how to install Dropbox on GhostBSD?

lazylew

When looking in the Software Station for Dropbox I see 6 results, but none of them means anything to me.
How does one simply install Dropbox?

vimanuelt

There is not a Dropbox GUI app. There is a CLI version.

Install:
Open Software Station and install: dropbox-uploader

Configure:
Run it once and follow the setup instructions to authorise API access.

dropbox-uploader

Usage:

dropbox-uploader upload myfile.txt /myfolder/
dropbox-uploader download /myfolder/myfile.txt .

vimanuelt

I was surprised to see that no one has created a graphical interface for the command-line tool yet. It would be great to have one. Is anyone interested in taking on the task?

lazylew

vimanuelt Thanks for the reply; however, I will not be handling my Dropbox from CLI.
I´m not afraid to use a terminal at all, but for something like Dropbox I do expect a GUI like most OS´s use.

vimanuelt

Here are some alternatives:

Nextcloud is the best Dropbox replacement due to its feature-rich platform, strong community support, and extensive customization options. It closely mimics Dropbox’s functionality.

Syncthing is ideal if you want a lightweight, no-cloud solution for syncing files across devices.

OwnCloud or Seafile are great for team collaboration, with ownCloud offering more compliance features and Seafile focusing on speed.

SparkleShare is a niche but effective choice for projects requiring Git-based versioning.

lazylew

vimanuelt Thanks for the suggestions, but I don´t really want to replace Dropbox just because GhostBSD does not have a GUI for it.
Nextcloud looks ok, but then watching videos about preparatory needs is an issue; not having time for all that.

Syncthing looks interesting enough to investigate further, but again the time factor..

On the other hand, I won´t give up on the idea of using GhostBSD just because It doesn´t have a Dropbox GUI.

So far that is a reason for holding my horses, together with the fact that using Vivaldi browser needs some coding stuff I am not familiar with.

vimanuelt

lazylew
Certainly. If you're not a software engineer, the most practical choice is to use an operating system that offers full support for the specific applications you need. While FreeBSD and GhostBSD support over 30,000 applications through the ports and packages collections, some proprietary services like Dropbox have limited or no native support. This can make them less convenient for users who rely on such software.

brianthehughes

lazylew

Browser based Dropbox missing the core file sync aspect that you're seeking?

I've found using a web browser to be a reasonably functional experience for Dropbox, iCloud, GoogleDrive, Sharepoint/Teams/etc...

lazylew

brianthehughes food for thought - thanks for the suggestion.

GNU2BSD

Dropbox is accessible via all web browsers, but the web interface doesn't sync with local directories in any operating system. You need the Dropbox desktop app for that on Windows, Mac, or Linux, or a mobile app. I have to assume that there is no automatic sync with the dropbox-uploader CLI app available in the Software Station.

So for GhostBSD what I decided to do is follow the Dropbox folders that I want to receive notifications for via the settings in the web interface. That sends an email to your associated email address whenever a file is uploaded or deleted from those folders. Then you can configure an email application if you like to give you a notification on your desktop to alert you to go manually download the newly uploaded file.

One low overhead and easy to set up method for notification that I use- since I have a web browser open at all times anyway- is to leave one tab logged into Yahoo email, then hide the tab using a Firefox extension so it's not in the way. And then it will pop up a notification on my desktop shortly after someone else in my group uploads a file to my followed Dropbox folder. I don't mind having to manually download new files as they come in as long as I get a fairly prompt notification on my GhostBSD desktop (and/or phone) when they do become available.