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Dropbox not uploading/syncing new files after fresh install of Linux Mint 20.1

Dropbox not uploading/syncing new files after fresh install of Linux Mint 20.1

joekur
Helpful | Level 6
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Hi All,

I recently upgraded my Linux Mint 19 desktop with a fresh install of Linux Mint 20.1. Dropbox worked brilliantly on Mint 19. After the Mint upgrade and installing Dropbox via the Software Manager, my existing 100GB of files downloaded/synced from the server with no problem. However, new files or folders I create on this computer and save to the Dropbox folder are not uploading and syncing. I have tried uninstalling Dropbox, rebooting, and reinstalling (from both the repository and the Dropbox website), with the same result. I have double-checked that all folders except Vault are checked in Selective Sync under Preferences. I get no error messages. The pop-up menu from the icon in the system tray says it is syncing, and the icon has constant spinning arrows, but nothing seems to be happening. New files do not show up in Dropbox online.

 

I have a second desktop also running Linux Mint, and Dropbox has been syncing on it with no problem for many months, both with an install of 20.1 using the same .iso image I just used on this machine, and more recently after upgrading to 20.3. I can't figure out any differences between the Mint and Dropbox installations. I just experimented creating a new file and folder on that second machine, and it uploaded via Dropbox and synced to my phone right away, but not to this problem desktop.

 

FYI, if you can offer any troubleshooting, please consider me a linux newbie for anything beyond the GUI. I have no problem using a terminal/CLI, but instructions will have to be clear and complete. Thank you!

1 Accepted Solution

Accepted Solutions

joekur
Helpful | Level 6
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Hi @Walter , @Здравко , @Jay , @Hannah ,

For the sake of completeness I just wanted to post a note here that this issue is resolved and what the problem was.

After some initial troubleshooting and repeating another remove and reinstall without resolution, tech support had me enter the following commands:

 

sudo chown "$USER" "$HOME"
 
sudo chown -R "$USER" "/home/joe/Dropbox" ~/.dropbox
 
sudo chattr -R -i "/home/joe/Dropbox"
 
sudo chmod -R u+rw "/home/joe/Dropbox" ~/.dropbox

 

I saw after entering the *chattr* command that I received pages of errors regarding a Timeshift backup folder I'd previously copied into Dropbox (thinking if I ran into problems later in my upgrading and had to do a fresh reinstall of the OS, I could copy the folder back to its original path to restore from). In hindsight a bad idea, but I didn't give it a thought when the Dropbox issue cropped up later.

 

So once I removed the Timeshift folder from Dropbox, I re-ran the above commands without any errors, and Dropbox subsequently synced properly.

 

(I guess there is still an open question about the python script, as I tried to run the testdropbox script file again and still got the error, but since that's not causing me current problems, I'll let it slide for now.)

 

Thank you all again,

Joe

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20 Replies 20

Jay
Dropbox Staff
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Hi @joekur, thanks for bringing this to our attention.

 

When you reinstalled the app, did you do an advanced re-installation by following these steps?

 

This will help me to assist further!


Jay
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


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joekur
Helpful | Level 6
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Thanks @Jay,

I had not done the Advanced Re-installation; I only removed dropbox by right-clicking Dropbox in the GUI panel main menu and selecting uninstall, then reinstalled it (I tried multiple uninstalls and reinstalls using both the .deb package downloaded from the Dropbox site, and installing using the Software Manager). However, I've now completed the Advanced Re-installation steps, unfortunately with the same results: the program says it is syncing but it's not. Thanks again!

Hannah
Dropbox Staff
Go to solution

Sorry to jump in here, @joekur!

 

When you say that the application shows that it's syncing, but it's not, does it seem like it's stuck on a specific number of files?

 

What is the exact sync status of the application and the version installed? 

 

You can see that by hovering your mouse over the Dropbox icon in your system tray.


Hannah
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


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joekur
Helpful | Level 6
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Hi @Hannah & @Jay ,

Happy to have you jump in, Hannah. I don't know if you'll be able to zoom in on this screenshot enough to be helpful, but I'll try to answer your questions. Dropbox has been stuck on the same number of files in its folder (702,013 and 502 hidden totaling 109.3 GB) all day, not syncing a new folder and file I created on my other desktop last night, nor has it ever uploaded to the server a few new files and folders I created on this computer yesterday. When I hover over the icon it only says "Dropbox", but I captured the popup menu (that shows up with a right or left click) in the screenshot, which shows it supposedly "syncing..." with the spinning arrows on the icon. The Dropbox version according to the preferences window is v146.4.4836. Hope this is helpful.

joekur_1-1649993239068.jpeg

Thanks again!

Joe

joekur
Helpful | Level 6
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Hi @Hannah & @Jay ,

I just noticed that the Software Manager shows a different version # than the one I noted from Preferences. Note this is the version from the repository, and the source of the package currently installed is downloaded from the Dropbox website, but the Manager is indicating this is the installed version (2020.03.04). Thanks.

joekur_0-1649996914710.png

 

Jay
Dropbox Staff
Go to solution

Thanks for the update, I'd recommend getting in contact with the support team directly for further assistance.

Once you get a ticket ID from the automated response, please let me know the number here so I can locate it in our system.


Jay
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


Heart Did this post help you? If so, give it a Like below to let us know.
:arrows_counterclockwise: Need help with something else? Ask me a question!
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joekur
Helpful | Level 6
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Thanks @Jay !

Ticket #16428748

Здравко
Legendary | Level 20
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Hi @joekur,

Sometimes it's difficult to find out what's exactly the source of troubles. In such situations additional diagnostic information can show some directions you might missed yet. I'm putting here one script targeting such diagnostic information:

#!/usr/bin/python3
import os, sys, json; from importlib.machinery import SourceFileLoader
dropbox = SourceFileLoader("dropbox", "/usr/bin/dropbox").load_module()
ignore = [".dropbox", ".dropbox.cache"]
success = ["up to date", "infinite"]
with open(os.path.expanduser("~/.dropbox/info.json")) as js:
  dbpath = json.load(js).get('personal').get('path')
if not os.path.exists(dbpath):
  print(f"Dropbox folder doesn't exist: {dbpath}"); sys.exit(2)
def listIssues(path):
  def getStatus(path):
    try:
      st = dc.icon_overlay_file_status(path=path).get('status', ['unknown'])[0]
      if st not in success: return path, st
    except dropbox.DropboxCommand.CommandError as e: return path, e
  def listDir(path, ignore = []):
    for e in os.listdir(path):
      if e not in ignore:
        e = path + os.sep + e
        s = getStatus(e);
        if s is not None: yield s
        if os.path.isdir(e):
          for s in listDir(e): yield s
  try:
    with dropbox.closing(dropbox.DropboxCommand()) as dc:
      s = getStatus(path);
      if s is not None: yield s
      for s in listDir(path, ignore): yield s
  except dropbox.DropboxCommand.CouldntConnectError:
    print("Dropbox isn't running!"); sys.exit(3)
issues = [*listIssues(dbpath)];
print("Versions:"); dropbox.version([])
print("Status:"); dropbox.status([])
if len(issues) != 0:
  indent = max(len(st)+1 for _, st in issues);
  id = os.popen("id", 'r').read().strip(); print(f"Your id: {id}")
  print("Issues found:");
  for path, st in issues: print("%-*s %s" %
          (indent, st+':', os.popen(f"ls -ld \"{path}\"", 'r').read().strip()))
  sys.exit(1)
print("No any issues found!");

You can copy content above and paste in a file with name like a "testdropbox" (for example) using simple text editor of your choice in your home folder. It's a simple Python script. To do some work this script has to be made executable. This can be achieved using following command:

chmod a+x testdropbox

Now you can run it and receive in terminal different diagnostic information including all files not in sync yet with some additional information. You can run it using following command:

~/testdropbox

While take a closer look on received information you can try find some predispositions able to be source for the issues like owner (mis)matching, permissions, etc. ðŸ˜‰ This same information can be useful to the staff supporting you too.

Good luck.

joekur
Helpful | Level 6
Go to solution

Hi @Здравко ,

Thank you so much! I received an error in running the script file and not sure what it means, so here's a screenshot of my terminal window along with the first several lines of the "textdropbox" file I created. I hope this is helpful:

joekur_0-1650096660793.png

Thank you again! I greatly appreciate the help.

Joe

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    Hannah Dropbox Staff
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    joekur Helpful | Level 6
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