How To Install Dropbox on Debian 11 - Step by Step

In this guide, you will learn How To Install Dropbox and Dropbox CLI on Debian 11.

Dropbox is a file hosting service, often referred to as a “cloud storage” service. Dropbox is one of the oldest and most popular cloud storage services in use today, though there are many alternatives, including Microsoft OneDrive, Box, Sync, and Google Drive.

It is a cloud storage service that lets you save files online and sync them to your devices.
You can use Dropbox links to share files and folders with other people without sending large attachments.
Dropbox offers a free plan that includes 2 GB of storage. You can pay to increase that to as much as 3 TB with a subscription.

Steps To Install Dropbox on Debian 11

To install Dropbox, you must log in to your server as a non-root user with sudo privileges. To do this, you can follow our guide the Initial Server Setup with Debian 11.

Now you can follow the steps below to complete this guide.

Set up Dropbox on Debian 11

First, you need to update your local package index with the following command:

sudo apt update

Then, install the wget tool on your server by using the command below:

sudo apt install wget -y

At this point, you need to download the Dropbox package from the official Dropbox website using the wget command.

Dropbox Download Linux

To download the Dropbox package for 64-bit OS, run the following command in the Terminal:

sudo cd ~ && sudo wget -O - "https://www.dropbox.com/download?plat=lnx.x86_64" | tar xzf -

In the case of 32-bit OS, you have to run the following command in the Terminal:

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

Note: The above command will create a hidden folder “.dropbox-dist” under your Home directory. To view this hidden folder, navigate to your Home Directory using the cd ~ command and type ls -a.

Launch Dropbox

Next, run the Dropbox daemon with the following command:

sudo ~/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd

Note: 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. Once you do, your Dropbox folder will be created in your home directory.

You can access the Dropbox app on your Debian 11 desktop under Applications > Internet. Click on it to run your Dropbox app.

When you subscribe to Dropbox, you are allotted a certain amount of storage space in an online server known as “the cloud.” After installing the Dropbox app on your PC, mobile device, or Linux, any files that you store in your Dropbox locally will be copied to the Dropbox server as well.

Dropbox Command Line

Dropbox also includes a command-line interface (CLI) that lets you control Dropbox with the command line. It allows you to start, stop, synchronize, and view the current status of each file.

First, you need to install Python on Debian 11:

sudo apt install python3

Download the Dropbox command line

Then, you need to download a python script. It will be used to control Dropbox from the command line. Run the following command in the Terminal to download the python script:

sudo wget -O /usr/local/bin/dropbox "https://www.dropbox.com/download?dl=packages/dropbox.py"

Next, make the script executable with the command below:

sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/dropbox

To list all the commands that can be used to control Dropbox CLI, simply run the following command:

dropbox

Output
Dropbox command-line interface

commands:

Note: use dropbox help <command> to view usage for a specific command.

 autostart    automatically start Dropbox at login
 exclude      ignores/excludes a directory from syncing
 filestatus   get current sync status of one or more files
 help         provide help
 lansync      enables or disables LAN sync
 ls           list directory contents with current sync status
 proxy        set proxy settings for Dropbox
 running      return whether Dropbox is running
 sharelink    get a shared link for a file in your Dropbox
 start        start dropboxd
 status       get current status of the dropboxd
 stop         stop dropboxd
 throttle     set bandwidth limits for Dropbox
 update       download latest version of Dropbox
 version      print version information for Dropbox

For example, to view the version of Dropbox, run the command below:

dropbox version

Output
Dropbox daemon version: 170.4.5895
Dropbox command-line interface version: 2022.12.05

Conclusion

At this point, you learn to Install Dropbox on Debian 11.

Hope you enjoy it.

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