https://github.com/otherguy/docker-dropbox

:whale: Dropbox in a Docker container
https://github.com/otherguy/docker-dropbox

docker docker-dropbox docker-image dropbox dropbox-client hacktoberfest

Last synced: 5 days ago
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:whale: Dropbox in a Docker container

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/otherguy/docker-dropbox
• Owner: otherguy
• License: mit
• Created: 2019-11-22T11:10:55.000Z (almost 5 years ago)
• Default Branch: main
• Last Pushed: 2023-09-12T17:50:31.000Z (about 1 year ago)
• Last Synced: 2024-10-19T14:43:45.344Z (17 days ago)
• Topics: docker, docker-dropbox, docker-image, dropbox, dropbox-client, hacktoberfest
• Language: Python
• Homepage: https://hub.docker.com/r/otherguy/dropbox/
• Size: 1.31 MB
• Stars: 94
• Watchers: 4
• Forks: 27
• Open Issues: 20
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md
  • Contributing: CONTRIBUTING.md
  • License: LICENSE.md
  • Code of conduct: CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
  • Security: SECURITY.md

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README

        
# 🐳 Dropbox Docker Image

_This repository provides the [`otherguy/dropbox`][dockerhub] image_

[![Docker Pulls](https://img.shields.io/docker/pulls/otherguy/dropbox)][dockerhub]

[![Docker Stars](https://img.shields.io/docker/stars/otherguy/dropbox)][dockerhub]

[![GitHub issues](https://img.shields.io/github/issues/otherguy/docker-dropbox)][issues]

[![Travis](https://img.shields.io/travis/com/otherguy/docker-dropbox)][travis]

[![MicroBadger Layers](https://img.shields.io/microbadger/layers/otherguy/dropbox)][microbadger]

[![GitHub stars](https://img.shields.io/github/stars/otherguy/docker-dropbox?color=violet)][stargazers]

[![MIT License](https://img.shields.io/github/license/otherguy/docker-dropbox?color=orange)][license]

[dockerhub]: https://hub.docker.com/r/otherguy/dropbox/

[license]: https://tldrlegal.com/license/mit-license

[travis]: https://travis-ci.com/otherguy/docker-dropbox

[microbadger]: https://microbadger.com/images/otherguy/dropbox

[stargazers]: https://github.com/otherguy/docker-dropbox/stargazers

[issues]: https://github.com/otherguy/docker-dropbox/issues

Run Dropbox inside a Docker container. Supports local host folder mount or inter-container

linking via `--volumes-from`.

## 🚨 Warning for macOS Users

**For macOS users, mounting the Dropbox data folder is currently not possible!

See [`#6`](https://github.com/otherguy/docker-dropbox/issues/6) for details**

Back in 2018, Dropbox dropped support for several Linux filesystems and the Dropbox client [refused to

sync](https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Syncing-and-uploads/Dropbox-client-warns-me-that-it-ll-stop-syncing-in-Nov-why/td-p/290058)

when an unsupported filesystem was encountered.

In July 2019, the decision was [partially rolled back](https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Desktop-client-builds/Beta-Build-77-3-127/m-p/355527/highlight/true#M5361),

allowing syncing from ZFS (on 64-bit systems only), eCryptFS, XFS (on 64-bit systems only), and BTRFS

filesystems. Other filesystems dropped by the initial change are, however, still unsupported.

A [`dropbox-filesystem-fix` patch](https://github.com/dark/dropbox-filesystem-fix/) was developed by

[`@dark`](https://github.com/dark/) and was previously used in this Docker image to make it work with

Docker volume mounts, especially on macOS where the mounted volume uses the `FUSE` filesystem.

Unfortunately, as of `January 2020` (Dropbox version `87.4.138` and later, currently up to ~`95.4.441`~ `115.4.601`), this

fix is [unable to get around the filesystem detection](https://github.com/dark/dropbox-filesystem-fix/issues/13)

in the newer Dropbox client versions. Using an older version of the Dropbox client is also not possible,

because the Dropbox API servers reject old client version and prevent them from connecting.

This breaks the possibility to mount a local folder via `-v "/path/to/local/dropbox:/opt/dropbox/Dropbox"`

on macOS systems.

## 🚀 Usage

### Quickstart

This is the full command to start the Dropbox container. All volumes, environment variables and parameters

are explained in the sections below.

    $ docker run --detach -it --restart=always --name=dropbox \

      --net="host" \

      -e "TZ=$(readlink /etc/localtime | sed 's#^.*/zoneinfo/##')" \

      -e "DROPBOX_UID=$(id -u)" \

      -e "DROPBOX_GID=$(id -g)" \

      -e "POLLING_INTERVAL=20" \

      -v "/path/to/local/settings:/opt/dropbox" \

      -v "/path/to/local/dropbox:/opt/dropbox/Dropbox" \

      otherguy/dropbox:latest

### Checking Dropbox Version

Dropbox will return incorrect information (`Dropbox daemon version: Not installed`) when you run `dropbox version` in

the container. In case you ever need to know which version you have installed, instead run the following:

    $ docker exec -it dropbox cat /opt/dropbox/bin/VERSION

### Persisting Data

When mounting the Dropbox data folder to your local filesystem, you need to set the `DROPBOX_UID` and

`DROPBOX_GID` environment variables to the user id and group id of whoever owns these files on the host

or in the other container. Failing to do so causes file permission errrors.

The example below uses `id -u` and `id -g` to retrieve the current user's user id and group id, respectively.

    $ docker run --name=dropbox \

      -e "DROPBOX_UID=$(id -u)" \

      -e "DROPBOX_GID=$(id -g)" \

      -v "/path/to/local/settings:/opt/dropbox/.dropbox" \

      -v "/path/to/local/dropbox:/opt/dropbox/Dropbox" \

      [...]

      otherguy/dropbox:latest

### Time Zones

It is also highly recommended to pass your local timezone settings into the container. This fixes the problem

of the host being on local time zone and container defaulting to `UTC` timezone. Dropbox is not checking time

zones when comparing file timestamps, leading to overwritten files and data loss.

You can pass your local timezone as an environment variable to the container: `-e "TZ=Australia/Brisbane"`

If you're on Linux 🐧, you can mount your `/etc/timezone` and `/etc/localtime` files into the container instead.

    $ docker run --name=dropbox \

      -v "/etc/timezone:/etc/timezone" \

      -v "/etc/localtime:/etc/localtime" \

      [...]

      otherguy/dropbox:latest

If you are on macOS or Linux, getting your current timezone and passing it into the container as an environment

variable, is the simplest way.

    $ docker run --name=dropbox \

      -e "TZ=$(readlink /etc/localtime | sed 's#^.*/zoneinfo/##')" \

      [...]

      otherguy/dropbox:latest

### Enable LAN Sync

Using `--net="host"` allows Dropbox to utilize [local LAN sync](https://help.dropbox.com/installs-integrations/sync-uploads/lan-sync-overview).

    $ docker run --name=dropbox \

      --net="host" \

      [...]

      otherguy/dropbox:latest

### Linking Dropbox Account

To link Dropbox to your account, check the logs of the Docker container to retrieve the Dropbox

authentication URL:

    $ docker logs --follow dropbox

![Dropbox Account Linking](https://github.com/otherguy/docker-dropbox/raw/main/dropbox.gif)

Copy and paste the URL in a browser and login to your Dropbox account to associate the Docker container.

You should see something like this:

    This computer is now linked to Dropbox. Welcome [your name]"

### Manage Dropbox Settings

To manage Dropbox exclusions or get a sharing link, you need to execute the `dropbox` command inside the

Docker Dropbox container:

    $ docker exec -it dropbox gosu dropbox dropbox [dropbox command]

For example, to get an overview of the commands possible, use `help`:

    $ docker exec -it dropbox gosu dropbox dropbox help

Or to see the current sync status use `status`:

    $ docker exec -it dropbox gosu dropbox dropbox status

## 🛠 Configuration

### Environment Variables

- `DROPBOX_UID`

If set, runs Dropbox with a custom user id. This **must** match the user id of the owner of the mounted

files. Defaults to `1000`.

- `DROPBOX_GID`

If set, runs Dropbox with a custom user id. This **must** match the group id of the owner of the mounted

files. Defaults to `1000`.

- `DROPBOX_SKIP_UPDATE`

If set to `true`, skips updating the Dropbox app on container startup. _Note:_ This is not very reliable

because the Dropbox daemon will still try to update itself even if this is set to `true`.

- `POLLING_INTERVAL`

Needs to be set to a positive integer value. The Dropbox daemon is polled for its status at regular intervals,

which can be configured to reduce load on the system. This is the number in seconds to wait between polling the

Dropbox daemon. Defaults to `5`.

- `SKIP_SET_PERMISSIONS`

If this is set to `true`, the container skips setting the permissions on all files in the `/opt/dropbox` folder

in order to prevent long startup times. _Note:_ please make sure to have correct permissions on all files before

you do this! Implemented for [#25](https://github.com/otherguy/docker-dropbox/issues/25).

- `ENABLE_MONITORING`

If this is set to `true`, an endpoint for Prometheus monitoring is enabled on port 8000. This provides the metrics

`dropbox_status`, `dropbox_num_syncing`, `dropbox_num_downloading`, and `dropbox_num_uploading`, which may be 

useful for setting alerts to ensure that Dropbox is syncing properly and keeps itself up to date. Note this is 

still experimental and off by default.

### Volumes

- `/opt/dropbox`

This represents the daemon user's home directory in the container. On the host, it will be populated with some binaries, some configuration, account settings, and other settings for Dropbox. If you don't mount this folder, your account needs to be linked every time you restart the container.

- `/opt/dropbox/Dropbox`

The actual Dropbox folder, containing all your synced files. Note that you may need to omit this on the first run so that Dropbox can have control to create it. Once it is created in the other volume, you can recreate the container with this volume as well.

## 🤨 Questions and Gotchas

### "Dropbox needs to rename your existing folder or file named Dropbox to finish installing"

Dropbox may fail with this error message present in logs (visible with `docker logs`). If this happens, you'll need to run the container once without the `/opt/dropbox/Dropbox` volume. See the notes on this above.

### Monitoring more than 10,000 folders on Linux

From [Troubleshoot Dropbox syncing issues](https://help.dropbox.com/installs-integrations/sync-uploads/files-not-syncing):

> The Linux version of the Dropbox desktop app is limited from monitoring more than 10,000 folders by default. Anything more than that is not watched and, therefore, ignored when syncing. There's an easy fix for this. Open a terminal and enter the following:

>

> `echo fs.inotify.max_user_watches=100000 | sudo tee -a /etc/sysctl.conf; sudo sysctl -p`

>

> This command will tell your system to watch up to 100,000 folders. Once the command is entered and you enter your password, Dropbox will immediately resume syncing.

## 🚧 Contributing

Bug reports and pull requests are welcome on GitHub at [`otherguy/docker-dropbox`](https://github.com/otherguy/docker-dropbox).

## ♥️ Acknowledgements

- [Jan Broer](https://github.com/janeczku) for the original repository [`janeczku/dropbox`](https://hub.docker.com/r/janeczku/dropbox/)

- [Tony Pan](https://github.com/tcpan) for local timezone support ([`#3`](https://github.com/otherguy/docker-dropbox/pull/3))