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Forum Discussion
edugsdf
7 years agoNew member | Level 2
When will online-only files work on Linux?
I need to save space on my hard drive. Online-only files would be the perfect solution, but it still does not work on linux fedora.
When will we have this solution?
edugsdf wrote:
I need to save space on my hard drive. Smart Sync would be the perfect solution, but it still does not work on linux fedora.
When will we have this solution?
At the moment, Smart Sync is only available on Windows and Mac. Dropbox has made no announcement on its availability on Linux. They usually don't discuss timelines or upcoming features until they're reaady to announce them, so we likely won't know that it's coming until it's already here, assuming that it's coming at all.
- TangvipHelpful | Level 5
really I am seeing this feature request from 2018 and now three years later there is still no plan or timeline or what so ever?
Dropbox could you please bring this up? a good SW company should consider bringing up the same feature to all major platform. At least I consider Linux is a major platform.
- oidarnamHelpful | Level 6
Yes, it is definitely past due for Smart Sync for Linux!
- Hakan B.Helpful | Level 7
I can understand that implementing the same thing is somewhat more complicated under Linux, but at least if we can have some communication from Dropbox themselves about it, it'd be great.
Other than this and git style ignore files, I'm pretty happy with Dropbox so far. I can nitpick about this and that, but these issues are not technical.
- Clem R.2Helpful | Level 6
I am becoming increasingly irritated that I am getting an inferior service.
- Rahul SharmaNew member | Level 2
So I came across this post today. I love Dropbox and have been a paying customer since 5 yrs or so. But I use linux and still don't have the smart sync feature.
My renewal is pending within a few days and I don't think they'll add this feature now.Any cheaper and better alternative then?
I don't appreciate that Dropbox doesn't care about linux users. Smart sync is available on mac and windows but not linux. - Chema1New member | Level 2
Good evening
In my company we use Linux Mint at most computers and we need to enable smart sync at dropbox app.
Unfortunately, Dropbox smart sync cannot be used in Dropbox app at linux environments so i request dropbox developers to enable this feature for linux devices as soon as possible, as we are having problems with disk space at some computers.
I know we can use selective sync and i am already using it in my computer but it is not a suitable solution for most workers.
There is an increasing number of companies using linux environments in their computers so i think Dropbox should include linux environments in all their app developments.
We are quite satisfied with the linux app performance but smart sync is a key feature for us.
Thanks for your attention
Chema
- Dominik W.2Helpful | Level 6
What mechP said. It's been four years, guys!
- mechPHelpful | Level 6
I am a paid subscriber and using dropbox on mac and Linux simultaneously. Today, I found this new thread regarding the age-old issue of not having smart sync capability for Linux systems.
I was subscribed to the old thread created by someone in 2018.
Developers must intervene and provide this feature, at least to the paid subscription. It will be good enough if we can find this feature for ext4, xfs or btrfs file systems only. This will cover most installations of Linux and will be very helpful in managing our storage resources.
Please look into this issue. - Chema1New member | Level 2
I am surprised to see that this issue is pending since at least 2018!!
https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Dropbox-ideas/When-will-Smart-Sync-work-on-linux/idi-p/262171
Maybe there are other threads regarding this issue, so Dropbox team should count all votes from all threads demanding Linux users to be taken in consideration about Smart Sync ... in case Dropbox linux users are considered to need threads and votes to get what Mac and windows users are already getting without having to do anything.
What is the reason for linux users needing to work (and wait al least 4 years) for getting the same as the other users?
- PlyroNew member | Level 2
The Dropbox team keeps adding a lot of features that actually slow down my workflow (suggestions, overviews, recents... I don't open my own file structure to see "what's going on"; I go there to get stuff done and all of this nonsense is more and more in the way) - but they actually still have not delivered the ONE feature that would be useful for Linux. I hope one day we'll get it.
- fcupelliniHelpful | Level 5
Today I received an email from Dropbox, reminding me that a feature I pay for is not available on Linux. Yay!!
- Clem R.2Helpful | Level 6
I have just upgraded one of my many Linux Thinkpads to Ubuntu 20.04 (others in the pipeline) - so time to tune Dropbox! Firstly Selective Sync has to be tweaked and the option is still not on the remote homepage- wasted an hour trying to find where the basic option was hidden. We need it to clearly added under- New shared folder- so it appears when your first bank transfer is accepted.
But where is the much heralded Smart Sync? For goodness sake, you accept my money- and systems level programming is so much simpler under *nix that Windows and Apple. With kids under lockdown being issued with Chromebooks and Android all over the place it will strangle Dropboxes market share. To be blunt - we are paying for it - when will it arrive? - John S.234Helpful | Level 5
I use Smart Sync on Mac and on Windows. Since Linux is my main desktop, I really wish I had it there as well. The chief benefits are to have a complete searchable listing of files, without those files taking up disk space.
While not as good as Smart Sync, I get along by using selective sync for files that I keep on the hard drive, and then I mount the entire dropbox once in a while with rclone, which allows me to access everything without taking up space (I can also search for stuff via the web interface of course). If it were not for these utilities, I would be searching for other cloud storage. Facebook was at least smart enough to support rclone.
Dropbox Linux support, is not great, but at least there is some (otherwise, I suspect that many other customers would be joining me in dumping the platform).
My primary go-to app for iOS, Mac and Windows is the Notebooks.app which works brilliantly to sync all of my stuff between platforms. If I could only have one app, that would be it. Notebooks also does not have a Linux port, so Instead, I have a highly customized instance of the Atom Editor that duplicates much of the Notebooks functionality.
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