and select the Dropbox folder location (if not in the default location) during the sign in process. Your account will take a few moments to reindex the files and sync any pending changes.

#2. The second option is to run a headless version of Dropbox. This version will not have any of the menus or graphical components and can only be interacted with through the command line. To install this version do the following:

If your machine is 32-bit:

<SPAN class=" author-d-iz88z86z86za0dz67zz78zz78zz74zz68zjz80zz71z9iz90za3z66zsz65z7gz85zz86zz70zz79zz80z3z85z6z87ziz78zz83zigfz86zz80z5z80zblcz70zz86z">cd ~ && wget -O - "<A href="https://www.dropbox.com/download?plat=lnx.x86" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.dropbox.com/download?plat=lnx.x86</A>" | tar xzf -</SPAN>

If your machine is 64-bit:

<SPAN class=" author-d-iz88z86z86za0dz67zz78zz78zz74zz68zjz80zz71z9iz90za3z66zsz65z7gz85zz86zz70zz79zz80z3z85z6z87ziz78zz83zigfz86zz80z5z80zblcz70zz86z">cd ~ && wget -O - "<A href="https://www.dropbox.com/download?plat=lnx.x86_64" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.dropbox.com/download?plat=lnx.x86_64</A>" | tar xzf -</SPAN>

Next, run the Dropbox daemon from the newly created .dropbox-dist folder.

<SPAN class=" author-d-iz88z86z86za0dz67zz78zz78zz74zz68zjz80zz71z9iz90za3z66zsz65z7gz85zz86zz70zz79zz80z3z85z6z87ziz78zz83zigfz86zz80z5z80zblcz70zz86z">~/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd</SPAN>

Hope this is helpful to you! Please keep me updated on the results in your reply here.

Thanks,

JaneA

Unic0

Hi ! Thank you for your answer but it didn't work.

I did :

dropbox stop

dropbox status # Should report "not running"

rm -rf ~/.dropbox-dist

rm -rf /var/lib/dropbox

rm -rf ~/.dropbox*

sudo apt-get remove nautilus-dropbox

sudo apt-get remove dropbox

rm /etc/apt/source.d/dropbox

then

If your machine is 64-bit:

cd ~ && wget -O - "https://www.dropbox.com/download?plat=lnx.x86_64" | tar xzf -

Next, run the Dropbox daemon from the newly created .dropbox-dist folder.

~/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd

and I got the same display problem and this message in the terminal:

~/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd
[1:20:0719/114952.585140:ERROR:adm_helpers.cc(62)] Failed to query stereo recording.

I don't know what to do

Jane

Hey @Unic0,

Thanks for your cooperation! Sorry to hear that you the re-installation didn't fix this issue.

Let's not lose heart just yet. If it's not too much trouble for you, please raise a ticket with our team and I'll be more than glad to follow-up and include the troubleshooting we've done together there, so that a specialist on our team investigates the case. Once you write in to us, please let me know a ticket ID in your reply here, so that I look for your ticket internally.

Will be awaiting your reply here!

Warm regards,

JaneA

Unic0

Hey JaneA,

Thank you very much for the time you take to help me out, here is the ticket number: #6228823

Regards,

Jane

Hey @Unic0,

Thanks for the follow-up and the ticket ID, much appreciated!

I’ve located your open support ticket and I’ve made sure that this has been sent over to our specialized team for review. At your convenience, could you check your inbox for our latest message and let me know if you have any issues locating the reply, so that I make sure that you receive it again?

Hope this is helpful to you, wishing you a great rest of the week!

Warm regards,

JaneA

bellb300

This issue also affects me. I am on ubuntu 18.04.

I have re-installed a few times as well. I am unable to access the preferences center of dropbox due to this issue.

Jane

Hey @bellb300, thanks for posting us here on the matter!

As this is has been an earlier discussion, we may need to start afresh on a new thread, though I’m interested if any if the comments (or troubleshooting advised above) matches what you’re currently experiencing. Have you had a chance to do a re-installation following the steps I’ve included above incidentally?

Can you let me know whether you’ve fulfilled all the requirements for Linux listed here? I’d like us to focus specifically on the Qt 5.5, since if you have a different version, you’ll have to consult your OS or Qt documentation and then let us know if this discrepancy persists.

Following, it may be worth installing TopIcons as it is called out as a requirement for the app indicator (tray icon).

Let me know of how my suggestions work for you & I’ll do my best to follow-up on this discussion asap!

willows

Same problem here. I cant use dropbox on my linux!!!! Fix the bug plz.

Jane

Sorry to hear that you can’t access the Preferences menu @willows. Can you let me know of your current configuration? Also, have you tried following the steps I’ve posted to Unico in the first page of this thread, in order to re-install the Dropbox application anew?

Please do let me know of the results you get & your findings & I’ll do my best to further advise you in the matter. Thanks in advance!

maximecb

Same problem here on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS. There is definitely something wrong with the plugin. Please fix it.

Jane

Hey @maximecb, would you mind sharing some more details with us here in regards to your configuration & the troubleshooting steps you’ve followed so far, in order to make sure I’m following-up with you on the right thing? Thanks in advance!

maximecb

Kleajmp F.

So can you tell us what plugin? How to find/install it?

AudunX

I cannot see why this is marked solved. I'm running Ubuntu 18.04, with gnome-flashback. I cannot run Dropbox as it will totally fill my home dir, and I cannot access dropbox pref. Please tell me how to move the Dropbox folder from the command line (then I can at least start using it).

AudunX

I was able to solve the problem by following the instructions here:

https://askubuntu.com/questions/1029225/how-to-fix-broken-nautilus-dropbox-icon-in-ubuntu-18-04-gnome-flashback-in-top-p

carlo_navarro

Hello,

I stumbled across this because of issues running dropbox on elementary os.

I did the recommendation above to run the headless version of dropbox - and it looks like it installed!

My question now tho is how do I access the preferences with this installation. I would like to change the folder in which Dropbox syncs. (change from the default /home/Dropbox)

Cheers,

Jane

Hey @carlo_navarro, please accept my apologies for the slight delay in getting back in touch with you. Following your last inquiry, it would be worth noting that it’s not currently possible to move the Dropbox folder contents to a different directory using the command line, however I’ve made sure to include your interest along to the appropriate engineering team to inform future changes.

Thanks for checking in with us on our Community & I’m always here if you have more questions or thoughts; let me know in your next message & I’ll do my best to check back with you!

carlo_navarro

Hello Jane,

Thanks for the reply.

I ended up moving the files to the default location. I couldn't get the normal installation to work (with the widget on the task bar) with Elementary OS. But the files seems to be syncing, so I guess that'll work for now.

Thanks again,
Carlo

Jane

All’s well that ends well @carlo_navarro; happy to hear that you managed to fix that on your end :white_check_mark: & thanks a lot for pinging me back with this update! Don’t hesitate to get back in touch again in case you have more questions & take care until we talk again! 😊

cuu508

There is no "System Tray" in Gnome Shell and so I'm not sure how to access Dropbox Preferences without installing hacky extensions. Is it possible to launch the Preferences window some other way than from the (missing) tray icon?

Ubuntu 19.04

Jane

Hey @cuu508; I’ve just sent you a brief message, just so as to have a closer look at your account-specifics based on the info I have on file through our Official Support channel. Please have a look at your inbox at your earliest convenience & we’ll take it from there!

chinarut

ok - glad I'm not the only one with this issue and I might be able to add some interesting insight given I use Dropbox out of a /home partition shared by Ubuntu and Elementary.

just for the record, my tray icon works fine in Ubuntu 18.04.4 32-bit and 64-bit (I have both installed) using Unity. I set up selective sync (originally on 32-bit Ubuntu) using the settings available from the tray icon and my ~/.dropbox directory is still usable by 64-bit Ubuntu (and [spoiler alert] the Dropbox daemon is till able to use the directory in Elementary)

I installed Elementary OS today and was happy to see Dropbox in the AppCenter. I installed it and it looked like it did nothing at first. I installed Dropbox from the command line and same behavior (I also was expecting the tray icon to show up as an indicator it was working). Then I created a file on the web and it showed up in my ~/Dropbox directory. I uninstalled the command line version and re-installed the AppCenter version and sure enough, if I created a file on the web, I got a notification that a file got created in my ~/Dropbox directory. So the daemon is definitely running.

So now, like many here, am missing a means to reconfigure the "selective sync" in Elementary OS. I figure it's not a big issue (for now) because I can boot to Ubuntu to make changes (which is not often).

Has any one experimented with the dropbox "exclude" command from the command line by chance?

 exclude      ignores/excludes a directory from syncing

EDIT: After reading recent responses, I don't feel this issue is "solved" either...

Jay

Hi @chinarut, thanks for joining the Community!

Regarding your query, currently we only official support Ubuntu and Fedora for Linux installations. As per the system requirements, the full desktop app needs the following:

GNOME shell (may need the TopIcons extension to get the tray icon)
Unity
GNOME Classic
XFCE with the corresponding Nautilus dependencies

If Elementary doesn’t offer these, then it’s possible this is the reason why you’re not seeing the Dropbox icon.

The 'exclude' command should work when running the command line headless installation, along with other functions.

I hope this helps to clarify matters!

chinarut

amazing response @jay!

thank you for pointing us to the exclude command line documentation - it looks very promising on first glance.

If anyone in this thread has experience to share re: the exclude command, love to hear what you've discovered 🙏