Start Dropbox on Startup

Question

I installed Dropbox (2.0.26) via the command line instructions here.

Dropbox is running great except that it won't start on startup. The command given, ~/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd, runs fine via the terminal or Alt+F2, but it isn't working in Startup Programs.

I'm probably missing something obvious regarding the syntax for a startup program command. Any suggestions?

Did you have some reason for preferring the CLI route? I installed Dropbox via the GUI route just the other day and have version 2.2.3. Dropbox starts automatically on logging in. I didn't have to do anything. — , Jul 01 '13 at 17:06
The download link at Dropbox links to version 1.6, which was not syncing consistently for me. The CLI route gave me a later version. — Sam Copeland, Jul 01 '13 at 17:18
See these two links: 1 --- https://www.dropbox.com/download?dl=packages/ubuntu/dropbox_1.6.0_i386.deb and 2 --- https://www.dropbox.com/download?dl=packages/ubuntu/dropbox_1.6.0_amd64.deb. It says 1.6.0 but the Dropbox version installed is 2.2.3 which I see when I hover on the little Dropbox icon in my panel. — , Jul 01 '13 at 17:22
Thanks for the pointer, vasa1. I installed the deb and I got the startup options back in preferences. Oddly, it is still version 2.0.26 for me though. — Sam Copeland, Jul 02 '13 at 13:31
Did you do a thorough uninstall of Dropbox first? Including any config files in your home folder? Anyway, I'm pretty new to Dropbox myself! — , Jul 02 '13 at 13:38
I didn't. I kept the config files and just installed the deb directly. No problems. I just tested a restart, and it is working perfectly for me. Thanks. — Sam Copeland, Jul 02 '13 at 13:44

score 27 · Answer 1 · answered Dec 07 '14 at 21:24

27

Follow these steps to make Dropbox start up each time.

Click on the Ubuntu "Dash" icon
Type Startup Applications in the Dash search area
Click on the "Startup Applications" ico
Click "Add" button
For "Name:", type Dropbox
For "Command:", type /home/{your-username}/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd
For "Comment:", this can be left blank
Click "Add" button
Click "Close" button
Restart your computer

answered Dec 07 '14 at 21:24

RHarris

371

This works! This is also the default way to do this. I think this should be the accepted answer. – Léo Léopold Hertz 준영 Dec 31 '15 at 09:35
1

This also worked in Lubuntu 20.10 with minor adjustments. Selecting the checkbox from the Dropbox preferences doesn't work when the installation has been done in command line, as mentioned in other comments. – Gemmu Mar 31 '21 at 11:01
This worked for me, except that when I rebooted the machine remotely and logged in via ssh (something that has become routine during the pandemic...) it doesn't autostart. This shouldn't be a surprise since I'm not starting a gnome session when I ssh to the machine. – Brian Borchers May 06 '21 at 00:45
This simple GUI-oriented recipe works on Ubuntu 20.14LTS. However, I still wonder what an effective command line equivalent is. I had tried the dropbox autostart y option and it did not work for me. – Pablo Adames Sep 05 '21 at 03:25

score 21 · Accepted Answer · answered Jul 01 '13 at 14:32

21

Click on the dropbox icon on the top of your screen, hit "preferences" and tick the button where it says "Start dropbox on system startup" in the "general" tab.

answered Jul 01 '13 at 14:32

Gx1sptDTDa

1,673
1
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1

I felt like an idiot for a moment :) but it seems that the option doesn't exist in preferences. My General tab only has boxes for Desktop notification and LAN sync. I feel like you are right that it was there previously, but it isn't now. My version is 2.0.26 if that helps. – Sam Copeland Jul 01 '13 at 14:42
I've got version 2.0.22, but it seems very odd to remove that button. – Gx1sptDTDa Jul 01 '13 at 15:07
1

As per the comments with vasa1, the CLI install seems to have been missing this option, but if you install the deb directly, you will get the option back. – Sam Copeland Jul 02 '13 at 13:46
3

This is not working for me. When I start it from a command line (as described above) the icon appears on the task bar. I right click, go to preferences and select "Start dropbox on system startup" and click ok. I reboot the machine and it's not running. – mbmast Aug 13 '15 at 18:20
11

This does not work if dropbox installed by the terminal command. Dropbox forgets the setting each time restarting. – Léo Léopold Hertz 준영 Dec 31 '15 at 09:36
2

@LéoLéopoldHertz준영 , indeed. For Dropbox to autostart without forgetting the setting, I ran nautilus-dropbox autostart y or caja-dropbox autostart y if you are using a Mate Desktop Environment – foobar test test test potato Jan 04 '17 at 09:31
dropbox autostart n worked for me (Ubuntu Gnome, Dropbox was installed from terminal) – Pavel Jan 20 '18 at 16:30
Ticking the autostart option in preferences does nothing, it unchecks automatically :( Still, nautilus-dropbox autostart y or caja-dropbox autostart y these worked for me, thank you xcvbn – ices ices Nov 07 '22 at 00:03

score 8 · Answer 3 · edited Nov 22 '14 at 02:16

8

First you have to create a dropbox.desktop file, with the following contents:

[Desktop Entry]
Name=Dropbox
GenericName=File Synchronizer
Comment=Sync your files across computers and to the web
Exec=dropbox start -i
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Icon=dropbox
Categories=Network;FileTransfer;
StartupNotify=false

Once its created, you need to move it to ~/.config/autostart folder, reboot, and that's it.

enter image description here

Remark: if dropbox was installed from the command line, the line "Exec=dropbox start -i" doesn't work, it needs to be replaced by "Exec=/home/username/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd" where /home/username is your home directory.

edited Nov 22 '14 at 02:16

hcc

3

answered Jul 01 '13 at 19:47

Mitch

107,631

This fixes the problem of autostarting dropbox for Kubuntu 15.04! – Veger May 23 '15 at 07:23
This does not work on Debian 8. – mbmast Aug 13 '15 at 18:38
I think you will have a permission problem with such a setup. It is not working in Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, although with permissions 755. – Léo Léopold Hertz 준영 Dec 31 '15 at 09:38
@Masi Its working OK on 14.04.03. It's been working since the release of 14.04. You might have other issues. – Mitch Dec 31 '15 at 10:59
RHarris answer works in my setting. – Léo Léopold Hertz 준영 Dec 31 '15 at 11:07

score 8 · Answer 4 · answered Dec 20 '13 at 07:43

8

In the terminal, type

dropbox autostart y

answered Dec 20 '13 at 07:43

Dennis

403

This is set by default so it's unlikely to be a solution. – Andrew Mar 09 '19 at 02:08

score 5 · Answer 5 · edited Mar 25 '14 at 09:43

5

Try this command:

sudo apt-get install nautilus-dropbox

It ships in the autostart function.

edited Mar 25 '14 at 09:43

Radu Rădeanu

169,590

answered Mar 25 '14 at 09:24

tseboho

59
1
3

This might cause the following problem: http://askubuntu.com/questions/411809/nautilus-dropbox-depends-dropbox-but-it-is-not-going-to-be-installed – Erel Segal-Halevi Oct 02 '14 at 08:47
This might also run into the following bug: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/nautilus-dropbox/+bug/1016559 – Erel Segal-Halevi Oct 02 '14 at 09:03

score 2 · Answer 6 · edited Dec 08 '14 at 15:29

2

I tried all the other methods: Only this method as stated by previous user has worked for me:

Run:

cd /usr/bin

Then rename executable with this command:

sudo mv dropbox dropbox1

Then create a new file called dropbox using command:

sudo gedit dropbox

Then write this:

#!/bin/bash
~/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd

Save and exit, change premission:

sudo chmod 0755 dropbox

then restart the computer.

OR

Create a startup application with name say "Dropbox2" and write this line in it.

sh -c  ~/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd

Save and exit, then restart the computer.

One of the 2 work properly.

edited Dec 08 '14 at 15:29

Nemanja

152

answered Oct 23 '13 at 11:43

CR2

434
1
3
7

@sijoune rejected edit, because your suggestion will create a new dropbox file in /usr/bin without execution rights. – MadMike Dec 07 '14 at 22:38

score 1 · Answer 7 · answered Jul 01 '13 at 14:48

1

To add any program on startup, go to 'Dash Home' and choose 'Startup Applications'. There you can add any program that wish to run on startup.

answered Jul 01 '13 at 14:48

TheLoneKing

1,417
4
19
29

I have done that. My problem is that the command described in my question does not seem to run from "Startup Applications" despite running fine in the terminal and via Alt+F2. – Sam Copeland Jul 01 '13 at 14:51
Open 'Startup Applications' click 'Add' and enter 'dropbox' in the 'Command' field and see if it works. – TheLoneKing Jul 01 '13 at 15:01
I tried that. Unfortunately, it doesn't work. – Sam Copeland Jul 01 '13 at 16:39

score 1 · Answer 8 · answered Apr 18 '14 at 08:53

1

Create a startup application with name say "dropBOX" and write this line in it.

sh -c  ~/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd

Save and exit, then restart the computer.

answered Apr 18 '14 at 08:53

amarVashishth

111
3

score 1 · Answer 9 · edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:23

This is the only way (and incidentally, the easiest way) I could get this to work on 14.04 without a buggy install or doing a .desktop file (which I couldn't get to work). I had to install the .deb using these instructions:

sudo apt-key adv --keyserver pgp.mit.edu --recv-keys 5044912E

sudo add-apt-repository "deb http://linux.dropbox.com/ubuntu $(lsb_release -sc) main"

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install dropbox

Then you should get a prompt to install Dropbox from the GUI (if you don't, search in your Applications for it and run by clicking the icon). Once Dropbox is installed and you're logged in, the preferences should default to autostart, but in case they don't, you can right-click on the Dropbox icon, go to "Preferences", and check "Start Dropbox on System Startup"

Got the instructions from this answer (which seems to have been lost in the annals of the forum for some reason): Running Dropbox at startup

Needed to also do sudo apt-get install build-essential before dropbox, otherwise there is a failure... — ntg, Jun 08 '15 at 16:14

Ayo · Answer 10 · 2014-08-27T06:06:41.820

0

sudo apt-get install nautilus-dropbox
dropbox start

after you install the nautilus-dropbox you will find dropbox on the startup applications list and check it. :)

edited Aug 27 '14 at 06:06

answered Aug 25 '14 at 20:07

Ayo

11

1

It causes one time start, not autostart. – enedil Aug 25 '14 at 21:56
after you install the nautilus-dropbox you will find dropbox on the startup applications list and check it. :) – Ayo Aug 26 '14 at 02:42
I tried this solution but it installed an old version of dropbox (1.4) which is not functioning correctly. – Erel Segal-Halevi Oct 04 '14 at 19:22
dropbox autostart -y – Corey Goldberg Jun 02 '18 at 18:18

score 0 · Answer 11 · answered Jun 05 '15 at 08:31

you need to connect it to your account... If you have no gui, you can do it by running the server (after installation), try

dropbox start
dropbox status

if it is not running, try running the demon directly, and it will give you a link to enter from another computer to verify password, e.g.:

~/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd
This computer isn't linked to any Dropbox account...
Please visit https://www.dropbox.com/cli_link_nonce?nonce=adfalhwelkjfhlasdk to link this device

Start Dropbox on Startup

11 Answers11

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