Is there a way to set the Dropbox folder via the command line?

Question

Hi Dropbox
&nbsp;
HUGELY EXASPERATING -- NO WAY TO MOVE / SET THE DROPBOX ON-PC FILE LOCN ON COMMAND LINE INSTALLS
&nbsp;
#Dropbox - presuming you are here,&nbsp;&nbsp; WHY am I having to ask the Community to help with such an OBVIOUS NEED ??????????
&nbsp;
#### YOU SHOULD FIX THIS,&nbsp; DROPBOX -- IT'S BEEN OVERLOOKED FOR YEARS.&nbsp; SORT IT OUT PLEASE - TODAY WOULD BE GOOD.
&nbsp;
This will take a decent programmer in your offices *20mins tops to document*.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
PROBLEM:&nbsp;&nbsp; THE HEADLESS DROPBOX - IDEAL FOR MANY LINUXES&nbsp; ****HAS NO WAY TO RELOCATE THE STORAGE FOLDER*****
&nbsp;
On Win / Mac / Ubuntu&nbsp; there's a GUI&nbsp; -&nbsp; but for the hundreds of other Linux situations, and most servers,&nbsp; WE USE COMMAND LINE
-- but you FORCE US to put the synch folder in the most obviously idiotic place - under home.&nbsp;&nbsp; And moving it is then IMPOSSIBLE it seems.
&nbsp;
"Jane" replied with this helpful news three years ago on this thread:&nbsp; [&nbsp; https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Apps-and-Installations/Unable-to-access-preference-menu-on-linux/td-p/232112/page/3&nbsp; ] .
&nbsp;
## SO DROPBOX -- what are the millions of us out here supposed to do ?????&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Can you FIX this IDIOTIC OMISSION please.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I only ask because I have work associates who want Dropbox.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; (Cloud on Linux is massively simpler with Google Drive.&nbsp; Just works).
&nbsp;
Looking forward in anticipation to your detailed help.&nbsp; No sarcasm intended.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
(Apologies to all the good people in Community but there seems no way to actually reach a Dropbox person).
&nbsp;
Thanks
MikeHLondon
&nbsp;
[ PS&nbsp; that detail advice from 2013 - it doesn't work.&nbsp; MHL&nbsp; ]
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Jay · Answer

Hi MikeHLondon, thanks for messaging the Community.
&nbsp;
Are you referring to the Linux version of the Dropbox desktop application, or also for Mac and Windows OS versions?
&nbsp;
This will help me to assist further.

MikeHLondon · Answer

Neither.I referenced the COMMAND LINE version as you saw there - the headless version which you provide here:https://www.dropbox.com/en_GB/install-linuxScroll down past the named distros and you get to the headless install notes:==========" *Dropbox Headless install via command line* "The Dropbox daemon works fine on all 32-bit and 64-bit Linux servers. To install it, run the following command in your Linux terminal.32-bit:cd ~ &amp;&amp; wget -O - "https://www.dropbox.com/download?plat=lnx.x86" | tar xzf -64-bit:cd ~ &amp;&amp; wget -O - "https://www.dropbox.com/download?plat=lnx.x86_64" | tar xzf -Next, run the Dropbox daemon from the newly created .dropbox-dist folder.~/.dropbox-dist/dropboxdIf you’re running Dropbox on your server for the first time, you’ll be asked to copy and paste a link in a working browser to create a new account or add your server to an existing account. Once you’ve done this, your Dropbox folder will be created in your home directory. Download this Python script to control Dropbox from the command line. For easy access, put a symlink to the script anywhere in your PATH.======---to be clear this works fine on distros I've tried it on -- but *doesn't ask or offer any way to set the storage location* so saves direct to /home/username which is the last thing we want.SEEMS you use some sort 'system tray' component on desktops to change this, but then in a headless there is no such of course.Surely whatever that component does, can also exist as a bash script?Back in 2013 it looks like it once did - I've seen a help page from then that offered it -- but that's all obsolete now.SURELY it any professional application you WANT it running on a headless machine mostly (to then share locally in a workplace over LAN) so I would have thought this massively in demand.GDrive does all this seamlessly -- please sort out your version, the headless headless instance works fine we just need to be able to relocate it. Surely just a local database entry ?Thank youMike

Hannah · Answer

Thanks for this info, MikeHLondon.
&nbsp;
We appreciate your feedback here and I will make sure it's passed along to our team.
&nbsp;
Let us know if you need anything else.
&nbsp;
Happy holidays!

MikeHLondon · Answer

HI Hannah&nbsp;&nbsp;You asked if I needed anything else --&nbsp; YES !!!&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;A SOLUTION PLEASE !&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "passing this along" is not good enough.&nbsp;You (DropBox) are a Big, RICH,&nbsp; Commercial software company.&nbsp; &nbsp;You have CUSTOMERS (thats us out here) who get exasperated when you don't FIX your very-mature-product-that-really-ought-to-work-by-now.&nbsp;&nbsp;I've posed a simple question which PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR SEVERAL YEARS&nbsp; &nbsp;- it is simple - CAN YOU PLEASE provide us (now) with the no-doubt simple script or instructions to RELOCATE the on-PC storage location&nbsp; when using the HEADLESS (GUI-less)&nbsp; version of Dropbox for Linux which otherwise works very well.&nbsp;&nbsp;Instead of sending me NO help as you did above - why not pick u a phone to a developer - ask him - he would tell you / send you a link by mail - you send it back here and then thousands of us would be happier, immediately.&nbsp; &nbsp; Instead of&nbsp; COMPLETELY UNABLE TO USE DROPBOX ON ANY HEADLESS LINUX INSTALLATION USEFULLY AT ALL WHILE WE WAIT.&nbsp;&nbsp;We KNOW you have the answer to this -- in the GUI versions you use a system tray tool to do it - so the code exists;&nbsp;And we know you shared a script to do it in years past because from 2013 the old script is still out there in the wild (it just doesn't work anymore).&nbsp;&nbsp;So YES -- You CAN help me further&nbsp; --&nbsp; Can I have some PROPER CUSTOMER SUPPORT from DROPBOX please - QUICKLY so I can get on with my Job&nbsp; - or shall we all just&nbsp; assign DropBox&nbsp; to that well-known and enormous, growing pile of companies globally who really just don't care about customers at all,&nbsp; &nbsp;they just hide from them as best they can,&nbsp; and just enjoy counting the cash.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Let me know which if you would.&nbsp;Thanks&nbsp;MikeEXASPERATED and Waiting for Dropbox&nbsp;London&nbsp;

andregn · Answer

Hi, HannahI have 1 SDD (for operational system and softwares) and 1 HD (for files storage).And I use Linux (Ubuntu).With the current version I still can't find a way to set the path of Dropbox files to the HD. As my SSD is very limited in storage, I just can't use Dropbox on my Linux.I don't think it's a rare corner case.And it doesn't seem like a hard solution to parametrize the path.So I really don't understand why it's not solved yet.I'm open to any kind of suggestion, or solution.

Forum Discussion

Is there a way to set the Dropbox folder via the command line?

About Settings and Preferences

Need more support

Related Content

How to download Dropbox Dash? Formerly Command+E

warning at 'status' command line

Does Dropbox Run Powershell Commands?

Folder commands missing from "background" right click when I click on empty space next to folder

linux command "dropbox status" attempts to start dropbox when it's already running

Recent Discussions

There are posts missing under my Community profile.

Can I have multiple Dropbox accounts on one device?

My username has been changed (not by me) twice.

I got several notification emails from this forum, regarding "badges".

I verified my email but it doesn't register as verified