Dropbox is a useful file-sharing and syncing service that lets you sync files between different machines over the Internet for free. It’s very useful for backing up your important documents, pictures, MP3 files, video files, and other data. A Dropbox client that integrates with the Nautilus file manager is available for Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin, and it’s quite simple to install. (You could of course use the Ubuntu One cloud syncing service, but Dropbox is easier to use with Windows and Mac machines.) Here’s how to do it.
First, go to the Dropbox download page here:
http://www.dropbox.com/downloading?os=lnx
If you have 32-bit Ubuntu, selected the x86 version of the client, and if you have 64-bit Ubuntu, choose the x86_64 version of the client. Once the installer has finished downloading, double-click on it to launch. Enter your password to authenticate, follow the default prompts, and you’ll be redirected to the Ubuntu Software Center. Follow the prompts, and Software Center will install the Dropbox Nautilus client for you.
Near the end of the first stage installation, the installer will need to download a proprietary Nautilus daemon to finish. Give it permission to do so, and the download will begin.
After the installation finishes, you’ll arrive at the Dropbox Setup window. If you already have a Dropbox account, you can select the “I already have a Dropbox account” radio button and continue from there. If you don’t, click the “I don’t have a Dropbox account” button and set up your info – you’ll need to enter a username and password. Make certain to select a strong password, one that’s over 12 characters long and contains a mixture of letters, numerals, and punctuation marks.
Once you’ve created your username and password, the installer will ask if you want to use the free version of Dropbox or the paid version. For now, stick with the free version, since you can always upgrade later. After you hit the Next button on this screen, Dropbox will ask whether you want to use “typical” settings or “advanced” settings. For most users, the “typical” settings will be enough. Dropbox will create a folder named “~/Dropbox” on your hard drive, and that will be synced with your folder on the Dropbox servers.
After you select your settings, the Dropbox installer will give you a short tour of its features. If you’re new to the program, you’ll want to watch the tour.
After the tour is finished, you are done. Dropbox will immediately begin syncing any files you put in the ~/Dropbox folder to your online Dropbox storage.
You can also access your Dropbox storage directly over the web, throughhttp://www.dropbox.com. Simply log into the site (the logon is on the upper-right hand corner of the page), and you’ll be able to access all your files, change your account settings, and see how much of your storage you’re currently using.
-JM