Install Dropbox as a service

install-dropbox-linux.sh

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail

WRAPPER="$HOME/.local/bin/dropbox"
DROPBOXD="$HOME/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd"
DROPBOX_CLI="$HOME/.local/lib/dropbox/dropbox.py"
SERVICE_DIR="$HOME/.config/systemd/user"
SERVICE="$SERVICE_DIR/dropbox.service"

install_deps() {
  if command -v pacman >/dev/null 2>&1; then
    sudo pacman -S --needed curl tar python xdg-utils
  elif command -v apt >/dev/null 2>&1; then
    sudo apt update
    sudo apt install -y curl tar python3 xdg-utils
  elif command -v dnf >/dev/null 2>&1; then
    sudo dnf install -y curl tar python3 xdg-utils
  else
    echo "Install manually: curl tar python3 xdg-utils"
  fi
}

install_daemon() {
  if [[ -x "$DROPBOXD" ]]; then
    echo "Dropbox daemon already installed."
    return
  fi

  cd "$HOME"

  case "$(uname -m)" in
    x86_64) PLAT="lnx.x86_64" ;;
    i386|i686) PLAT="lnx.x86" ;;
    *) echo "Unsupported architecture: $(uname -m)"; exit 1 ;;
  esac

  curl -L "https://www.dropbox.com/download?plat=${PLAT}" | tar xzf -
}

install_cli() {
  mkdir -p "$(dirname "$DROPBOX_CLI")"
  curl -L -o "$DROPBOX_CLI" "https://www.dropbox.com/download?dl=packages/dropbox.py"
  chmod +x "$DROPBOX_CLI"
}

install_service() {
  mkdir -p "$SERVICE_DIR"

  cat > "$SERVICE" <<EOF
[Unit]
Description=Dropbox
After=network-online.target

[Service]
Type=simple
ExecStart=$DROPBOXD
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=10

[Install]
WantedBy=default.target
EOF

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

install_wrapper() {
  mkdir -p "$HOME/.local/bin"

  cat > "$WRAPPER" <<'EOF'
#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail

DROPBOXD="$HOME/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd"
DROPBOX_CLI="$HOME/.local/lib/dropbox/dropbox.py"

help() {
  cat <<HELP
Dropbox Linux Manager

Usage:
  dropbox --help
  dropbox --login
  dropbox --start
  dropbox --stop
  dropbox --enable
  dropbox --disable
  dropbox --restart
  dropbox --status
  dropbox --logs
  dropbox --open
  dropbox --exclude-list
  dropbox --exclude-add <folder>
  dropbox --exclude-remove <folder>
  dropbox --service-status
  dropbox --uninstall

Flow:
  1. dropbox --login
  2. Browser opens Dropbox authorization page
  3. Log in / approve Dropbox permissions
  4. Dropbox starts syncing into ~/Dropbox
HELP
}

cli() {
  python3 "$DROPBOX_CLI" "$@"
}

wait_for_dropbox() {
  LAST_STATUS=""

  for _ in $(seq 1 120); do
    STATUS="$(cli status 2>/dev/null || true)"

    if [[ -z "$STATUS" ]]; then
      sleep 1
      continue
    fi

    if [[ "$STATUS" == "$LAST_STATUS" ]]; then
      sleep 1
      continue
    fi

    LAST_STATUS="$STATUS"

    case "$STATUS" in
      *"Dropbox isn't running"*)
        ;;

      *"Connecting..."*)
        echo "Connecting to Dropbox..."
        ;;

      *"Starting..."*)
        echo "Starting Dropbox..."
        ;;

      *"Indexing"*|*"Syncing"*|*"Downloading"*|*"Uploading"*)
        echo "$STATUS"
        ;;

      *"Up to date"*)
        echo
        echo "Dropbox connected successfully."
        echo "Status: Up to date"
        return 0
        ;;

      *)
        echo
        echo "Dropbox connected successfully."
        echo "Status: $STATUS"
        return 0
        ;;
    esac

    sleep 1
  done

  return 1
}

login_flow() {
  systemctl --user stop dropbox.service 2>/dev/null || true

  echo "Starting Dropbox authorization flow..."
  echo "A browser window should open."
  echo "Log in to Dropbox there and approve this computer."
  echo

  TMP_LOG="$(mktemp)"

  "$DROPBOXD" > "$TMP_LOG" 2>&1 &
  PID="$!"

  URL_OPENED=0

  for _ in $(seq 1 180); do
    if grep -qE 'https://www\.dropbox\.com/cli_link_nonce[^[:space:]]+' "$TMP_LOG"; then
      URL="$(
        grep -oE \
        'https://www\.dropbox\.com/cli_link_nonce[^[:space:]]+' \
        "$TMP_LOG" | tail -n1
      )"

      if [[ "$URL_OPENED" -eq 0 ]]; then
        echo "Opening Dropbox authorization page:"
        echo "$URL"
        xdg-open "$URL" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
        URL_OPENED=1
      fi
    fi

    if [[ -f "$HOME/.dropbox/host.db" ]]; then
      echo
      echo "Dropbox linked successfully."

      kill "$PID" 2>/dev/null || true
      wait "$PID" 2>/dev/null || true
      rm -f "$TMP_LOG"

      systemctl --user restart dropbox.service

      echo
      echo "Dropbox service started."
      echo "Sync folder:"
      echo "  $HOME/Dropbox"
      echo
      echo "Waiting for Dropbox daemon..."

      if ! wait_for_dropbox; then
        echo
        echo "Dropbox service is still initializing."
        echo
        echo "Check:"
        echo "  dropbox --status"
        echo "  dropbox --logs"
      fi

      exit 0
    fi

    sleep 1
  done

  echo
  echo "Dropbox login did not complete."
  echo
  echo "Last Dropbox output:"
  tail -n 80 "$TMP_LOG" || true

  kill "$PID" 2>/dev/null || true
  wait "$PID" 2>/dev/null || true
  rm -f "$TMP_LOG"

  exit 1
}

case "${1:-"--help"}" in
  --help|-h|help)
    help
    ;;

  --login|login)
    login_flow
    ;;

  --start|start)
    systemctl --user start dropbox.service
    echo "Dropbox service started."
    ;;

  --stop|stop)
    systemctl --user stop dropbox.service
    echo "Dropbox service stopped."
    ;;

  --enable|enable)
    systemctl --user enable --now dropbox.service
    echo "Dropbox autostart enabled."
    echo "Dropbox service started."
    ;;

  --disable|disable)
    systemctl --user disable --now dropbox.service
    echo "Dropbox autostart disabled."
    echo "Dropbox service stopped."
    ;;

  --restart|restart)
    systemctl --user restart dropbox.service
    echo "Dropbox service restarted."
    ;;

  --status|status)
    cli status
    ;;

  --logs|logs)
    journalctl --user -fu dropbox.service
    ;;

  --open|open)
    xdg-open "$HOME/Dropbox"
    ;;

  --exclude-list|exclude-list)
    cli exclude list
    ;;

  --exclude-add|exclude-add)
    shift
    cli exclude add "$@"
    ;;

  --exclude-remove|exclude-remove)
    shift
    cli exclude remove "$@"
    ;;

  --service-status|service-status)
    systemctl --user status dropbox.service --no-pager
    ;;

  --uninstall|uninstall)
    systemctl --user stop dropbox.service 2>/dev/null || true
    systemctl --user disable dropbox.service 2>/dev/null || true
    rm -f "$HOME/.config/systemd/user/dropbox.service"
    systemctl --user daemon-reload 2>/dev/null || true
    rm -f "$HOME/.local/bin/dropbox"
    rm -rf "$HOME/.local/lib/dropbox"

    echo "Removed wrapper, CLI and systemd service."
    echo
    echo "Left untouched:"
    echo "  ~/.dropbox"
    echo "  ~/.dropbox-dist"
    echo "  ~/Dropbox"
    ;;

  *)
    echo "Unknown command: $1"
    echo
    help
    exit 1
    ;;
esac
EOF

  chmod +x "$WRAPPER"
}

ensure_path() {
  mkdir -p "$HOME/.local/bin"

  if [[ ":$PATH:" != *":$HOME/.local/bin:"* ]]; then
    grep -qF 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' "$HOME/.bashrc" 2>/dev/null || \
      echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> "$HOME/.bashrc"

    export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"
  fi

  if ! command -v dropbox >/dev/null 2>&1; then
    sudo ln -sf "$WRAPPER" /usr/local/bin/dropbox
  fi
}

main() {
  install_deps
  install_daemon
  install_cli
  install_service
  install_wrapper
  ensure_path

  echo
  echo "Dropbox installed successfully."
  echo
  echo "Now run:"
  echo "  dropbox --login"
  echo
  echo "Then:"
  echo "  dropbox --status"
}

main "$@"