When will online-only files work on Linux?

[edugsdf]

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?

[stuckj]

I'd also love this feature. My primary OS is Linux.

But...as someone with a couple decades of development experience I can tell you that doing this properly is not simple. Claiming this is a "simple" request in your comments is not helpful. The file system APIs between Windows, Mac, and Linux are different. While there might be some code re-use, there's a lot that can't be.

They'll only do this if they determine there is enough demand to justify it. Upvote and give constructive comments instead of stuff like "C'mon Dropbox, this is easy". 😛

Also, they have a published API so if you have development experience you can also try your hand at writing this and you can discover that it's not easy. 🙂

[tomcho]

@stuckj Since posting the comment I learned that what I thought was smart sync was actually selective sync (which *is* simple and *is* available for Linux). The customer support person I originally asked this either did a very bad job at explaining to me what's what, or was as confused as I was. In any case, she was the main source of this confusion for me.

Anyway I'm also a programmer and I agree that smart sync isn't trivial to just port to Linux. It's still a letdown though, because I know it *is* possible and from the amount of people in this thread apparently there's demand.

[Здравко]

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@tomcho  wrote:
... Since posting the comment I learned that what I thought was smart sync was actually selective sync (which *is* simple and *is* available for Linux). The customer support person I originally asked this either did a very bad job at explaining to me what's what, or was as confused as I was. In any case, she was the main source of this confusion for me. ...

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😆😁🙂 @tomcho That's something normal for Dropbox support. Many times on my questions they demonstrate complete unfamiliarity with the product. 🤷 That's it.

@stuckjFor sure APIs on different platforms are different. The main question here is proper application design. Once there is such, the matter is adapting/encapsulating APIs specifics and their isolating from the application main design. If there is opposite design, application based on particular API set, then it becomes matter of huge work and adaptation on porting to another API set. Unfortunately, seems Dropbox application' developers accept second way! 🤷 Seems you too: "While there might be some code re-use, there's a lot that can't be.". If so, this mean very bad application design! As seems to be.

About the "published API", it's a subset available for the application, from one side. From other side, most users are not developer and want just to use the service, not to work for Dropbox. Don't you agree?!

Of course there is another point related again to the application design. Do you really want "Smart Sync" to be ported in the form it is? The feature is example of a bad design at all. Lot of troubles on platforms where it's available! I don't think Dropbox will change the way application/features design gets made.

[stuckj]

@Здравко, I don't wish to engage in a design discussion with you on a system whose internals I'm not familiar (I'm assuming you're also not privvy to Dropbox's code?). Of what I am sure is that file systems are complicated to implement well...especially those with network components. And just porting a filesystem to another platform is non-trivial.

I think the question is whether Dropbox will implement a feature on a platform we'd prefer or not. Which will largely be driven by demand. I don't know the demand for paying Linux customers for Dropbox, but I bet Dropbox does. And they'll ultimately make the decision to proceed or not.

I think what is most helpful is simply telling them we're interested and getting others who also want the feature to do the same.

[John S.234]

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.

[Clem R.2]

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?

[fcupellini]

Today I received an email from Dropbox, reminding me that a feature I pay for is not available on Linux. Yay!!

[Plyro]

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.

[Chema1]

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

[Rahul Sharma]

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.