Unable to start dropbox in Ubuntu 20.04

[CodesAreHonest]

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

[Rodrigo Oliveira]

For anyone still having this issue, it happened to me today when trying to install on Ubuntu 14.04, i got it working using build 125.4.3474 as Torga mentioned.
Followed the steps in advanced reinstall here but when it tells you do download the latest client:

cd ~ && wget -O - "https://www.dropbox.com/download?plat=lnx.x86" | tar xzf -

I changed the link to get the older version:

cd ~ && wget -O - "https://edge.dropboxstatic.com/dbx-releng/client/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-125.4.3474.tar.gz" | tar xzf -

And it worked just fine!

Still no updates on the latest build

[timpalpant]

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

[sumeetsk]

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-perm... 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

[t00l]

having same issue, this fixed it for me

[svetsmirnova]

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

[martonsebok]

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

[Aysberg]

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.

[petardo]

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.

[svetsmirnova]

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