accessing online-only files from macos terminal

[kjmed]

I have a large, shared dropbox folder that is set to "online-only", but I want to make specific files available offline. I know I can do this via right clicks in the Finder window for individual files, but I need to do this for many files. How can I do this via the macOS terminal?

I'm using macOS 12.6, and dropbox v166.4.2920

[kjmed]

Double-clicking in Finder works fine. Using a standard file IO function like "fopen" in Matlab, or the "grep" command in terminal, does not work. If my GUI app uses a file dialog to let the user identify a file, and then use an IO function to access that filename, it does not work. General purpose IO streams return zero bytes of data.

[Nancy]

Hi from me as well, @kjmed. 

I believe what you describe is expected, as explained here. 

Hope this helps a bit.

[lagergren]

Is there a time frame for when/if you can get this fixed? Not being able to get a file synced and available, no matter how you choose to access it, and with what tool, is a huge ergonomic problem for me. Dropbox has become a lot less useful now. This may of course be a MacOS issue too, but if there is a way to get around it, configure stuff differently etc, I would be all ears. 

As you state that this currently doesn't work, could you please tell me if there is a working resolution in the works, or if this is going to be the permanent state of things until Apple does something differently? 

/M 

[AlexGourley]

This has been a problem for me as well - exactly as OP described it in detail.