Jan 262012
 
#!/bin/bash
 
# By Ed Wiget
# This fixes dropbox sync issues on linux
 
# get a list of files executable now
find ~/Dropbox -type f -perm -u+x > /tmp/dropbox_files-`date +%Y%m%d`
 
# fix the permissions
sudo chown -R $USER ~/Dropbox
sudo chmod -R u+rw ~/Dropbox
sudo chown -R $USER ~/.dropbox
sudo chmod -R u+rw ~/.dropbox
 
# remove any conflicting files from the file list above step 1
grep -v -e "conflicted copy" -e "Case Conflict" /tmp/dropbox_files-`date +%Y%m%d` > /tmp/dropbox_files-`date +%Y%m%d`.txt
# set the executable permissions back
for files in `echo /tmp/dropbox_files-\`date +%Y%m%d\`.txt` ; do chmod u+x "${files}" ; done
 
# remove any files that are in conflict
find ~/Dropbox -type f -name \*"conflicted copy"\* -exec rm -f "{}" \;
find ~/Dropbox -type f -name \*"Case Conflict"\* -exec rm -f "{}" \;
 
# remove temp files
rm -f /tmp/dropbox_files-`date +%Y%m%d`
rm -f /tmp/dropbox_files-`date +%Y%m%d`.txt
Sometimes you will run into an issue where you have multiple computers that mysteriously stop syncing with dropbox. What I have found is it is almost always caused by 1 of 2 things……file permissions, conflicts. I have 8 devices syncing to my dropbox, and every single one of them are linux except for one. It seems as though anytime I use my sole Windows computer to add something to dropbox….the others mess up. I suspect an issue with linux file permissions and windows ntfs drives.

Anyways, this script will fix the problems. Make sure you adjust the path if your linux install does not have dropbox at ~/Dropbox.

  One Response to “Fixing Dropbox Will Not Sync”

  1. […]  I was frustrated to say the least.  Fortunately I found the answer courtesy of Fixing Dropbox Will Not Sync.It seems the issue is permissions.  The author of the blog post included a script to fix the […]

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