Ubuntu headless install not working

[tn3]

I'm trying to do the Linux headless install as described at https://www.dropbox.com/install on an Ubuntu 16.04 workstation.   It works until I get to the point in the instructions that say "If you're running Dropbox on your server for the first time, you'll be asked to copy and paste a link in a working browser to create a new account or add your server to an existing account."

I don't get any notice of the URL to use.   The last thing I see when I start dropboxd from my command line is "Opening in existing browser session" -- but no URL is provided.

[Walter · Accepted solution]

Assuming that this is not caused by an antivirus, firewall or VPN/proxy setting on this specific machine, I'll need to ask: have you downloaded the Python script from that page as well @tn3? 

If possible, could you change your default browser and try again too?

PS: For a list of all the system requirements take a look below: 

https://www.dropbox.com/help/desktop-web/system-requirements

[tn3]

Walter

Thanks for the suggestion about downloading the Python script.   I did that, ran the script using the command

python dropbox.py status

That consequently gave me the link to paste into my browser.

[Walter]

Glad I could help @tn3!

Happy New Year too.

PS: If you ever come up with any Dropbox question, you know where to find us 

[marclevoy]

I'm in a similar situation, with a headless Debian Linux instance.

I believe the 64-bit Dropbox distribution was installed correctly, but:

 sudo ./dropbox.py status
Dropbox isn't running!

and that's all - no link.  What am I doing wrong?

BTW, dropbox.py start gives me a log of steps, ending with:

dropbox: load fq extension '/root/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-87.4.138/PyQt5.QtDBus.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
Dropbox isn't running!
Done!
l

So that doesn't help either.

Adding -i doesn't do anything different.

-Marc

[Здравко]

Don't use 'sudo' for either directly run Dropbox daemon or use the script! The application works only in user mode, that's why changing context could lead to issues. Both daemon and script should work in same context to be able connect to each other. 😉

[marclevoy]

Oops, put my reply in the wrong place in this thread.  Please see above.

I tried it without sudo, and still can't make it work.  The install script just stops without giving me a login link.

-Marc

[Здравко]

---

@marclevoy wrote:
...  The install script just stops without giving me a login link.

...

---

One note: headless Dropbox have NOT an install script! Just executables. Entire installation is just extract the archive, nothing more.

what is result from:

~/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd

Run the above in terminal and post the entire result (together command and result) as is.

PS: To be sure that everything start on clear base, try following in advance:

rm -rf ~/.dropbox ~/Dropbox

If there is something in your Dropbox folder, backup it first.

[marclevoy]

Here is the output from the wget and Dropboxd commands:

levoy@levoy:~$ cd ~ && wget -O - "https://www.dropbox.com/download?plat=lnx.x86_64" | tar xzf -
--2020-01-02 18:03:27-- https://www.dropbox.com/download?plat=lnx.x86_64
Resolving www.dropbox.com (www.dropbox.com)... 162.125.1.1, 2620:100:6016:1::a27d:101
Connecting to www.dropbox.com (www.dropbox.com)|162.125.1.1|:443... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 302 Found
Location: https://clientupdates.dropboxstatic.com/dbx-releng/client/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-87.4.138.tar.gz [following]
--2020-01-02 18:03:27-- https://clientupdates.dropboxstatic.com/dbx-releng/client/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-87.4.138.tar.gz
Resolving clientupdates.dropboxstatic.com (clientupdates.dropboxstatic.com)... 99.86.39.59
Connecting to clientupdates.dropboxstatic.com (clientupdates.dropboxstatic.com)|99.86.39.59|:443... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK
Length: 101508210 (97M) [binary/octet-stream]
Saving to: ‘STDOUT’

- 100%[===================>] 96.81M 41.7MB/s in 2.3s

2020-01-02 18:03:29 (41.7 MB/s) - written to stdout [101508210/101508210]

levoy@levoy:~$ ~/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd
dropbox: locating interpreter
dropbox: logging to /tmp/dropbox-antifreeze-eBYwi0
dropbox: initializing
dropbox: initializing python 3.7.5
dropbox: setting program path '/usr/local/google/home/levoy/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-87.4.138/dropbox'
dropbox: setting python path '/usr/local/google/home/levoy/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-87.4.138:/usr/local/google/home/levoy/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-87.4.138/python-packages.zip'
dropbox: python initialized
dropbox: running dropbox
dropbox: setting args
dropbox: applying overrides
dropbox: running main script
dropbox: load fq extension '/usr/local/google/home/levoy/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-87.4.138/cryptography.hazmat.bindings._constant_time.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
dropbox: load fq extension '/usr/local/google/home/levoy/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-87.4.138/cryptography.hazmat.bindings._openssl.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
dropbox: load fq extension '/usr/local/google/home/levoy/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-87.4.138/cryptography.hazmat.bindings._padding.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
dropbox: load fq extension '/usr/local/google/home/levoy/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-87.4.138/psutil._psutil_linux.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
dropbox: load fq extension '/usr/local/google/home/levoy/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-87.4.138/psutil._psutil_posix.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
dropbox: load fq extension '/usr/local/google/home/levoy/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-87.4.138/linuxffi.pthread._linuxffi_pthread.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
dropbox: load fq extension '/usr/local/google/home/levoy/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-87.4.138/cpuid.compiled._cpuid.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
dropbox: load fq extension '/usr/local/google/home/levoy/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-87.4.138/apex._apex.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
dropbox: load fq extension '/usr/local/google/home/levoy/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-87.4.138/tornado.speedups.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
dropbox: load fq extension '/usr/local/google/home/levoy/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-87.4.138/linuxffi.resolv.compiled._linuxffi_resolv.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
dropbox: load fq extension '/usr/local/google/home/levoy/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-87.4.138/librsyncffi.compiled._librsyncffi.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
dropbox: load fq extension '/usr/local/google/home/levoy/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-87.4.138/linuxffi.sys.compiled._linuxffi_sys.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
dropbox: load fq extension '/usr/local/google/home/levoy/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-87.4.138/posixffi.libc._posixffi_libc.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
dropbox: load fq extension '/usr/local/google/home/levoy/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-87.4.138/linuxffi.gnu.compiled._linuxffi_gnu.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
dropbox: load fq extension '/usr/local/google/home/levoy/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-87.4.138/PyQt5.QtCore.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
dropbox: load fq extension '/usr/local/google/home/levoy/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-87.4.138/PyQt5.QtGui.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
dropbox: load fq extension '/usr/local/google/home/levoy/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-87.4.138/PyQt5.QtNetwork.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
dropbox: load fq extension '/usr/local/google/home/levoy/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-87.4.138/PyQt5.QtWidgets.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
dropbox: load fq extension '/usr/local/google/home/levoy/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-87.4.138/PyQt5.QtDBus.cpython-37m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'
levoy@levoy:~$ ./dropbox.py status
Dropbox isn't running!
levoy@levoy:~$

[Здравко]

Seems you have killed the daemon! That's why "Dropbox isn't running!".

Ok... Try following and paste the result:

rm -rf ~/.dropbox ~/.dropbox-dist ~/Dropbox; ./dropbox.py start -i

In that way the daemon will be detached and you can check the status in same terminal without killing anything.