location: dropbox

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Dropbox

  • Dropbox is a US based commercial company. Any data saved via Dropbox are affected by US laws.
  • At UZH, the recommended alternative to dropbox is Switchdrive: http://drive.switch.ch.

  • Advantages of Switchdrive against Dropbox:
    • Switchdrive: Swiss data protection laws are respected.
    • Switchdrive: Diskquota: 50GB.
    • Switchdrive: All major OS are fully supported.
    • Switchdrive: No device limit.

  • 2019/03: New 3 device limit (non-paid account) https://help.dropbox.com/account/computer-limit

I-MATH: Thinlinc

  • Disk usage of Dropbox is separated from I-MATH home quota.
  • The default disk quota for the thinlinc dropbox installation is 10GB. If you need more, please contact the IT-support.

Installation

  • End of 2018, dropbox limits the linux client to only operate on ext4 filesystem.

  • To fulfil the requirements in the thinlinc environment, we've installed a system wide workaround.
  • If you run into trouble during installation, please contact the IT-support.

  • Start: Applications > Internet > Dropbox.

  • If you start 'dropbox' the first time: you're asked for your I-MATH password - please provide.

  • The first start might take several minutes! Please be patient.
  • Click 'OK' to start the Dropbox installation.
  • After some time, a webbrowser opens and asks you to log in via dropbox.com to your dropbox account: do this.
  • Again after some time, you'll be prompted with:

dp01.png

  • Click on Move.

  • The above windows stays in front - move it to the side, navigate to /dropbox/<your account> and click Choose.

dp-fileselect.png

  • If you already have a lot of files in your Dropbox, it might take several minutes until the files are synchronized.

FAQ

  • Q: I'm missing my Dropbox folder?
    • A: Navigate in the filemanager to /dropbox/<my account>.

  • Q: I don't like /dropbox/<my account>. Can I move it to a different location?

    • A: No. Only /dropbox/<my account> will work in a thinlinc environment.

  • Q: Are there snapshots/backups of /dropbox/<my account>?

    • A: No. The ext4 filesystem does not support snapshots. Use the Dropbox webinterface to access older versions of your files.

  • Q: My local folder /dropbox/<my account> runs out of space, what can I do?

  • Q: On the compute hosts, there is no `/dropbox/<my account>'!

    • A: Unfortunately, that's correct. The new Dropbox directory is only available inside of the thinlinc session.
  • Q: My Dropbox on thinlinc does not sync.
    • A: Please try to start again Applications > Internet > Dropbox. Wait 1 minute before doing any action.

  • Q: Dropbox was fine but now it asks me to move a directory.
    • A: Start Dropbox again via Applications > Internet > Dropbox - if it is still broken or asks you again: wait one minute and start it again.