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Archives For November 30, 1999

Deb-get Make Easy to Install Many App .DEB Packages Not in Ubuntu Repository

Last updated: May 27, 2022 — Leave a comment

Want to install an app via classic DEB package, but it’s not available in Ubuntu’s own repository? There’s a new command line tool “deb-get“, makes installing apps from 3rd party repositories as easy as single command.

Many applications (e.g., Google Chrome, 1Password, Teamviewer and more) provide DEB packages for Debian/Ubuntu either in their own apt repositories / PPAs or for downloading directly in website.

Besides setup the repositories or find and download .deb packages manually, then install apps via apt (or apt-get), “deb-get” do all the things via a short single command.

For example, run the command below in terminal will add Mozilla Team PPA and install Firefox ESR automatically:

deb-get install firefox-esr

Install Firefox ESR via Deb-get

It’s a free open-source tool developed by Martin Wimpress (leader of Ubuntu MATE project) and many other contributors.

Install Apps via Deb-get

For those familiar with apt or apt-get, Deb-get is quite easy to use as it has similar command options.

Update package index:

Before installing any package, you may first run the command to update the package index for the latest sources:

deb-get update

sudo seems to be not required, though you may add it in the beginning in case of permission issue.

Install/Remove packages:

The tool so far supports for 107 apps including 1password, brave-browser, cawbird, discord, docker-ce, docker-desktop, expressvpn, keepassxc, mailspring, onlyoffice-desktopeditors, obs-studio, skpyeforlinux, sublime-text, whatsapp-for-linux. And, it keeps adding more and more apps support.

You may firstly, run the command below to get a full list of supported packages:

deb-get list

Or use deb-get search KEYWORD to find out if your app is supported.

And, to install an app package (google-earth in the case) use command:

deb-get install google-earth-pro-stable

You’ll see it’s setting up repository and use apt command to install the package. If the package is available via direct download link, it will download via curl and then install it via apt.

To find out all installed packages, use command:

deb-get list |grep installed

You may get info about an installed app, including package version, source, website and summary via command:

deb-get show PACKAGE_NAME

Like apt, to remove a package use command with either remove or purge (also delete configuration files) flag:

deb-get remove PACKAGE_NAME

The command will also remove the repository (if any) that was added for the package.

There also many other options, including upgrade to install available updates for all installed packages, reinstall to re-install a package, clean to clear out the local repository of retrieved package files. And, you may just run deb-get in terminal to get more about this command line tool.

How to install Deb-get in Ubuntu:

The tool is designed specially for Ubuntu and its based systems. The project page provides .deb package that installs in all current Ubuntu releases (Ubuntu 18.04, 20.04, 21.10, and 22.04).

Download Deb-get (under ‘Assets’)

Download the package, and open terminal via right-click menu in your ‘Downloads’ folder. And finally, run the command below to install it: 

sudo apt install ./deb-get*.deb

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How to Record Your Desktop with Audio in Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

Last updated: August 1, 2024 — 11 Comments

Want to record your screen or app window with sounds? Here’s how to do this in Ubuntu 22.04 LTS.

Ubuntu 22.04 comes with built-in screen recording UI. By pressing Ctrl+Shift+Alt+R key combination on keyboard, you can open it and select recording full-screen or a selection area. However, it does not record audio!

System built-in screen recorder

Method 1: Switch to Xorg session:

There are a few other tools available in system repository that record desktop with audio support. However, most of them do not work in the default Wayland session. As a workaround, you may switch back to the classic Xorg session to get your apps work.

1. Firstly, save your work and log out the current session.

2. In the login screen, click your username, then select “Ubuntu on Xorg” using the bottom right gear button menu.

3. Finally, type password to login and start recording via your applications.

In case you don’t know about any screen recording app, here are some that work in Xorg session with audio support.

  • Kazam
  • SimpleScreenRecorder (ssr)
  • vokoscreen-ng

All the 3 are available to install in Ubuntu Software. You can alternatively press Ctrl+Alt+T to open terminal, run one of the commands below to install the package in case you hate Ubuntu Software (aka Snap store):

sudo apt install kazam
sudo apt install simplescreenrecorder
sudo apt install vokoscreen-ng

Kazam

Method 2: Use Kooha

Except OBS Studio, Kooha is the only screen recorder that works great in the Wayland session as far as I know.

It supports recording your selected app window, full-screen, and selection area along with computer sound and/or microphone.

Just select the recording mode, enable audio and/or mouse cursor, and click on “Record” button. It will pop-up a new dialog allows to choose either app window or screen display, and start recording after clicking on “Share” button.

And, it can records video into WebM, MKV, MP4, and GIF file formats via the 3 lines icon menu.

Tip: You may minimize the Kooha counting window during recording process, by clicking the app icon on the dock. Though, you need to first enable ‘click minimize’ function by running command in terminal:

gsettings set org.gnome.shell.extensions.dash-to-dock click-action 'minimize'

How to Install Kooha in Ubuntu & Other Linux

The software so far only provides Linux packages via Flatpak package. If you’re first time installing a Flatpak package, it’ll take a few hundred MB more disk space for run-time libraries.

1.) Firstly, press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open terminal. When it opens, run the command below to install the flatpak daemon:

sudo apt install flatpak

Other Linux may follow this setup guide to install the daemon.

2.) Then, install Kooha as Flatpak via command:

flatpak install https://dl.flathub.org/repo/appstream/io.github.seadve.Kooha.flatpakref

Once installed, click the top-left corner ‘Activities’, then search for and open the app:

How to Remove Kooha

Also, in a terminal window (Ctrl+Alt+T) run the command below will remove the package:

flatpak uninstall --delete-data io.github.seadve.Kooha

And, clean up the run-time libraries via command flatpak uninsatll --unused.

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Linux Kernel 5.18 Released! How to Install it in Ubuntu 22.04

Last updated: May 23, 2022 — Leave a comment

Linux Kernel 5.18 was released on this Sunday. Ubuntu 22.04 user can install this new kernel via the mainline PPA repository.

The new Kernel release comes with many new features, and here are some of them:

  • Intel Hardware Feedback Interface “HFI” Driver
  • Intel Software Defined Silicon (SDSi) driver
  • AMD HSMP driver
  • Intel Indirect Branch Tracking (IBT)
  • New Razer Driver & Tablet improvements.
  • Intel’s Platform Environment Control Interface (PECI)
  • Intel Alder Lake N graphics and Alder Lake “PS” audio support.
  • SiGma Micro keyboard control ICs support

How to Install Kernel 5.18 in Ubuntu 22.04:

Ubuntu has build the kernel package in its Kernel Mainline PPA, available to install in Ubuntu 22.04 LTS.

NOTE: The Mainline Kernel package does not include any Ubuntu-provided drivers or patches, which are NOT appropriate for production use. ONLY install when you do require it and use at your own risk!

The Kernel 5.18 .deb packages are available to download at the link below:

Download Kernel 5.18

For Ubuntu 22.04 desktop PC/laptop, press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open terminal. When it opens, run the commands below one by one to download the packages:

cd /tmp
wget -c https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v5.18/amd64/linux-headers-5.18.0-051800_5.18.0-051800.202205222030_all.deb
wget -c https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v5.18/amd64/linux-headers-5.18.0-051800-generic_5.18.0-051800.202205222030_amd64.deb
wget -c https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v5.18/amd64/linux-image-unsigned-5.18.0-051800-generic_5.18.0-051800.202205222030_amd64.deb
wget -c https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v5.18/amd64/linux-modules-5.18.0-051800-generic_5.18.0-051800.202205222030_amd64.deb

Then install them via command:

cd /tmp && sudo apt install ./*.deb

In addition, there’s a third-party graphical tool can do the job with a few clicks.

Install Kernel via third-party tool

After installation, restart your computer and verify by running command:

uname -a

How to Remove Kernel 5.18:

To remove this kernel from your system, firstly boot (re-boot) with the previous Kernel from ‘Grub menu -> Advanced options’.

When you’re in, run the command below in terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) to remove the Kernel 5.18:

sudo apt remove --autoremove linux-headers-5.18.0-051800 linux-image-unsigned-5.18.0-051800-generic

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How to Get rid of the Invisible “gjs” window in Ubuntu 22.04 GNOME 42

Last updated: May 20, 2022 — 5 Comments

Got an invisible app window called “gjs” in Ubuntu 22.04 desktop? Here’s how to kill it without log out the current session.

GJS, stands for Gnome JavaScript, it’s part of Gnome-shell use as JavaScript programming environment. In Ubuntu, the default Desktop Icons NG (DING) extension use gjs, which could cause the issue sometimes.

When the issue happens, you’ll see an app icon called “gjs” in the dock, but no app window visible. You can not close it by the context menu option. And, it’s annoying that other applications are not reachable via mouse clicks until switch focus via Alt+Tab keyboard shortcut.

Invisible gjs in overview

Until GNOME or maybe the extension developers fixed the issue, user may manually kill the process to get rid of it.

Kill the process via system monitor

Firstly, press Super / Windows key on keyboard to open ‘Activities’ overview, search for and open “System Monitor” app:

When it opens, scroll down and find out the process. There are usually multiple gjs processes. Move mouse pointer over one of them will display a tooltip about it.

It’s safe to kill the process by clicking to highlight and then hitting “End Process” button. The invisible “gjs” window should disappear immediately if you killed the correct one. And, the process will start again automatically.

Kill the process via Linux command:

For those familiar with Linux command, simply open terminal and run command to find out the process:

ps ax |grep gjs

Then, kill process by using the pid:

sudo kill -9 PID_HERE

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Warp – Modern New GTK4 File Transfer App for both Local & Internet Networks

Last updated: May 18, 2022 — Leave a comment

Looking for a peer to peer file transfer app that works outside the local network? Warp is the stupid simple application to do the trick for Linux.

There are a few applications for LAN file transferring, such as Warpinator and Dukto. For sending date all over the world, Warp is a new GTK4 app for transferring any arbitrary-sized files and directories without struggling with Linux command or using a cloud service.

The app provides a stupid simple interface with 2 tabs: Send and Receive. Simply click on the “send file” (or folder) button and select your data, it will generate a transmit code.

On another machine with the app installed, type the code in “Receive” tab and click “Receive File” button will start transferring data.

Every file transfer is encrypted using the Magic Wormhole protocol. And, it will directly transfer files on the local network if possible. Though, an internet connection is required to connect to rendezvous server so sender and receiver can find each other over the internet.

How to Install Warp in Linux:

NOTE: The app is in early age that may have bugs. At the moment of writing, it provides binary package for most Linux systems and Chrome OS using Flatpak package.

For Ubuntu, firstly press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open terminal. When it opens, run the command to install flatpak daemon:

sudo apt install flatpak

Other Linux & Chrome OS may follow this setup guide to install the daemon.

Next, install the app using command:

flatpak install https://dl.flathub.org/repo/appstream/app.drey.Warp.flatpakref

For first time installing Flatpak app on Ubuntu 22.04, you need a system restart to make the app icon available in search result.

Once installed, either press Super/Windows key on keyboard and search for and open the app, or run command flatpak run app.drey.Warp to start it from terminal.

Remove Warp file transfer

To remove the app, run command in a terminal window:

flatpak uninstall --delete-data app.drey.Warp

And clean un-used run time via: flatpak uninstall --unused.

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How to Install & Change Themes in Ubuntu 22.04 [Beginner’s Guide]

Last updated: May 17, 2022 — 10 Comments

Ubuntu 22.04 desktop looks really good today, but it’s always better to have choices! And, here is the beginner’s guide shows how to install themes and change the desktop panel, icons, app windows appearance.

Change Themes in Ubuntu 22.04

Ubuntu defaults to Yaru theme in light and dark mode, along with 10 different accent colors. There are a few others pre-installed in the system, and we usually use “Gnome Tweaks” to choose among them.

1.) Firstly, press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open terminal. When it opens, run the command below to install ‘Gnome Tweaks’:

sudo apt install gnome-tweaks

2.) Then, either press Windows/Super on keyboard or click “Activities” on top bar, and then search for and launch the configuration tool.

3.) By navigating to “Appearance” tab, you’ll see the options to change the themes for mouse cursor, icons, shell, sound, and legacy applications.

Since GNOME (Ubuntu’s default desktop environment) is preventing custom themes for GTK4 applications via libadwaita, the GTK theme option in Gnome Tweaks becomes “Legacy Applications“. Ubuntu 22.04 ships few GTK4 apps and avoids libadwaita, so the option works good so far.

Enable Shell theme selection box:

The Shell theme selection box that apply appearance of desktop panel, context menu and notifications, is grayed out by default. To enable it, you have to install “User Themes” extension.

Firstly, press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open terminal. When it opens, run the command below to install extension manager app:

sudo apt install gnome-shell-extension-manager

Next, click on the “Activities” on top bar, search for and open the tool:

Finally, install “User Themes” extension from the ‘Browser’ tab in Extension manager application:

After that, re-open Gnome Tweaks. It should allows to change “Shell” theme now in Appearance tab.

How to Install Themes in Ubuntu 22.04

There are many other themes available on the web, such as gnome-look.org. Some of them has installation script but some not.

1. To manually install a theme in Ubuntu & most other Linux, firstly open user home folder from the dock:

Firstly open user home folder

2. Press Ctrl+H on keyboard when file manager opens to view/hide hidden folders, and create the .themes and .icons folders if they are not exist:

  • .themes – use for GTK app themes and shell/desktop themes.
  • .icons – use for icon set.

3. Next, put your downloaded GTK themes and Gnome Shell themes into “.themes” folder. And, put icon themes into “.icons” folder.

A theme folder usually contents a few sub-folders as well as a ‘index.theme’ file. By putting it into the right location, Gnome Tweak will find it automatically and display as choice in selection box.

To install themes for all system user use, put these folders into “/usr/share/themes” and/or “/usr/share/icons“, though you need sudo user privilege to do the copy & paste things.

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How to Install Chromium browser (.Deb Version) in Ubuntu 22.04

Last updated: May 16, 2022 — 3 Comments

Like Firefox, the Chromium web browser package in recent Ubuntu repository is just empty package that links to Snap version.

If you would like to install the classic .Deb version instead, here are 2 choices that work on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS.

Option 1: Use Rob Savoury’s PPA

Rob Savoury is maintaining a collections of software packages in PPAs including Chromium browser. With this unofficial PPA, you may get the the latest Chromium packages in Ubuntu 22.04 and Ubuntu 20.04.

This could be the easiest way, however, only 64-bit modern PC/laptop is supported!

1.) Add the PPA

Firstly, press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open a terminal window. When it opens, run the command below to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:savoury1/chromium

Type user password (no asterisk feedback) when it asks and hit Enter to continue.

2.) Install the browser package

After adding the PPA, you can install the browser package via commands:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install chromium-browser

How to Uninstall:

To remove the browser package, open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command:

sudo apt remove --autoremove chromium-browser

And remove the Ubuntu PPA by launching “Software & Updates” and remove the source line from “Other Software” tab.

Remove Rob Savoury’s Chromium PPA

Option 2: Install Chromium from Ubuntu 18.04 Repository

Ubuntu 18.04 still provides the most recent Chromium .Deb package and keeps updating in its repository.

Until April 2023 (end of life date of Ubuntu 18.04), you may install the package from that repository in 64-bit and ARM64/ARMhf machines running Ubuntu 22.04.

However, the process is a little bit complicated due to change of the apt key policy. For choice, there’s a third-party PPA keeps a copy the packages for Ubuntu 20.04 and Ubuntu 22.04.

1.) Install Ubuntu 18.04 repository key:

Firstly, press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open terminal. When it opens, run the command below get the bionic-updates repository key:

sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 3B4FE6ACC0B21F32

Due to change of the apt-key policy, run the command below to move the key to “/usr/share/keyrings“.

sudo mv /etc/apt/trusted.gpg /usr/share/keyrings/bionic-updates.gpg

2.) Add Ubuntu 18.04 updates repository:

Next, run the command below in terminal to create and edit repository file:

sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list.d/bionic-updates.list

When file opens, paste the single line below and save it.

deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/bionic-updates.gpg] http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates universe

3.) Setup package priority

It’s IMPORTANT to set package priority so ONLY chromium browser package is allowed to be installed from this repository!!

Open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command below to create and edit a preference file:

sudo gedit /etc/apt/preferences.d/99bionic-updates

When the file opens, paste following lines to tell only allows chromium related packages and prevent all others!

# Prefer 'chromium-browser' package from Ubuntu 18.04 updates repository

Package: chromium-browser*
Pin: release a=bionic-updates
Pin-Priority: 501

# Prefer 'chromium-chromedriver' package from Ubuntu 18.04 updates repository

Package: chromium-chromedriver
Pin: release a=bionic-updates
Pin-Priority: 501

# Prefer 'chromium-codecs-ffmpeg' package from Ubuntu 18.04 updates repository

Package: chromium-codecs-ffmpeg*
Pin: release a=bionic-updates
Pin-Priority: 501

# Prevent all other packages from Ubuntu 18.04 repository

Package: *
Pin: release a=bionic-updates
Pin-Priority: -10

4.) Update & Install Chromium

Finally, run the apt update command to refresh package cache:

sudo apt update

And, install the browser package from Ubuntu 18.04 repository using command:

sudo apt install chromium-browser

How to Remove 18.04 Repository and Uninstall Chromium

Like the Rob Savoury’s PPA package, simply run the command below in terminal will remove the browser package:

sudo apt remove --autoremove chromium-browser

If you want to get rid of Ubuntu 18.04 repository, run the command below one by one in terminal:

  • Remove the source file: 
    sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/bionic-updates.list
  • Remove the keyring: 
    sudo rm /usr/share/keyrings/bionic-updates.gpg
  • And clear the priority file: 
    sudo rm /etc/apt/preferences.d/99bionic-updates
  • Finally, refresh system package cache to apply changes: 
    sudo apt update

Summary:

There are quite a few software sources to get the Chromium package in .Deb version. Here, the third-party Rob Savoury’s PPA could be the easiest way which however contains only 64-bit package. The old Ubuntu 18.04 repository is good choice for those need arm64/armhf package, though the support will end in April 2023.

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DeaDBeeF 1.9.0 Released! How to install it in Ubuntu 22.04

Last updated: May 14, 2022 — 1 Comment

DeaDBeeF music player released new 1.9.0 version a day ago. Here’s what’s new and how to install the application in Ubuntu.

DeaDBeeF is one of my favorite music players, especially for its design mode. Glory to Ukraine! In this release you’ll see two little hearts (in blue and yellow) in the title bar of app window.

The 1.9.0 release added some new features including:

  • Long file seeking support for Opus and FFMPEG
  • HTTPS support for vfs_curl in portable builds, via libmbedtls
  • Design mode for CocoaUI
  • New Scope and Spectrum Analyzer visualizations
  • Visualization appearance preferences pane
  • New album art loader
  • Title formatting $year(time) function
  • GTK UI for editing a chosen field of multiple selected tracks, in a table interface
  • Creating new playlist via clicking the “+” button in the playlist tab strip
  • Improved DSP preferences GTK UI
  • Improved handling of invalid MP3 files
  • Last.fm scrobbler will use HTTPS by default

And, you can now easily get the menu to set dB scale, Linear scale, or Cubic scale by simply right-clicking on volume slider. There are as well various bug fixes, see HERE for more.

How to Install DeaDBeeF 1.9.0 in Ubuntu:

The software project provides official packages for 64-bit modern PC/laptop. For Debian, Ubuntu, Linux Mint based systems, simply download the “deadbeef-static_1.9.0-1_amd64.deb” from the link page below:

Download DeaDBeeF for Linux

After downloaded the package, open your Downloads folder, right-click blank area and select “Open in Terminal”. Finally, install the package by running the command below in pop-up terminal:

sudo apt install ./deadbeef-static*amd64.deb

It works in all current Ubuntu releases, including Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 21.10 and Ubuntu 22.04.

Once installed, press Windows (Super) key on keyboard. Then search for and open the player to enjoy your music!

In addition for those prefer Ubuntu PPA, here’s one that built with Qt5 interface and MPRISv2 plugin support.

It should be trustworthy as the maintainer is the guy behind Debian and Ubuntu’s official Tesseract OCR package. However, the package version there at the moment of writing is still the last v1.8.8. And, it’s better to remove “deadbeef-static” first before installing the music player from this PPA.

How to Remove DeaDBeeF:

The package is installed as deadbeef-static. To remove it, open terminal by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard. Then run command:

sudo apt remove --autoremove deadbeef-static

That’s all. Enjoy!

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Workaround Chrome / Chromium Double-click Maximize Not Working in Ubuntu 22.04

Last updated: May 13, 2022 — 4 Comments

User of Google Chrome or Chromium based web browser? Here are the workarounds if you found that double-clicking does not work for maximizing/restoring app window in Ubuntu Linux.

When double-clicking on the header bar of any app window, it should maximize or restore the application. However, it just changes the cursor to drag arrow and back then, nothing else happens in Ubuntu 22.04 with Chrome/Chromium.

Double click does not maximize Chrome

This should be a compatibility issue between the browser and GNOME Wayland. Someone has reported the same issue that happened in Fedora 34.

It’s not a big deal if you OK to triple click or use title-bar button to do maximize/restore action. But if you want, there are a few workarounds until Google or GNOME fixed the issue.

Workaround 1: Use system title bar

Just right-click on browser header bar, then select “Use system title bar and borders” in pop-up menu option.

An external title bar will appear on top of the browser. The double click function works well in this case, though it takes a bit more screen space and looks not so good in Linux today.

To restore the change, right-click on tab bar to get the previous menu and un-tick the menu option.

Workaround 2: Switch back Xorg session

As mentioned above, this issue only happens in Wayland session. User may switch back the classic Xorg session to workaround it as well as many legacy applications (e.g., Peek, Shutter) that are not properly working issue.

To do so, log out current session (save your work first!) and click your username in login screen. Then click the bottom right gear button and select “Ubuntu on Xorg“. Finally, type password to login.

To verify your session, either open “System Settings -> About -> Check ‘Windowing System'”, or run the command below in terminal:

echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE

Workaround 3: Disable touchpad tap and drag

The Xorg session is the good choice except for those using touchpad tap clicking to simulate double-click action.

If you use touchpad for the most time like me, and there are physical left/right buttons, then disable tap and drag feature will make double tapping work for maximizing Chrome/Chromium browser.

To do so, either press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open terminal and run the single command:

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.peripherals.touchpad tap-and-drag false

Or install ‘Dconf Editor’ from Ubuntu Software. Open it, and navigate to ‘org.gnome.desktop.peripherals.touchpad’. And, finally turn off the key for ‘tap-and-drag’.

That’s all. Enjoy!

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How to Install and Use Dropbox Cloud Storage in Ubuntu 22.04

Last updated: May 12, 2022 — 2 Comments

This is a beginner’s guide shows how to install and use the Dropbox cloud storage and file sharing tool in Ubuntu 22.04.

Dropbox is a popular file hosting service powered by the American company Dropbox, Inc. It provides free account with 2 GB storage and paid plans for more. You can use it as a cloud storage and/or for sharing files with your friends.

Step 1: Enable Multiverse Repository

Dropbox is easy to install in Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Linux Mint and their based systems that use GNOME or MATE desktop via file manager extension.

For Ubuntu, first search for and open ‘Software & Updates‘ utility from top left Activities overview screen.

When it opens, make sure the ‘multiverse’ repository which includes the packages is enabled. For Fedora Workstation, you need to enable third-party non-free repositories first.

Step 2: Install Nautilus/Caja Extension

Now, press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open terminal. When it opens, run the command below to refresh system package cache:

sudo apt update

And then install the package for GNOME (the default desktop environment):

sudo apt install nautilus-dropbox

For MATE desktop, replace nautilus-dropbox with caja-dropbox in the command.

For Fedora, replace apt in the previous command with dnf to install the package.

After installation, it may pop-up a dialog indicates to restart your file manager. It’s OK to just close it.

Step 3: Install the daemon

Click on the top-left ‘Activities’ or use 3-finger up gesture to get into overview screen. Then, you can search for and launch Dropbox.

The first time launching the app will indicate to download & install the proprietary daemon package.

Just click on “OK” button. It will start downloading and installing the daemon automatically. Depends on your internet connection, the process can take up a few minutes. And, if you close the process dialog mistakenly, re-launch the app should start it again.

Step 4: Use Dropbox

Once the installation process done, an indicator applet should appear in top-right corner system tray. And, it will open the login page in your default web browser automatically. If NOT, click the “sign in” indicator menu option to open it manually. Then sign in in the web page (or sign up if you don’t have an account).

After signed in, you’ll see a new “Dropbox” folder in user home, as well as some new indicator menu options.

To upload (sync) your files or folders into cloud, simply put them into the “Dropbox” folder, either by using copy & paste action or via your files/folders’ right-click menu options.

If you want, you may share your files in that folder quickly by getting an URL from its context menu option “Copy Dropbox Link“. Then, anywhere with any device can open the file by visiting the URL via a web browser.

get URL link and share file with your friends

For the indicator menu, there are options to quickly launch Dropbox local folder and web page, enable/disable syncing, and launch ‘Preference’ to configure auto-startup, bandwidth, proxy, account, etc.

How to Remove Dropbox integration:

To remove the client, first exit Dropbox via indicator menu option. Then run the command below in terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T):

sudo apt remove --autoremove nautilus-dropbox

For MATE, use caja-dropbox instead of nautilus-dropbox in command.

To clean up, you may remove the “Dropbox” folder (backup your data first), “.dropbox” and “.dropbox-dist” folders. For the hidden folders, you need to press Ctrl+H on keyboard to view them, and press the key combination again to hide them.

And, search for and open “Startup Applications Preferences” from Activities overview. When it opens, you can remove the startup configuration for Dropbox, though it no longer works as daemon has been removed.

That’s all. Enjoy!

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