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Unable to sign into desktop app on Ubuntu

On Ubuntu 16.04, I installed dropbox using the .deb downloaded from the website. It went on to install the daemon and started. The problem is that I can't sign in. Instead of giving me the login screen, it simply opens a blank window of my browser. Any ideas why I might be seeing this? Could I be missing dependencies or have file permissions wrong? Is there an alternate way to connect the desktop app to my account? Thanks!

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richardjconrad

Ok, I got it solved. Here's the answer for posterity.

I think something left over from a previous install was messing up the communication between dropbox and chrome. I changed my default browser to firefox, removed and reinstalled dropbox, and this time it worked just fine.

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Jane

Hey @richardjconrad,

Happy to work on that with you!

Seems like an antivirus, firewall, security program, proxy or VPN is blocking the Dropbox desktop. Can you make sure that these steps are followed for the configuration of your firewall and that the domains listed here are allowed or whitelisted?

Also, if you are connecting through a proxy, please try selecting "No proxy".

If all the above criteria are met, please let me know here, I’d be glad to follow-up!

Kind regards,

JaneA

richardjconrad

No problem with the firewall, turns out it's not enabled by default in ubuntu. And I don't have any proxies set up. Seems to me like the problem has to do with Dropbox's ability to communicate with the browser - it can open one but it doesn't go to the right page.

richardjconrad

Ok, I got it solved. Here's the answer for posterity.

ginobean

I also just ran into this issue. When I tried to sign in to dropbox, it would simply open an empty chrome window.

Finally, I set the default browser to Firefox and the Dropbox sign in worked correctly, bringing up a firefox sign in window.

Can you fix the Ubuntu (Debian) version of Dropbox so that it works correct when Chrome is the default browser?

Jane

Hey @ginobean,

We can definitely send that over to our team specialists as a feature request, thanks for getting in touch here with this feedback!

Other than that, if it's not too much trouble for you, would you mind taking a minute of your time to fill out a survey sharing your experience using the Dropbox Community? You can access it here: http://bit.ly/2lNKIxT .

Wishing you a great weekend ahead,

JaneA

chudak12

Defentely a bug in Dropbox setup. If it needs to use FF then it needs to work nicely if Chrome is default browser.

Thx

eorojas

Does not seem like a fix.

rajhanschinmay

I tried using Firefox as default browser. It is not working.

Mishmash

This solution worked for me thanks!
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, dropbox 2015.10.28 amd64 and Chrome as default browser.

Vicon

Ginobean's answer works for me. Just setting Firefox as the default browser so that the sign-in redirect goes to the correct page. I did not uninstall and re-install Dropbox. Ubuntu 14.04 here, Dropbox installed using .deb file via GUI.

tgr

For a better solution see https://askubuntu.com/questions/689449/external-links-are-opened-as-blank-tabs-in-new-browser-window-in-chrome (the Chrome launcher needs to be fixed)