# Dropbox Applet Setup on Linux

dropbox.md

cd ~ && 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/dropboxd
22m

cd ~ && wget -O dropbox.py "https://www.dropbox.com/download?dl=packages/dropbox.py"
chmod +x dropbox.py
mv dropbox.py ~/.local/bin/dropbox

Step 1: Download and Install Dropbox

cd ~ && wget -O - "https://www.dropbox.com/download?plat=lnx.x86_64" | tar xzf -

This downloads and extracts Dropbox to ~/.dropbox-dist/.

Step 2: Start Dropbox Daemon

~/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd

Follow the instructions to link your account in the browser.

Step 3: Install Dropbox CLI (Optional but Recommended)

cd ~ && wget -O dropbox.py "https://linux.dropbox.com/packages/dropbox.py"
chmod +x dropbox.py
mkdir -p ~/.local/bin
mv dropbox.py ~/.local/bin/dropbox

Test the CLI with:

dropbox status

Step 4: Enable Dropbox Tray Icon (Optional & NOT necessary!)

If you're using GNOME, XFCE, or KDE, install the required packages for a system tray icon:

• GNOME:

  sudo apt install libappindicator3-1

• XFCE:

  sudo apt install xfce4-indicator-plugin

• KDE (Plasma):

  sudo apt install plasma-applet-dropbox

Restart your session or system to see the tray icon.

Step 5: Set Up Dropbox as a Systemd Service

Create the necessary directory:

mkdir -p ~/.config/systemd/user

Create a systemd service file:

nano ~/.config/systemd/user/dropbox.service

Paste the following content:

[Unit]
Description=Dropbox Daemon
After=network.target

[Service]
ExecStart=%h/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd
Restart=always
User=%U
Group=%U
Environment="DISPLAY=:0"

[Install]
WantedBy=default.target

Save and exit (CTRL + X, then Y, then ENTER).

Reload and enable the service:

systemctl --user daemon-reload
systemctl --user enable dropbox.service
systemctl --user start dropbox.service

Check service status:

systemctl --user status dropbox.service

Step 6: Alternative Startup (For Non-Systemd Users)

If you don’t use systemd, add Dropbox to autostart:

mkdir -p ~/.config/autostart
nano ~/.config/autostart/dropbox.desktop

Paste this:

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=Dropbox
Exec=/home/$USER/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd
StartupNotify=false
Terminal=false

Save and exit (CTRL + X, Y, ENTER).

Step 7: Restart and Verify

Restart your system:

reboot

After rebooting, check if Dropbox is running:

dropbox status

Now, Dropbox should start automatically and show up as an applet in your system tray Hope you found this helpful