Dropbox Installation

[QAP]

Yes but you can use just binaries instead where already compiled and for faster install.

i.e. notice how more votes and can choose brave-bin instead of brave below as example.

Brave Browser

Find the software you want and install using pacman command from Official Repo

If not there then yay command to install from Unofficial Arch User Repo . Look at votes, comments and package not out of date first.

Installing And Using The Yay AUR Helper

But forum will always help best they can if create separate thread. Lots of reading from Arch wiki and Distrotube is great youtube channel for knowledge!

[limotux]

@QAP

Yes but you can use just binaries instead

Thanks for the reply.

As far as my humble understanding isn’t it better to compile (so that it compiles taking into consideration your own specific machine and software)?
Am I getting it right?

[freebird54]

While that capability/possibility exists - it is NOT automatically given by choosing to compile. There are configuration(s) that can be set for that - but they don’t happen without you learning them and choosing them!

Most of the time, choosing a -bin version from the AUR is an advantage (especially time-wise) - after checking the PKGBUILD for content, and noticing the information provided with it in the AUR
(popularity counts, comments, etc).

ENjoy, either way…

[Echoa]

@limotux

Just curious, does installing from yay compile from source? I read the messages while installing Dropbox and catfish, seemed to me it was compiling something on my machine.
I hope you brief answer and guide me to read more! Please.
Thank you.

Installing from AUR builds the packages yes, though be cautious of binaries in AUR

If you want you can always install the dropbox flatpak if you dont want to deal with AUR in this case.

[limotux]

@freebird54

While that capability/possibility exists - it is NOT automatically given by choosing to compile. There are configuration(s) that can be set for that - but they don’t happen without you learning them and choosing them!

Till now it is fine with me. I don’t care much if it takes some more time compiling if at the end I’ll get something like tailored for me.

[limotux]

@Echoa

Installing from AUR builds the packages yes, though be cautious of binaries in AUR

I just do the yay command (as I find it anywhere), dont know even how to chose!
I am new to Arch in general, been on rpm and deb previously.
But Arch seems really interesting.

[flyingcakes]

@limotux

dont know even how to chose!

you can run

yay search terms

and it will give you a list. You can input the number of package you want to install.

[limotux]

@Echoa

you can always install the dropbox flatpak if you dont want to deal with AUR

Mmmm… I started in 2000 (SuSe and OpenSuse) till 2013, a few deb for a short while…
That time there was nothing (to my knowledge at least other than download and click/ double click the deb or rpm)

I see a lot has changed since 2013. I don’t even know what does flatpack mean. (Sorry, I’m a bit old, but always curious about learning new things)

[Echoa]

All the info you need on flatpak

https://www.flatpak.org/

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Flatpak

[limotux]

@Echoa

All the info you need on flatpak

Thanks a lot Echoa
I’ll read as much as I can. And for sure I’ll be back again to ask lots of silly questions (away from Linux from like 8 years. A lot has changed I see)

[Echoa]

@limotux

ask lots of silly questions

only particularly silly question i could think of is

“Should I run sudo rm -rf / ?”

the answer is no… lol

[flyingcakes]

@Echoa

“Should I run sudo rm -rf / ?”

the answer is no… lol

Why? I find it a convenient way to clean junk from my friends’ laptops.

[limotux]

OK! here is another silly question!
After the battle of installing dropbox several ways I have a few files in a folder /home/limo/Downloads/dropbox/

Can I simply delete this folder?

[flyingcakes]

I suppose dropbox uses that folder to store your files.

Downloads folder isn’t touched while installing packages.

[Echoa]

@limotux

OK! here is another silly question!
After the battle of installing dropbox several ways I have a few files in a folder /home/limo/Downloads/dropbox/

Can I simply delete this folder?

I dont use dropbox unfortunately so I cant say if thats safe or not

[limotux]

@Echoa

I dont use dropbox unfortunately so I cant say if thats safe or not

As far as my “old brain” remember I believe it came from one of the links I tried above that included downloading and installing from the download (which didn’t happen), but prefer to hear from someone more experienced.

[QAP]

@limotux

OK! here is another silly question!
After the battle of installing dropbox several ways I have a few files in a folder /home/limo/Downloads/dropbox/

Can I simply delete this folder?

Don’t delete and check what is inside, if it is your documents that is in your Dropbox account then odd it decided to use that location to sync.

Ideally should be not be inside Downloads folder. Default it should /home/limo

See mine below. If dropbox decided to use Downloads. You can click “move” browse to /home/limo then dropbox folder moves there.

[limotux]

@QAP

check what is inside, if it is your documents that is in your Dropbox account then odd it decided to use that location to sync.

Ideally should be not be inside Downloads folder. Default it should /home/limo

My data are already in /home/limo/Dropbox/
The folder in downloads have some files

/home/limo/Downloads/dropbox/src
/home/limo/Downloads/dropbox/dropbox.service
/home/limo/Downloads/dropbox/dropbox@.service
/home/limo/Downloads/dropbox/DropboxGlyph_Blue.svg
/home/limo/Downloads/dropbox/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-131.4.3968.tar.gz
/home/limo/Downloads/dropbox/dropbox-lnx.x86_64-131.4.3968.tar.gz.asc
/home/limo/Downloads/dropbox/PKGBUILD
/home/limo/Downloads/dropbox/terms.txt
/home/limo/Downloads/dropbox/update.sh

I believe they came from a previous installation attempt that didn’t work! I believe it can be deleted but I prefer to listen to someone more experienced.
What you think?

[QAP]

Yup can delete the dropbox folder within Downloads folder. They’re just source files.

[limotux]

Thanks QAP for your patience.

You know what, I’m glad the “old brain” of the “old me” is still functioning!