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Unable to install the desktop app on Fedora 41.

I need to install the Desktop App for Selective Sync.

I've downloaded the Fedora rpm and installed it. I installs a filemanager. When I click on the 'open dropbox app' the screen blinks and is redisplayed.

What are the steps for installing the Dropbox app?

Thanks

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Accepted answers

Jay

Hi @jonbjoseph, thanks for the info. Are you able to use the Linux commands to exclude the folders you don't need from your Dropbox folder?

All comments

Hannah

Hey @jonbjoseph, welcome to the Dropbox Community!

If you're having trouble installing the Dropbox application on your Linux computer, take a look at this article.

Can you let me know if it helps and how it goes?

If not, let us know where you get stuck and we'll be happy to help.

Restarting the device is always a good first troubleshooting step if you come across that same issue again.

Thanks in advance!

jonbjoseph

Hi Hannah,

I've looked at the article you suggested I read. However, I'm spinning my wheels trying to figure out how to get the Dropbox GUI app that allows me to selectively sync. I can run the dropbox daemon and have the command line app for starting/stopping the daemon. But the daemon is attempting to download all my files on dropbox. I don't have room on my PC to download all my dropbox files.

Bottom Line: I need selective sync capability.

Thanks for your help.

Jay

Hi @jonbjoseph, thanks for the info. Are you able to use the Linux commands to exclude the folders you don't need from your Dropbox folder?

jonbjoseph

Hi @Jay

You pointed me directly to the solution! The 'dropbox exclude add' Linux command is what I should have used. I had blinders on thinking that there was a GUI dropbox app (like what I had installed on Linuxmint 21.3 and Windows 11). So I have to apologize to @Hannah, since @Hannah directed me to the page with dropbox Linux commands.

Thanks!

Hannah

I'm happy to see you were able to figure this out, @jonbjoseph!

If you need anything else, please let us know.

Have a great weekend!

Peace of Wine

Hi Hannah,

I'm having the same problem and I'm trying to use the linux commands, but it's not working for me. Since I'm very new to Linux, could you please help me with the command line syntax to exclude a directory. What I'm doing is not working. I go to the terminal inside dropbox and then I type 'dropbox exclude add [~/my folder]'.

If I type 'exclude add [/my folder]' I receive a error message saying that the command doesn't exist.

Help please... Thank you!

Nancy

Hey @Peace of Wine! Do you mind sharing a screenshot with me of what you see exactly, so that I can take a look?

Peace of Wine

Please ignore the typo in the middle. Like I said I'm very new to linux ( 2months). "pastas do sync" is the folder I want to exclude from being sync by dropbox. I'm not sure the Cli is correctly written, because as you can see, nothing happens. Thank you for your help. I have also tried to paste the all path.

jonbjoseph

You're definitely on the right track. Go up 1 directory level to your HOME directory (cd command) and then try changing your 2nd command as follows:

dropbox exclude add Dropbox/pastas

Note, I'm assuming that the Dropbox directory is in the the default location (~/Dropbox). Then you can run:

dropbox exclude list (or just: dropbox exclude) to confirm that the directory is excluded. I run dropbox status, when I log into my account just to check to see that I'm 'Up to date'.

Not that it matters, but I'm just curious, what Linux are you running (eg ubuntu 2404, Fedora 41)? I'm running Fedora 41.

Peace of Wine

It worked! Thank you so much for your help! Finally I can sync my files!😃🤩. I'm running Fedora 41. I tried Mint which is also very good, but I preferred the clean aesthetics of Fedora, and also because according with the experts is one step ahead of the others on how it works. I tried Ubuntu and I didn't like it at all, my oldest laptop, which is from 2012 and my guinea pig was even slower than with windows.

All my 3 computers are now running Fedora 41 and I'm very happy. And it made me realize how bad Windows is. I thought one of my laptops had the battery damaged until I made the change. It was Windows that was draining the battery. Now it lasts 6 hours, not 1.30!

Once again thank you for your help. I can now wait, seated and peacefully for the answer from Dropbox support on why the app is not working as it should. 😁

jonbjoseph

I'm Glad to help. (You seem to be more technical than you give yourself credit for).

Selective Sync capability is a must for most dropbox users. On my Mac, Dropbox also provides 'on-line' capability for files, which is an additional option for saving on disk-space.

FYI, I'm running Fedora 41 in a VM on VirtualBox on a Windows 11 host. I find that I spend most of my time on the Fedora 41 VM. Unfortunately, I do need Windows 11 for at least one legacy app.

Take care.
Glad the Selective Sync is working for you!

Peace of Wine

I’m more technical but with Windows not Linux. I need to dust off my ms-dos commands! 😉 You too and once again thank you for your help.

Peace of Wine

Hi Guys, Dropbox support found out what was the problem. After installing dropbox you need to install the extension AppIndicator and KStatusNotifierItem Support. This will give support to the legacy icons and the dropbox menu and preferences will show up. You just need to double click on the icon in you right superior corner. You don't need to use the commands on the terminal. I hope it helps.

Peace of Wine

I couldn't paste the link. Sorry!

jonbjoseph

Today, I ran the following commands to install what hoped you were the ' extension AppIndicator and KStatusNotifierItem Support '. But I'm not seeing anything related to Dropbox in the upper right hand corners (just seeing power, networking, sound control icons).

dnf install gnome-shell-extension-appindicator
dnf install gnome-shell-extension-status-icons

Can you provide me with the 'dnf install' commands you used? Thanks!

Peace of Wine

Hey guys, with Fedora 42 this option is not working anymore. You have to remove the directories manually. Dropbox hasn't fixed the problem.

Nancy

Hi again, @Peace of Wine! Can you clarify which option you’re referring to exactly? A screenshot of what you see at the moment would also be highly appreciated.

Peace of Wine

Hi Nancy,

I apologize for not being more clear. A few months ago I contacted Dropbox support because the app was not allowing which folders to synchronize. They instruct me to install this extension "AppIndicator and KStatusNotifierItem Support" in gnome and in fact it worked fine. I could choose which directories to sync without using the terminal commands. But with Fedora42 this options is no longer available and the dropbox app is still not working as it should. So in order to choose which directories to sync you need to use the terminal and the manual commands.

Walter

Hi from me too @Peace of Wine and thank you for the clarification and providing your feedback on this.

I'm afraid the issue with the extension you mentioned would be outside of our remit, but if you have any issues with the relevant commands when using the CLI, please let us know.