Installing and Configuring Dropbox

Updated Friday, June 1, 2018 by Linode Written by Linode

Dropbox allows for the storage of your documents, files, videos, and photographs. Whatever you choose to store will be available on the Dropbox website, as well as any computers, phones, or servers you have the Dropbox application installed.

Prior to setting up Dropbox on your Linode it is recommended to follow the Getting Started and Securing Your Server guides. You will need a Dropbox account. Dropbox can be used on Debian, Ubuntu, and any Red Hat Enterprise Linux-based OS.

Installing and Configuring Dropbox

1. Download and install the Dropbox package:

   cd ~ && wget -O - "https://www.dropbox.com/download?plat=lnx.x86_64" | tar xzf -
   

2. Start the Dropbox daemon:

   ~/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd &
   

3. You will receive a message stating that the computer is not linked to your Dropbox account:

   This computer isn't linked to any Dropbox account...
   Please visit https://www.dropbox.com/cli_xxxxxxx to link this device.
   

   Copy the unique URL. Do not copy the one above.

4. Paste the address above into a web browser and log in to your Dropbox account. You should see the following message in your browser:

   Your computer was successfully linked to your account
   

   The terminal window on your Linode will show the following message:

   This computer is now linked to Dropbox. Welcome User
   

Testing the Link

Any files made within your Dropbox directory on your Linode will also be added to Dropbox.

1. Navigate to your Dropbox folder:

   cd ~/Dropbox
   

2. Echo text into a new file:

   echo "testing...." > dropbox-test.txt
   

3. Open your Dropbox account in your web browser. dropbox-test.txt can now be found in your files!

Congratulations! Your Linode is now configured to run Dropbox.

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This guide is published under a CC BY-ND 4.0 license.