To use Dropbox on Linux, install the desktop package from Dropbox, sign in, and choose a local folder for synced files. Files you save in that folder sync with your Dropbox account and other connected devices. Use selective sync when you want to keep some folders online without storing them on this computer.
Menu names differ across Linux desktops. The illustrations below show the general setup flow; your package installer and tray menu may look different.
Dropbox’s full desktop experience, including a system tray icon, is officially supported on 64-bit Ubuntu 18.04 or later and 64-bit Fedora 28 or later. Dropbox says other Linux distributions may work if they meet the app’s requirements, but they are not officially supported. Dropbox does not support ARM processors on Linux.
If you are unsure which desktop environment is active, run echo $XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP in Terminal. For the complete current requirements, see Dropbox’s Linux desktop app requirements and system requirements.
.deb format, while Fedora packages use .rpm. Approve the system password prompt if it appears. Avoid copying old repository snippets or signing-key commands from outdated tutorials; Dropbox currently recommends its appropriate Linux package.
~/Dropbox. Keep it on a supported local file system, or choose another supported location if you have a reason to. Confirm the setup and let the app finish connecting and indexing your account.
Open the Dropbox folder in your file manager and add or edit files there. Dropbox syncs those changes to your account when the computer is online. A status badge may appear beside a file or folder if your desktop environment supports Dropbox’s file-status integration. You can also view your files from Dropbox on the web.
To save disk space, open the Dropbox tray icon, select Preferences, then choose Selective sync…. Check folders you want stored locally, uncheck folders you want removed from this computer, and confirm. Selective sync works at the folder level, and removing a folder this way does not delete it from your Dropbox account. The selection applies to this computer only. See Dropbox’s selective sync guide for current steps.
If the tray icon is unavailable or you prefer Terminal, run Dropbox’s CLI command from the top level of your Dropbox folder. With the default location, use:
cd ~/Dropbox
dropbox statusThe command reports the daemon’s current sync status; Up to date means there are no pending changes. If you moved the Dropbox folder or use a team folder, change into that folder first. The official Linux CLI reference lists additional commands.
First check that Dropbox is running and that the Linux version and file system meet the requirements above. The tray icon requires AppIndicator support: Dropbox notes that GNOME generally needs the AppIndicator extension, while XFCE uses xfce4-indicator-plugin. On Fedora, Dropbox lists sudo dnf install libappindicator-gtk3; on Debian or Ubuntu, it lists sudo apt install libappindicator3-1. Restart the desktop session or computer after adding a required extension or library.
If your Linux distribution is outside Dropbox’s supported list, the desktop app may still work, but behavior can vary. You can use Dropbox in a browser, or follow Dropbox’s headless Linux instructions when you need command-line operation without a graphical desktop.
Capture Linux desktop audio in Audacity by routing its recording stream to your output device’s monitor source. Follow PulseAudio and PipeWire steps, export tips, and fixes for silent tracks.
Install Dropbox on Linux from the official package, sign in, sync a local folder, manage selective sync, and check status from the command line.
Install Inkscape from your Linux distribution’s repositories, the Ubuntu stable PPA, Snap, or Flathub, with current commands and notes for choosing a package source.
Use FSlint to scan selected Linux folders, review duplicate groups, and safely delete redundant files or learn when hard-link merging is appropriate.
Install SABnzbd on Ubuntu or Debian, or run it in Docker on another Linux host. Then open the web interface and configure your provider and download folders.
Install the Paper GTK theme from supported Linux repositories, enable it for GTK apps in GNOME Tweaks, and see what the legacy theme can and cannot change.
The old OpenMediaVault Plex plugin is archived. Set up Plex on OMV 8 with OMV-Extras, the Compose plugin, persistent storage, and Plex’s official container.
Clean and speed up Ubuntu with safe APT cleanup, storage checks, and startup controls that help free space and troubleshoot a sluggish desktop.
Install Hiri on Linux with its Snap package or official tarball, add a desktop launcher, and check supported accounts plus a warning about Hiri’s old Snap release.
Use Fastfetch and built-in Linux commands to check your distro, kernel, CPU, memory, graphics, storage, and connected devices, then save a clear report.
