Unable to start dropbox in Ubuntu 20.04

Hi all, thanks for your reports!

We've released a new beta build that addresses this issue: https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Dropbox-desktop-client-builds/Beta-Build-132-3-3795/td-p/546837


Please give it a try if you're encountering this error. You can install it using:

cd ~ && wget -O - "https://www.dropbox.com/download?plat=lnx.x86_64&build=132.3.3795" | tar xzf -

and then start the client as usual with:

~/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd

Update (10/1): This has been released to the stable channel, and you can use the regular install process now as described at https://dropbox.com/install?os=lnx

I was able to use dropbox fine till yesterday, but today it complains of the following error. 

Couldn't start dropbox. This is usually because of a permissions error.

I tried some steps in https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Dropbox-files-folders/Why-am-I-getting-a-Couldn-t-start-Dropbox-permission-error/td-p/22462/page/4, but none of them helped.

My file contents are:

bn.BUILD_KEY: Dropbox
bn.VERSION: 131.4.3968
bn.constants.WINDOWS_SHELL_EXT_VERSION: 48
bn.is_frozen: True
machine_id: ec45be64-4b75-507e-92d6-80c5883f48e6
pid: 34365
ppid: 1
uid: 216702978
user_info: pwd.struct_passwd(pw_name='katsumee', pw_passwd='********', pw_uid=216702978, pw_gid=1896053708, pw_gecos='', pw_dir='/Users/katsumee', pw_shell='/bin/zsh')
effective_user_info: pwd.struct_passwd(pw_name='katsumee', pw_passwd='********', pw_uid=216702978, pw_gid=1896053708, pw_gecos='', pw_dir='/Users/katsumee', pw_shell='/bin/zsh')
euid: 216702978
gid: 1896053708
egid: 1896053708
group_info: grp.struct_group(gr_name='ANT\\Domain Users', gr_passwd='*', gr_gid=1896053708, gr_mem=[])
effective_group_info: grp.struct_group(gr_name='ANT\\Domain Users', gr_passwd='*', gr_gid=1896053708, gr_mem=[])
DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH: None
cwd: '/'
real_path='/'
mode=0o40755 uid=0 gid=0
parent mode=0o40755 uid=0 gid=0
HOME: '/Users/katsumee'
appdata: '/Users/katsumee/.dropbox/instance1'
real_path='/Users/katsumee/.dropbox/instance1'
mode=0o40700 uid=216702978 gid=20
parent mode=0o40755 uid=216702978 gid=20
dropbox_path: '/Users/katsumee/Dropbox'
real_path='/Users/katsumee/Dropbox'
mode=0o40755 uid=216702978 gid=20
parent mode=0o40755 uid=216702978 gid=20
sys_executable: '/Applications/Dropbox.app/Contents/MacOS/Dropbox'
real_path='/Applications/Dropbox.app/Contents/MacOS/Dropbox'
mode=0o100755 uid=216702978 gid=1896053708
parent mode=0o40755 uid=216702978 gid=1896053708
trace.__file__: '/Applications/Dropbox.app/Contents/Resources/python-packages.zip/dropbox/client/ui/common/boot_error.pyc'
real_path='/Applications/Dropbox.app/Contents/Resources/python-packages.zip/dropbox/client/ui/common/boot_error.pyc'
not found
parent not found
tempdir: '/var/folders/jl/n_00nb2529q4dqb0vl54h23r6fn802/T'
real_path='/private/var/folders/jl/n_00nb2529q4dqb0vl54h23r6fn802/T'
mode=0o40700 uid=216702978 gid=1896053708
parent mode=0o40755 uid=216702978 gid=1896053708
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "dropbox/client/authentication/register_host_helper.pyc", line 478, in _try_register_host
File "dropbox/client/authentication/register_host_helper.pyc", line 944, in handle_changed_host_secret
File "dropbox/sync_root/helpers.pyc", line 359, in destroy_root_from_config
AssertionError

having same issue, this fixed it for me

The new build did not resolve the issue for me. I am on Ubuntu 20.04, use encrypted drive.

Thanks, for this post the older version works flawlessly for me. 

Was able to get Dropbox running on my Ubuntu 21.04 server with the mentioned beta version. Before that I got this "Couldn't start Dropbox. This is usually because of a permissions error... " message, after linking the computer via my browser.

Thanks for the support.

BTW I had another error even before I could get the link message, because my PuTTY terminal was forwarding X11 on my headless setup.

Thanks, it works by me (Linux, Offline- https://www.dropbox.com/download?plat=lnx.x86_64 ) as well!

However I'm still having an issue:

When I run './.dropbox-dist/dropboxd', following happens:

Script is running fine, but after the "This computer is now linked to Dropbox. Welcome Pter"  message, the script is continuously reading/echoing the console and I can only exit by pressing Ctrl C.

After this I can successfully start the service with './dropbox.py start', sync works.

Please ignore my report. It was antivirus software. SentinelOne thinks dropbox binary from ~./dropbox-dist is suspicious.