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autostart doesn't work on kubuntu 22.04

I'm using dropbox on kubuntu 22.04, and recently autostart stopped working. I've been using it without much trouble for years before, on prior versions of kubuntu. I think the autostart function also worked initially after the latest upgrade, but now it doesn't anymore.

I've tried removing the `.dropbox` and `.dropbox-dist` directories, and when logging in after doing that the program seems to start and gives me a dialogue box informing me that it has to download the proprietary daemon. After confirming that it lets me log in and the program works as intended, but when I log out and in again, the dropbox doesn't start anymore.

I came across [this](https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Create-upload-and-share/Autostart-not-working-correctly-Kubuntu-Ubuntu-18-04-5-LTS/td-p/535641) thread which recommends trying an "advanced reinstall", but the linked website seems to malfunction both on chrome and on firefox, and I can't expand the "Linux" section (and neither whe "Windows" or "Mac" sections).

What can I do to get dropbox to autostart again? Without this functionality it's pretty much useless for me, and I have already gotten in a bad situation once where I couldn't access interview documents remotely that I assumed had synced.

Edit: why is "autostart" not a valid label?

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jonas11

Thanks again for your reply! I now ended up calling `dropboxd` directly, via this desktop file:

❯ cat .config/autostart/dropboxd.desktop
[Desktop Entry]
Exec=/home/jonas/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd
Icon=
Name=dropboxd
Path=
Terminal=False
Type=Application

That seems to work! I hope nothing bad can happen when I call dropboxd direclty, and not via /usr/bin/dropbox!

All comments

Здравко

@jonas11 wrote:
...
I came across [this](https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Create-upload-and-share/Autostart-not-working-correctly-Kubuntu-Ubuntu-18-04-5-LTS/td-p/535641) thread which recommends trying an "advanced reinstall", but the linked website seems to malfunction both on chrome and on firefox, and I can't expand the "Linux" section (and neither whe "Windows" or "Mac" sections).
...

Hi @jonas11,

Hmm... Yes, seems there is some issue. As a temporary workaround (till a fix) you can expand everyone section as click on the right arrow (pointing down) and after that push space key. 😉

About autostart: Do you have any issues running Dropbox by hands? 🧐 Or when you run it using either command or through the menu everything goes well. What happens if you run following command in a terminal window:

cp /usr/share/applications/dropbox.desktop ~/.config/autostart/dropboxauto.desktop

Does now (after restart) the application appear working? If not yet, can you post result of following command (executed in a terminal window again):

dropbox status

What do you mean with:

@jonas11 wrote:
...
Edit: why is "autostart" not a valid label?

What kind of "label" are you talking about? 🤔 Can you post a screenshot?

jonas11

Hi Здравко, thanks for your quick reply!

* With your trick with the space key I could read the advanced reinstall instructions and I tried them, but it didn't help.

* The command `cp /usr/share/applications/dropbox.desktop ~/.config/autostart/dropboxauto.desktop` didn't help either.

* the command `dropbox status` in the terminal after logging in gives "Dropbox isn't running!"

* I can start the program manually e.g. through the menu, that works. Only the autostart doesn't work. After starting through the menu and, the command `dropbox status` in the terminal gives:

> /usr/bin/dropbox:614: DeprecationWarning: isSet() is deprecated, use is_set() instead
> if self.stop_event.isSet(): break
> Up to date

* Regarding your last question, if I ask a question on the forum I have to choose a "label" from a list in order to post it, see screenshot. But it's no big deal, I think I chose something at random.

jonas11

I thought I had replied to this, but the reply seems to have disappeared. So here we go again:

* I was able to do the "advanced reinstall using your trick with the space bar to read the help page. But it din't help.

* Copying the desktop file didn't help either.

* `dropbox status` gives "Dropbox isn't running!"

* I can start dropbox eg from the menu, that works. After that, `dropbox status` gives

> /usr/bin/dropbox:614: DeprecationWarning: isSet() is deprecated, use is_set() instead
> if self.stop_event.isSet(): break
> Up to date

* the "label" i'm talking about is when you compose a new question, you have to give it a "label" for you to be able to post. For this question I eventually chose "Setting up the apps" after "austostart" wasn't allowed. I'm not attaching a screenshot since my answer disappeared when I posted it with a screenshot yesterday.

Здравко

@jonas11 wrote:
...
* Copying the desktop file didn't help either.
...

Are you sure have used the same command above and not just drag and drop (or similar)? 🤔

jonas11

Yes, I used your command to copy the desktop file.

Здравко

Hmm... 🤔 Strange! Can you post the result of following command:

ls -l ~/.config/autostart/dropboxauto.desktop

By the way, you can avoid the disturbing message as follow the provided direction within the message itself - i.e. replace the deprecated method name and set newer one (they are synonyms, actually). This could get achieved by following command:

sudo sed -i s/isSet/is_set/ /usr/bin/dropbox

😉

jonas11

Sorry for the delay, I wasn't at my computer. Here is the output of `ls -l ~/.config/autostart/dropboxauto.desktop`:

> -rw-r--r-- 1 jonas jonas 309 Oct 15 20:47 /home/jonas/.config/autostart/dropboxauto.desktop

Let me point out (as I already wrote in my first message) that when I delete the .dropbox and .dropbox-dist folders and then logout and login again, dropbox *does* autostart and give me the dialogue asking to download the daemon. But when I go through the setup and then logout/login again, it doesn't start anymore. So the overall autostart mechanism seems to be working, and starting dropbox through the desktop file also works (via menu), but somehow it fails when autostart tries to launch the desktop file on login.

Is there a logfile somewhere maybe where I can look in, that dropbox would write into and record a failed startup attempt?

Здравко

Unfortunately Dropbox doesn't provide a way to access application logs (I least I don't know for a such). Don't ask me why. Such access would give many useful information, but... 🤷

You case seems similar to one issue of mine; in spite not the same the solution may work for you too. The pseudo script there represents just the idea; you may implement it in completely different way, but keep the name the same and make sure your script resides earlier in your PATH (earlier than the Dropbox control script)!

Good luck.

jonas11

Thanks again for your reply! I now ended up calling `dropboxd` directly, via this desktop file:

❯ cat .config/autostart/dropboxd.desktop
[Desktop Entry]
Exec=/home/jonas/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd
Icon=
Name=dropboxd
Path=
Terminal=False
Type=Application

That seems to work! I hope nothing bad can happen when I call dropboxd direclty, and not via /usr/bin/dropbox!

Здравко

Hi @jonas11,

Your solution rather confirm my doubts for race condition. The worst thing that can happen is application stop (like before), nothing else. Actually only Dropbox can fix this in their code, nobody else. This is bug that can happen depending on timing conditions. We can only try to decrease probability such thing to happen, no way t prevent it completely. There is no universal workaround that can work everywhere, because on different places (different machine speed, etc.) different timing may be the best choice. In you case shortening launching time seems does the trick. 😉 To decrease further probability remove the dropboxauto.desktop (if you haven't yet) and turn off the application's embedded auto launch features (uncheck the checkbox in Preferences, again if you haven't done it yet). Less tries to launch lead to less likely conflict (remain only your dropboxd.desktop launcher and the application's auto relaunch KDE embedded features). Let's hope Dropbox will fix this issue, but rather don't rely on (the problem is very old).

Wish you never met such an issue again.