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Jason R. C.'s avatar
Jason R. C.
Helpful | Level 6
6 months ago

How to upload very large files using the command-line client

I was searching for how best to upload very large files (particularly without having to store them on the Dropbox main folder). I found this answer, which indicates that there's no way to do it without storing in the Dropbox folder.

 

However, I also subsequently found that was incorrect. It appears to be possible to use the command-line client. I would have replied to the other thread, but it appears to be locked, so I'm opening this thread to share the information.

 

After installing the client, I ran a command and it appears to be working:

 

```

dbxcli put /tmp/large-file

```

  • Dennisleon's avatar
    Dennisleon
    New member | Level 2

    Jason R. C.HealthCareGov wrote:

    It appears to be possible to use the command-line client.


    Hello,

     

    You're absolutely right! The dbxcli put command is a great way to upload large files directly to Dropbox using the command line, bypassing the need to store them in the main Dropbox folder.

    Here's a breakdown of the command you provided:

    dbxcli: This is the command to invoke the Dropbox command-line client.
    put: This subcommand specifies the action, which is uploading a file.
    /tmp/large-file: This is the path to the local file you want to upload.

    File Path: Make sure the path to your local file is accurate.

    Remote Path (Optional): You can specify a destination path within your Dropbox by adding it after the source file path. For example, dbxcli put /tmp/large-file /Documents/large_file.txt would upload the file to the "Documents" folder in your Dropbox.

    Progress Indicator: The dbxcli put command might not provide a progress indicator by default. You can use the -v flag for verbose output to see upload progress.

    By leveraging the dbxcli put command, you can efficiently upload large files directly to Dropbox from the command line, saving time and avoiding unnecessary storage usage in the main folder.

    I hope the information may help you. 

     

     

  • alessandrozanini's avatar
    alessandrozanini
    New member | Level 1

    unfortunately for big files I find the dbxcli to be really slow due to the very small default chunk size, for which unfortunately there is no option atm. has the development of dbxcli stopped for good or can we hope for a new version with at least the possibility to set the chuck size?  

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