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Unable to start dropbox in Ubuntu 20.04

Unable to start dropbox in Ubuntu 20.04

CodesAreHonest
New member | Level 2

Hi, I am unable to start the dropbox in Ubuntu 20.04 with Headless Mode with the following errors. I had read through all the forums and documents to find out the solution in order to fix this error but now lucks.

I had already perform `dropbox start` as root but still obtains:

 

Couldn't start Dropbox.
This is usually because of a permissions error. Storing your home folder on a network share can also cause an error.

Get more help at https://www.dropbox.com/c/help/permissions_error

 


The log of /tmp/dropbox_errorf0tk7axj.txt are shown below: 

 

bn.BUILD_KEY: Dropbox
bn.VERSION: 131.4.3968
bn.constants.WINDOWS_SHELL_EXT_VERSION: 48
bn.is_frozen: True
machine_id: 20210623-1124-0478-1463-487467590001
pid: 30950
ppid: 1
ppid exe: '/usr/lib/systemd/systemd'
uid: 0
user_info: pwd.struct_passwd(pw_name='root', pw_passwd='x', pw_uid=0, pw_gid=0, pw_gecos='root', pw_dir='/root', pw_shell='/bin/bash')
effective_user_info: pwd.struct_passwd(pw_name='root', pw_passwd='x', pw_uid=0, pw_gid=0, pw_gecos='root', pw_dir='/root', pw_shell='/bin/bash')
euid: 0
gid: 0
egid: 0
group_info: grp.struct_group(gr_name='root', gr_passwd='x', gr_gid=0, gr_mem=[])
effective_group_info: grp.struct_group(gr_name='root', gr_passwd='x', gr_gid=0, gr_mem=[])
LD_LIBRARY_PATH: None
cwd: '/root'
     real_path='/root'
                mode=0o40700    uid=0   gid=0
     parent     mode=0o40755    uid=0   gid=0
HOME: '/root'
appdata: '/root/.dropbox/instance5'
         real_path='/root/.dropbox/instance5'
                mode=0o40700    uid=0   gid=0
         parent mode=0o40755    uid=0   gid=0
dropbox_path: None
                        not found
              parent    not found
sys_executable: '/root/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-131.4.3968/dropbox'
                real_path='/root/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-131.4.3968/dropbox'
                        mode=0o100755   uid=0   gid=0
                parent  mode=0o40755    uid=0   gid=0
trace.__file__: '/root/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-131.4.3968/python-packages.zip/dropbox/client/ui/common/boot_error.pyc'
                real_path='/root/.dropbox-dist/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-131.4.3968/python-packages.zip/dropbox/client/ui/common/boot_error.pyc'
                        not found
                parent  not found
tempdir: '/tmp'
         real_path='/tmp'
                mode=0o41777    uid=0   gid=0
         parent mode=0o40755    uid=0   gid=0
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "dropbox/client/main.pyc", line 5397, in _setup_root_for_account
AssertionError: fresh link yet no preferences

 

 

28 Replies 28

adw74
New member | Level 2

I can download and start the dropbox daemon. It generates a link to use to connect it to my Dropbox account.

 

The link works fine, but then the daemon says:

 

"This computer is now linked to Dropbox. Welcome XXXX
Couldn't start Dropbox.
This is usually because of a permissions error. Storing your home folder on a network share can also cause an error."

 

I believe the issue is that a 'Dropbox' folder is never created in my home directory on the server. I've tried creating the folder myself with full permissions.

 

This is on an AWS Lightsail instance, in case that matters. All help appreciated.

Walter
Dropbox Staff
Hi all, thanks for your reports!

I'd like to have our team investigate this a tad further, so would it be OK if I reached out via email?
 

Walter
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


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petardo
Explorer | Level 3

Thx, OK

Walter
Dropbox Staff
No biggie @petardo - you've got :envelope: 

Walter
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


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Eunjin Sul
Explorer | Level 4
I have the same problem on debian bullseye, even if it is a fresh OS just after installing that. I have installed a bunch of dropboxes to several bullseyes about two weeks ago with the same method, and those worked well.
After this permission error, I tried many methods to install dropboxes. One case created a weird directory named /home/‘&(whoami)’ with root previleged. I guess one of your engineers made the bug of $(whoami) to &(whoami).

Walter
Dropbox Staff
Hey @Eunjin Sul, thanks for joining the topic here and sorry to hear you're also having issues with this. 

I've just reached out via email to have a further look into this matter internally.

Please have a look at your inbox and we'll take it from there.

Walter
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


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Eunjin Sul
Explorer | Level 4
It’s working well now. Thanks

cuye
Explorer | Level 4

what did you do to get it to work again @Eunjin Sul?

Eunjin Sul
Explorer | Level 4
I didn’t do anything. In my guess, there are some problems in the dropbox daemon, and the support team of dropbox have got rid of it. I did the same procedure for installing dropbox, and it worked.
Just do it again please. If you have the same error, I’ll try to reinstall and check it out

torga
New member | Level 2

Still failing for me with client 131.4.3968. I have it working though using a previous build (125.4.3474)

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