Ubuntu headless install not working

I don't have a GUI on that box. I says to visit a URL which I do using Firefox on my Ubuntu laptop. That seems to trigger the connection. No idea how - I have not put my Dropbox login details anywhere on the AWS server 'ivdweb'. It can't be using the IP address to link the two actions unless the Dropbox startup works out that it's being started ultimetely from an ssh from the same IP as the browser. Perhaps I'll delete it all and start again. Where, apart from ~/dropbox, ~/.dropbox-dist, the ~/Dropbox itself and the 'dropbox' command in /usr/biin, does it put stuff?

Thanks,

David

Hi DavidLedger,

It's not need have GUI on particular device (including your virtual box) to run GUI session! 😉 It's enough running application has access to the GUI on your workstation (your Ubuntu laptop in particular).

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DavidLedger wrote:
...

Then pop-up window (no copy for paste allowed):

Dropbox is the easiest way ... Head to ...

In order to use Dropbox, you must download the proprietary daemon.

Note: python3-gpg (python3-gpgme for Ubuntu 16.10 and lower) is not installed, we will not be able to verify binary signatures.

 

(Click OK, continuing)

...

Where that pop-up comes from? 🤔 There are two ways - either you run Dropbox on your local Ubuntu or X-forwarding is on go. I gonna bet on second one. Be careful, you can redirect X, but not dropbox control connection! Dropbox daemon and the control script must run on same context. Either on remote box or locally, for both cases in same user context. Otherwise they will never get together. To be honest, I have not experience in AWS, but seems the X redirection gets performed for (and behind) you.

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DavidLedger wrote:

... No idea how - I have not put my Dropbox login details anywhere on the AWS server 'ivdweb'. ...

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What you mean "login details" here? 🙂 If you mean your user id (the email in fact) and password - yes they never get saved on any device. Based on your choice during device linking, a connection id gets created for every one device connection which serve as a credentials. This id (OAuth id - to be more precise) is keep locally in "~/.dropbox" folder. That's why every time you remove this folder you have to link your device (real or virtual) again - credentials (together with local, no account, settings, if any) get lost!

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DavidLedger wrote:

.... Perhaps I'll delete it all and start again. Where, apart from ~/dropbox, ~/.dropbox-dist, the ~/Dropbox itself and the 'dropbox' command in /usr/biin, does it put stuff?

---

There is not "~/dropbox", but "~/.dropbox" folder (one missing dot, be careful). The daemon related resources are limited to "~/.dropbox" and "~/.dropbox-dist" folders. Removing them you remove any pointing trace to the daemon. "~/Dropbox" folder keeps your user data (the local mirror of your account content, when in sync). The control script could be set wherever you want, if installed by hand. If you install it using a install package, then "/usr/bin/dropbox" is the spot. When you install a package some other files get installed together with the control script. Everything installed through install package gets removed on same package uninstall.

Yes, it's good idea start on clear from beginning. Take care to not mixing the local and remote account!

Good luck. 😉

    In what follows the cmnd no in the prompt just happened to be similar because I the previos connections had stopped overnight. I have manually added A and B. Hope I've done that right.

    Deleted ~/.dropbox, ~/.dropbox-dist

    did, from HOME:

david@ivdwebA:15$: wget -O - "https://www.dropbox.com/download?plat=lnx.x86_64" | tar xzf -

    This completed, then did:

david@ivdwebA:16$: .dropbox-dist/dropbox
dropbox: locating interpreter
dropbox: logging to /tmp/dropbox-antifreeze-4ydX4w
dropbox: initializing
dropbox: initializing python 3.7.5
dropbox: setting program path '/home/bitnami/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-93.4.273/dropbox'
dropbox: setting python path '/home/bitnami/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-93.4.273:/home/bitnami/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-93.4.273/python-packages.zip'
dropbox: python initialized
dropbox: running dropbox
dropbox: setting args
dropbox: applying overrides
dropbox: running main script
dropbox: load fq extension '/home/bitnami/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-93.4.273/cryptography.hazmat.bindings._constant_time.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
. . .

. . .

dropbox: load fq extension '/home/bitnami/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-93.4.273/PyQt5.QtWidgets.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
dropbox: load fq extension '/home/bitnami/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-93.4.273/PyQt5.QtDBus.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'

    At this point the o/p in this window (A) stopped. After a few minutes, in a different xterm, same host, same user. I did:

david@ivdwebB:13$: dropbox status

Starting...
To link this computer to a Dropbox account, visit the following url:
https://www.dropbox.com/cli_link_nonce?nonce=87baf19271329e9d8c459177239af242

    Did this in Firefox window on Ubuntu labtop (one false start because URL suggestion replaced with previous version :-) ). Then on second remote xterm (B) did:

david@ivdwebB:14$: dropbox status
Syncing 6,153 files
Indexing 6,153 files...
david@ivdwebB:15$: ll Dropbox/

    <<Displayed file listing>>

david@ivdwebB:16$: dropbox status
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/bin/dropbox", line 1603, in <module>
ret = main(sys.argv)
File "/usr/bin/dropbox", line 1592, in main
result = commands[argv[i]](argv[i+1:])
File "/usr/bin/dropbox", line 743, in newmeth
return meth(*n, **kw)
File "/usr/bin/dropbox", line 1224, in status
lines = dc.get_dropbox_status()['status']
File "/usr/bin/dropbox", line 714, in __spec_command
return self.send_command(str(name), kw)
File "/usr/bin/dropbox", line 672, in send_command
ok = self.__readline() == "ok"
File "/usr/bin/dropbox", line 646, in __readline
toret = self.f.readline().rstrip("\n")
File "/usr/lib/python3.5/encodings/ascii.py", line 26, in decode
return codecs.ascii_decode(input, self.errors)[0]
UnicodeDecodeError: 'ascii' codec can't decode byte 0xe2 in position 28: ordinal not in range(128)
david@ivdwebB:17$:

    At this point the first remote xterm (A) resumed o/p with:

Killed
david@ivdwebA:17$:

Thanks,

David

Hi DavidLedger,

I just tried, but can't reproduce your situation.

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DavidLedger wrote:
...

dropbox: load fq extension '/home/bitnami/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-93.4.273/PyQt5.QtDBus.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'

 

    At this point the o/p in this window (A) stopped. After a few minutes, in a different xterm, same host, same user. I did:

...

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"At this point" Dropbox application tries open default web browser window to authenticate, but can't (for some reason - could be a daemon bug - multiple times reported, including in the current thread). That happens because you are running on GUI session. You can force usage of clear console variant using:

ssh $USER@localhost
~/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd # or: dropbox start -i

In such a way the authentication link would be shown in first (and eventually the only) console. Seems you are using free account, that's why connections are limited to 3 and you have to keep their number below, so new connection creation to be possible. You can control the existing connections in the "Devices" section of your security settings. Anyway... seems you have successfully link your device to the account.

---

DavidLedger wrote:

 ...
File "/usr/lib/python3.5/encodings/ascii.py", line 26, in decode
return codecs.ascii_decode(input, self.errors)[0]
UnicodeDecodeError: 'ascii' codec can't decode byte 0xe2 in position 28: ordinal not in range(128)
david@ivdwebB:17$:

    At this point the first remote xterm (A) resumed o/p with:

Killed

...

---

Here, seems some hidden bug brings up. I can't reproduce the situation, but other users in the forum had report the same "symptoms". Probably some special circumstances are needed for the particular bug's reproduction. The code point 0xe2 isn't valid in ASCII table, definitely. Here Dropbox development have to take care, but better don't rely too much. Over years Dropbox confirmed their carelessness for Linux users, unfortunately.

Try to find out some workaround for you. Can't you follow the application status from the status icon (somewhere in the browser window representing the remote display)?

Submitted this yesterday but it was rejected because of an 'HTML error' which has been removed. Something in this must be seen as HTLM and so missing when you get it.

The reason Dropbox cannot open the default web browser is that there isn't one. It's a headless server accessed via an xterm over ssh. I'm not running on a GUI session, just an xterm shell session on the remote server displaying back to my Ubuntu laptop. Dropbox may 'think' I'm using a GUI session, but I'm not. Trying the 'dropbox start -i' you suggested gives me:

david@ivdweb:/home/bitnami$ dropbox start -i
Starting Dropbox...dropbox: locating interpreter
dropbox: logging to /tmp/dropbox-antifreeze-WYMNgP
dropbox: initializing
dropbox: initializing python 3.7.5
dropbox: setting program path '/home/bitnami/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-93.4.273/dropbox'
dropbox: setting python path '/home/bitnami/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-93.4.273:/home/bitnami/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-93.4.273/python-packages.zip'
dropbox: python initialized
dropbox: running dropbox
dropbox: setting args
dropbox: applying overrides
dropbox: running main script
dropbox: load fq extension '/home/bitnami/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-93.4.273/cryptography.hazmat.bindings._constant_time.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
dropbox: load fq extension '/home/bitnami/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-93.4.273/cryptography.hazmat.bindings._openssl.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
dropbox: load fq extension '/home/bitnami/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-93.4.273/cryptography.hazmat.bindings._padding.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
dropbox: load fq extension '/home/bitnami/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-93.4.273/psutil._psutil_linux.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
dropbox: load fq extension '/home/bitnami/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-93.4.273/psutil._psutil_posix.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
dropbox: load fq extension '/home/bitnami/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-93.4.273/apex._apex.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
dropbox: load fq extension '/home/bitnami/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-93.4.273/tornado.speedups.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
dropbox: load fq extension '/home/bitnami/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-93.4.273/PyQt5.QtCore.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
dropbox: load fq extension '/home/bitnami/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-93.4.273/PyQt5.QtGui.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
dropbox: load fq extension '/home/bitnami/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-93.4.273/PyQt5.QtNetwork.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
dropbox: load fq extension '/home/bitnami/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-93.4.273/PyQt5.QtWidgets.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
Dropbox isn't running!
Done!
dropbox: load fq extension '/home/bitnami/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-93.4.273/PyQt5.QtDBus.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'

david@ivdweb:/home/bitnami$

I have a personal paid-for account.:

I ran out of hosts last year and had to start a paid account. I share across three Macs, one Ubuntu, one iPad and one Android phone. I am running genealogy s/w on this AWS host but rsearch from the laptop. I want to be able to easily move downloaded images into the Media area of the genealogy s/w, which can be under a Dropbox directory.

I still don't understand how software running on an AWS server knows what link to generate for me to use on a laptop at home to allow connection to the Dropbox server. All it has to go on is possibly the IP address of the ssh login and the fact that that IP is used to access that Dropbox account.

I don't have a 'browser window representing the remote display'. It's just an xterm window on the laptop desktop. So no status icon.

Thanks for persevering with this.

David

Hi DavidLedger,

---

DavidLedger wrote:

Submitted this yesterday but it was rejected because of an 'HTML error' which has been removed. Something in this must be seen as HTLM and so missing when you get it.

---

Yes, that's something usual. Sometimes seen as a HTML, sometimes seen as a Spam - one of the forum bugs.

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DavidLedger wrote:
...

The reason Dropbox cannot open the default web browser is that there isn't one. It's a headless server accessed via an xterm over ssh. I'm not running on a GUI session, just an xterm shell session on the remote server displaying back to my Ubuntu laptop. Dropbox may 'think' I'm using a GUI session, but I'm not. ...

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Ok... If you say so. My comments are based on your description, nothing more. Just one clarification here: even headless server can have installed web browser and could participate in GUI session! Be careful, don't make conclusion: because my server is headless, then GUI isn't possible; that's not true, X-session could be remote - i.e. your AWS session could use your local X-server (real or emulated)! Of course, I don't state it's so. To make clearer, what the session type is, post the result from:

lsb_release -d; echo "Shell: $SHELL"; echo "Display: $DISPLAY"; echo "User: $USER"; echo "Home: $HOME"; echo "Installed: $(dpkg -s dropbox | grep Package)"; ps -C dropbox

---

DavidLedger wrote:

... Trying the 'dropbox start -i' you suggested gives me:

 

david@ivdweb:/home/bitnami$ dropbox start -i
Starting Dropbox...dropbox: locating interpreter
dropbox: logging to /tmp/dropbox-antifreeze-WYMNgP
...
dropbox: load fq extension '/home/bitnami/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-93.4.273/PyQt5.QtWidgets.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
Dropbox isn't running!
Done!
dropbox: load fq extension '/home/bitnami/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-93.4.273/PyQt5.QtDBus.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'

david@ivdweb:/home/bitnami$

....

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That's exactly what has to be! From that moment on, your Dropbox is running. Don't be confused from: "Dropbox isn't running!"; that means it's not running to that moment. The next "Done!" shows everything is Ok. 🙂

About your plan - seems I misunderstood "one false start because URL suggestion replaced with previous version". Anyway... doesn't matter.

About "how software running on an AWS server knows what link to generate for me"... I don't know what else can say. You can take a look, for some more info, here or if you want to know more in deep, take a look here.

The Dropbox folder on the remote server hasn't updated since 21st March even though six items were knowingly added on the 23rd and one today. 'dropbox status' still says it isn't running, and the process shown in .dropbox/dropbox.pid doesn't exist.

There is no conventional browser installed on the server, just wget and curl, and the dropbox app itself in that it makes HTTP calls to the Dropbox servers (according to that OAuth page). AWS Linux servers are just virtual machines with a base Linux installation. If you want a browser you have to install one, and I haven't.

My point about the authentication/authorisation is that I haven't claimed to be anybody on the server.

Thanks again

David

Ok, the clarifications, you just made, are important. You haven't mentioned anything about the commands result. I gonna expand them little-bit:

dropbox start
lsb_release -d; echo "Shell: $SHELL"; echo "Display: $DISPLAY"; echo "User: $USER"; echo "Home: $HOME"; echo "Installed: $(dpkg -s dropbox | grep Package)"; cat ~/.dropbox/dropbox.pid; echo; ps -C dropbox; dropbox status; dropbox filestatus ~/Dropbox

Execute the two lines in sequence. What is the result?

david@ivdweb:18$: lsb_release -d; echo "Shell: $SHELL"; echo "Display: $DISPLAY"; echo "User: $USER"; echo "Home: $HOME"; echo "Installed: $(dpkg -s dropbox | grep Package)"; ps -C dropbox
Description: Ubuntu 16.04.6 LTS
Shell: /bin/bash
Display: localhost:10.0
User: david
Home: /home/david
Installed: Package: dropbox
PID TTY TIME CMD
david@ivdweb:19$:

I might get confused again. Where you launch that on? Again we are talking for AWS, not your local machine. Am I right? What's the result from my "expanded" variant (launched on the AWS!)?