Setting Up Simple Dropbox Integration with Ubuntu

The default installer of Dropbox for Ubuntu works with the Nautilus file manager. But this integration is not always desireable, below is a method to install Dropbox on your Ubuntu box without installing Nautilus.

Step 1: Download the latest version of Dropbox for your architecture. The links are available below:

• 32bit Dropbox Linux Client
• 64bit Dropbox Linux Client

Step 2: Extract the archive to ~/.dropbox-dist directory

Step 3: Test run Dropbox. Run the following command on your command prompt:
~/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd

You should be prompted to enter your account information, once entered dropbox should be up and running.

Step 4: [Optional] Get Dropbox to start automatically when you login to your system.
Open your favourite text editor and type the following in it:

#!/bin/bash
killall dropbox
~/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd &

Save the file as “dropboxautostart” and give it executable permissions by the following command:

chmod u+x dropboxautostart

Now copy it to the startup directory based on your destop environment
Gnome:
~/.config/autostart/
Kde:
~/.kde/Autostart/

Dropbox client should now be up and running on your system.