dropbox on Tiny Core

[dentonlt]

Dropbox is a [not at all minimalistic] tool for synchronizing the contents of a folder to multiple sites across a network connection. It is a cross-platform tool that supports Win, Mac, and Linux, and also stores a copy of your data online (2GB acct free, bigger at a fee).

Dropbox does work on Tiny Core, but it's some 25 MB unzipped + GTK + python. Huge might be more accurate, but it works. I don't intend to make an extension myself - have at it.

If you only use Linux, I suggest you explore other options on Linux. I hear unison can be an effective tool. I use Dropbox for cross-platform data sync & backup.

If you'd like to try it:
(1) read http://wiki.dropbox.com/TipsAndTricks/TextBasedLinuxInstall
(2) pick up the following from the "Linux" link at www.getdropbox.com:
* dropbox.py
* dropbox-lnx.x86-0.7.79.tar.gz (or latest version available)

Run steps:
- load GTK2 + python & dependencies
- untar the dropbox tar file
- cd .dropbox-dist (it's a hidden dir, mind)
- run the dropbox binary (this is a daemon process), and follow instructions for setting your folder
- use 'python dropbox.py' to check the status of the daemon

I am running a dual-boot Win/Linux netbook, with a single Dropbox folder on a shared FAT partition. For access to the folder in Linux, I keep a symbolic link from /home/tc/Dropbox -> /mnt/hda4/My\ Dropbox.

Happy synchronizing.

[helander]

I have created a dropbox.tcz (and dropbox.tcz.dep) that simplifies the task of getting dropbox to work on TC. I have included a dropbox.desktop file that automatically populates your desktop environments menu (in case you are using a freedesktop compliant desktop environment, e.g LXDE). In case you want dropbox to automatically start when the desktop starts, you only have to copy dropbox.desktop to the desktops autostart directory.

Right know i have one laptop running TC and one laptop running Win XP, and on the Win laptop I run a TC instance in VirtualBox. All three "machines" share the contents of my Dropbox.

/Lars

[dentonlt]

Ah, good work, Lars. How big is that extension altogether?

[helander]

It is 14MB right now. I just recalled that I had not tried to strip it from unneeded symbols. I will try and see if that makes it smaller.

In case you want to try it out I can send you a personal message with a link to where you can download it, just let me know

/Lars

[helander]

Size is now 12MB, "at the cost" of a few more dependencies.

/Lars

[lovenini]

hi dentonlt and helander:
great job on getting dropbox to work.
btw: before read it here today, I thought d/b not available on t/c,

so I have tried an alternative way of minimalistic approach.
.. using svn based command-line + cronfile to mimic the dropbox behavior.
another benefit of this is it does not tie to a specific server.

you can read my GPL open source shell scripts here, it's really small, <10KB
http://code.google.com/p/syncbox/source/browse/#svn/trunk cronfile is main file to read 1st

windows version of sync can also be done via .bat scripting and scheduled tasks.
I have not yet have time to do that yet, but idea is very similar.

oh this is my 1st post here in t/c forum, I have been a DSL user back in Y2005 and switch back to liveUSB and using tinycore as my only desktop for past 5 weeks.

[jur]

Size is now 12MB, "at the cost" of a few more dependencies.

/Lars

Do you intend to submit this as an extension to the repo?

[helander]

Do you intend to submit this as an extension to the repo?

Yes, if

• anyone shows an interest of having it available in the repo
• the licensing permits

I take your question as an indication of the first criteria, so I will go ahead and expore the licensing issue

/Lars

[yoshi314]

i've recently installed it under gentoo - only the interface is built from source.

it downloads the proprietary dropbox daemon after starting somewhere into user's home dir.

so i guess it's ok to package the open part, and have user download the rest at their own discretion. similar to the way flash plugin is handled.

[lovenini]

thanks helander.
I saw dropbox in Apps now, tried it, works well.

Do you intend to submit this as an extension to the repo?

Yes, if

• anyone shows an interest of having it available in the repo
• the licensing permits

I take your question as an indication of the first criteria, so I will go ahead and expore the licensing issue

/Lars