I need to save space on my hard drive. Online-only files would be the perfect solution, but it still does not work on linux fedora.
When will we have this solution?
@edugsdf wrote: I need to save space on my hard drive. Smart Sync would be the perfect solution, but it still does not work on linux fedora. When will we have this solution?
I need to save space on my hard drive. Smart Sync would be the perfect solution, but it still does not work on linux fedora.
At the moment, Smart Sync is only available on Windows and Mac. Dropbox has made no announcement on its availability on Linux. They usually don't discuss timelines or upcoming features until they're reaady to announce them, so we likely won't know that it's coming until it's already here, assuming that it's coming at all.
@stuckj Since posting the comment I learned that what I thought was smart sync was actually selective sync (which *is* simple and *is* available for Linux). The customer support person I originally asked this either did a very bad job at explaining to me what's what, or was as confused as I was. In any case, she was the main source of this confusion for me.
Anyway I'm also a programmer and I agree that smart sync isn't trivial to just port to Linux. It's still a letdown though, because I know it *is* possible and from the amount of people in this thread apparently there's demand.
@tomcho wrote:... Since posting the comment I learned that what I thought was smart sync was actually selective sync (which *is* simple and *is* available for Linux). The customer support person I originally asked this either did a very bad job at explaining to me what's what, or was as confused as I was. In any case, she was the main source of this confusion for me. ...
😆😁🙂 @tomcho That's something normal for Dropbox support. Many times on my questions they demonstrate complete unfamiliarity with the product. 🤷 That's it.
@stuckjFor sure APIs on different platforms are different. The main question here is proper application design. Once there is such, the matter is adapting/encapsulating APIs specifics and their isolating from the application main design. If there is opposite design, application based on particular API set, then it becomes matter of huge work and adaptation on porting to another API set. Unfortunately, seems Dropbox application' developers accept second way! 🤷 Seems you too: "While there might be some code re-use, there's a lot that can't be.". If so, this mean very bad application design! As seems to be.
About the "published API", it's a subset available for the application, from one side. From other side, most users are not developer and want just to use the service, not to work for Dropbox. Don't you agree?!
Of course there is another point related again to the application design. Do you really want "Smart Sync" to be ported in the form it is? The feature is example of a bad design at all. Lot of troubles on platforms where it's available! I don't think Dropbox will change the way application/features design gets made.
@Здравко, I don't wish to engage in a design discussion with you on a system whose internals I'm not familiar (I'm assuming you're also not privvy to Dropbox's code?). Of what I am sure is that file systems are complicated to implement well...especially those with network components. And just porting a filesystem to another platform is non-trivial.
I think the question is whether Dropbox will implement a feature on a platform we'd prefer or not. Which will largely be driven by demand. I don't know the demand for paying Linux customers for Dropbox, but I bet Dropbox does. And they'll ultimately make the decision to proceed or not.
I think what is most helpful is simply telling them we're interested and getting others who also want the feature to do the same.
I use Smart Sync on Mac and on Windows. Since Linux is my main desktop, I really wish I had it there as well. The chief benefits are to have a complete searchable listing of files, without those files taking up disk space.
While not as good as Smart Sync, I get along by using selective sync for files that I keep on the hard drive, and then I mount the entire dropbox once in a while with rclone, which allows me to access everything without taking up space (I can also search for stuff via the web interface of course). If it were not for these utilities, I would be searching for other cloud storage. Facebook was at least smart enough to support rclone.Dropbox Linux support, is not great, but at least there is some (otherwise, I suspect that many other customers would be joining me in dumping the platform). My primary go-to app for iOS, Mac and Windows is the Notebooks.app which works brilliantly to sync all of my stuff between platforms. If I could only have one app, that would be it. Notebooks also does not have a Linux port, so Instead, I have a highly customized instance of the Atom Editor that duplicates much of the Notebooks functionality.
I have just upgraded one of my many Linux Thinkpads to Ubuntu 20.04 (others in the pipeline) - so time to tune Dropbox! Firstly Selective Sync has to be tweaked and the option is still not on the remote homepage- wasted an hour trying to find where the basic option was hidden. We need it to clearly added under- New shared folder- so it appears when your first bank transfer is accepted.But where is the much heralded Smart Sync? For goodness sake, you accept my money- and systems level programming is so much simpler under *nix that Windows and Apple. With kids under lockdown being issued with Chromebooks and Android all over the place it will strangle Dropboxes market share. To be blunt - we are paying for it - when will it arrive?
Today I received an email from Dropbox, reminding me that a feature I pay for is not available on Linux. Yay!!
The Dropbox team keeps adding a lot of features that actually slow down my workflow (suggestions, overviews, recents... I don't open my own file structure to see "what's going on"; I go there to get stuff done and all of this nonsense is more and more in the way) - but they actually still have not delivered the ONE feature that would be useful for Linux. I hope one day we'll get it.
Good evening
In my company we use Linux Mint at most computers and we need to enable smart sync at dropbox app.
Unfortunately, Dropbox smart sync cannot be used in Dropbox app at linux environments so i request dropbox developers to enable this feature for linux devices as soon as possible, as we are having problems with disk space at some computers.
I know we can use selective sync and i am already using it in my computer but it is not a suitable solution for most workers.
There is an increasing number of companies using linux environments in their computers so i think Dropbox should include linux environments in all their app developments.
We are quite satisfied with the linux app performance but smart sync is a key feature for us.
Thanks for your attention
Chema
So I came across this post today. I love Dropbox and have been a paying customer since 5 yrs or so. But I use linux and still don't have the smart sync feature.My renewal is pending within a few days and I don't think they'll add this feature now.
Any cheaper and better alternative then?I don't appreciate that Dropbox doesn't care about linux users. Smart sync is available on mac and windows but not linux.
I am becoming increasingly irritated that I am getting an inferior service.
I can understand that implementing the same thing is somewhat more complicated under Linux, but at least if we can have some communication from Dropbox themselves about it, it'd be great.
Other than this and git style ignore files, I'm pretty happy with Dropbox so far. I can nitpick about this and that, but these issues are not technical.
Yes, it is definitely past due for Smart Sync for Linux!
really I am seeing this feature request from 2018 and now three years later there is still no plan or timeline or what so ever?
Dropbox could you please bring this up? a good SW company should consider bringing up the same feature to all major platform. At least I consider Linux is a major platform.
We need this as well for ubuntu server installations
How can you say that this requires more support there have been loads of thread for this going back to 2018. We pay the same price as other operating systems but get less features.
We absolutely need Smart Sync in Linux. Linux is my main platform at work and home and smart sync is the deciding factor keeping us from deploying Dropbox company wide. Selective sync uses far too much bandwidth and drive space.
That's really bad that the feature is not available on Linux. As if nobody uses Linux... Eye roll... 🙄
In our company our workstations are all under Linux but with telecommuting some of us have no choice but to access the internet via a subscription limited in data quantity, especially in rural areas, so this criterion is determining. This is why we have not switched to a paid subscription. Since we have been waiting for this development for several years and Dropbox does not seem to care, we are currently looking for an alternative solution to Dropbox.
by the way I point out @Megan that the same topic https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Dropbox-ideas/When-will-Smart-Sync-work-on-linux/idi-p/262171 has already obtained 147 votes. Please don't pretend this request doesn't exist
I am surprised to see that this issue is pending since at least 2018!!
https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Dropbox-ideas/When-will-Smart-Sync-work-on-linux/idi-p/262171
Maybe there are other threads regarding this issue, so Dropbox team should count all votes from all threads demanding Linux users to be taken in consideration about Smart Sync ... in case Dropbox linux users are considered to need threads and votes to get what Mac and windows users are already getting without having to do anything.
What is the reason for linux users needing to work (and wait al least 4 years) for getting the same as the other users?
Pretty please: support Linux at parity with other platforms. I know it's a pain and expensive for such small market segment but it's the right thing to do!
I am a paid subscriber and using dropbox on mac and Linux simultaneously. Today, I found this new thread regarding the age-old issue of not having smart sync capability for Linux systems.I was subscribed to the old thread created by someone in 2018.Developers must intervene and provide this feature, at least to the paid subscription. It will be good enough if we can find this feature for ext4, xfs or btrfs file systems only. This will cover most installations of Linux and will be very helpful in managing our storage resources.Please look into this issue.
What mechP said. It's been four years, guys!
This thread is marked "Solved" but it's not -
SmartSync is NOT available on Linux, despite me being a paying customer, and hundreds of posts here over years asking when it will be available.
The thread is NOT solved.
When will SmartSync be available? Is it in the works?
How about a partial refund for features not available?
I also need smart sync for linux! Can you please implement it?
Im also a paying customer for at least 5 years.. When we will receive the same treatment as other platforms? You just implemented it for Mac!!
+1 Just signed up as a paying customer mainly to use SmartSync and then found out it's not available for Linux. Please add. Will likely cancel my paid subscription since I use Linux for most things.
If someone would create an alternate Dropbox client for Linux that provides Smart Sync like behaviour, would you be interested? Please like / +1 this post if you would be willing to back such a project on Kickstarter with at least $99. (Would be released as open source both to make sure it can be shipped by Linux distros and to establish hopefully long-term community maintenance. Kickstarter campaign would not start before there's a working prototype, so total failure of delivery would be unlikely). Asking for a friend.
Like everyone else has said !! What is telling to me is what is said in the Dropbox authored Article on how to use Smart Sync. At the top is a grey box that leads with this, "This feature is only available to users on Dropbox Plus, Family, Professional, or Business plans." So clearly Dropbox understands that is important information to share. But equaly important is highlighting which platforms support Smart Sync. Why the different treatment? Maybe because for the plan type, they hope it will get more paid user and for the OS it might cost them customers? Important information is importnt for all, to "bury" something important is not honest business.Making a decision to not provide this feature on linux is one thing. But to treat linux users with such disrespect is another.
