Using DropBox in Eee PC with Xandros and KDE
DropBox is very convenient online back-up and synchronization service. It has a free version with storage capacity of 2GB.I started using it recently and liked it pretty much. I have the client application installed in one Windows, one Ubuntu and now Eee PC Xandros machines. Using it on Eee PC Xandros was a little bit tricky. DropBox consists of two components daemon and Nautilus plugin. The functionality of the serivce is in the daemon that runs at the background and monitors for changes in the Dropbox directory. The Nautilus plugin is a convenient front-end to the DropBox daemon that provides interactive GUI. The problem of using DropBox in Eee PC Xandros and in general KDE is that Nautilus which is a Genome application. And to install the available binary packages you need to install all the required Nautilus/Genome dependencies (packages). I don’t recommend trying to install these dependent packages because this may lead to uninstalling existing packages thus creating critical dependencies that may cause your system to not run at all.
So how I use DropBox in Eee PC with Xandros. I install only the daemon and don’t have the fancy file annotations and other features that comes with the Nautilus file manager:
- Download the binary of the DropBox daemon from http://www.getdropbox.com/download?plat=lnx.x86 (this is 32bit version of the binary but should work also on 64bit architectures)
- Then unpack the tar file ($tar -xzvf <file name>) a hidden directory with name .dropbox-dist will be created
- move this directory to your home directory ($mv .dropbox-dist $HOME)
- now you have to run the DropBox daemon – this is the executable named dropboxd inside .dropbox-dist ($
~/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd). A login dialog box will appear. Type in your credentials. The default DropBox directory is /home/user/Dropbox. If you get errors you have to upgrade some packages. Better apply all possible upgrades otherwise you can get broken packages (from CTRL+ALT+T, sudo synaptic, choolse "Mark all upgrades", Apply) - DropBox daemon will start synchronizing your files (downloading your files from the web storage)
- The DropBox daemon will run in background and take care of keeping your directory in sync.
However these steps are not sufficient to make DropBox run automatically every time when you boot your computer. To make DropBox daemon run at startup you have to add the following line
/home/user/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd &
- Easy mode: in file $HOME/.icewm/startup (if you don’t have this file refer to the more verbose explanation at Running a script at startup how to do it)
- Advanced mode and KDE: in file $HOME/.kde/AutoStart (if you don’t have this file refer to http://wiki.eeeuser.com/starting_programs_at_bootup?s=autostart)
Any comments on improving this post are welcome.
Thanks for the info, really useful, I’m in the same boat but it fails for me. Seems that dropbox requires glibc 2.4 while my Xandros only has 2.3 and I upped everything from synaptic. Can you do:
# ldd ~/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd
/home/user/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd: /lib/tls/libc.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.4′ not found (required by /home/user/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd)
@John
Hi, I had the same problem. You need to update your packages.
If you get errors you have to upgrade some packages. Better apply all possible upgrades otherwise you can get broken packages (from CTRL+ALT+T, sudo synaptic, choose “Mark all upgrades”, Apply)
I’d like to thank you for publishing this information, which was of sufficient detail and clarity for me to install dropbox on my eee PC 901 under Xandros without any problems. Its a great app, a useful service and your assistance is much appreciated.
Cheers
Ian
I cannot execute the dropboxd file on my Eee 701. It has 0 KB and seems to be absolutely empty. Any ideas?
well – for me there are still some obstacles …..
“….a hidden directory with name .dropbox-dist will be created move this directory to your home directory” – when I did that, I cannot see it, although it must be there. So I use the .dropbox-dist on drive D: where it was originally saved and try to run dropboxd inside .dropbox-dist. – “A login dialog box will appear.” – not really: when I double-click “dropboxd” a menu opens and I am asked: “how shall I run this application?”
I tried to install the running script in terminal mode but I guess that failed too.
And after using sudo synaptic one package “usb storage applet” cannot be installed any more.
Linux seems to be really complicated …..
I use a eeePC model 4G (701) with the pre-installed Linux.
Feradz, I did all the updates and it didn’t work for me. What was your filename called? I think dropbox upgraded their version to one that isn’t compatible with the Xandros OS. Alternatively, could you post your exact copy somewhere? Perhaps your version is the only ones that work with the EEEPC.
Hi there!
I’ve had the same problems as described above (e.g.: glib missing and 2nd time no login-menu). I’d appreciate if one of you found a solution he’d post it here. I already been googling up and down the net for several hours. Darned. Greetz
It is not working for me
/home/user/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "__main__dropbox__.py", line 3, in
File "arch/__init__.py", line 20, in
File "arch/linux/startup.py", line 11, in
File "ui/wx_core.py", line 7, in
File "wx/__init__.py", line 45, in
File "wx/_core.py", line 14488, in
File "locale.py", line 514, in getpreferredencoding
File "locale.py", line 478, in setlocale
Error: unsupported locale setting
I got it to install perfectly, but I’m having trouble getting it to sync on startup. I didnt have the /.icewm folder, so I created it. Where do I go from there?
My Linux understanding is absolutely zilch, so I’m afraid that all went a bit over my head. How do I unpack or move a file? Do I just type in the stuff in brackets? Help!
I’ve been trying all ways to install it on eeepc with xandros original and it will not work: a prerequisite glibc 2.4 is missing ! xandros only supports 2.3.6 and there is no easy way to upgrade.
also been trying to build it: not easy: dependencies would require you to install gnome and devel libs, but not followed to the end this option.
tried wine (where picasa works): no success in installing. Neither dropbox portable would install (require .net).
actually I’m left with no option than using web U/I
Hey, i am also getting this error;
# ldd ~/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd
/home/user/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd: /lib/tls/libc.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.4′ not found (required by /home/user/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd)
I tried;
CTRL+ALT+T, sudo synaptic, choose “Mark all upgrades”, Apply
And that download a heap of stuff and filled my 701’s SSD and i could no longer boot and had to do a factory reset…
Is there no way to get this working on a 701?
Hiw has anyone solved the problem to `GLIBC_2.4′ not found ?
Please someone post a solution.
Thank you