Sync files from Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive. Dropbox provides its own syncing software, while Google Drive and OneDrive can be synced with Insync. Notice that Insync is paid software, but the subscription is very reasonable.
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The welcome wizard gives you the option to use the Dropbox cloud drive app after your first sign-in. You may install or remove Dropbox using Discover and can adjust autostart using System Settings > Startup and Shutdown > Autostart. Delete the file ~/.config/autostart/dropbox.desktop if you want to permanently disable autostart. You may easily install and start Dropbox at any time using a single click from the Curated Apps page.
Dropbox provides extensive documentation on how to use their sync client. We suggest you review this before you set it up.
The welcome wizard gives you the option to use the Insync cloud drive app after your first sign-in. This software can connect you to Google Drive or OneDrive accounts. You may install or remove Insync using Discover, and can adjust autostart using System Settings > Startup and Shutdown > Autostart. Delete the file ~/.config/autostart/insync.desktop if you want to permanently disable autostart. While Insync also supports Dropbox files, we suggest you stick with a native Dropbox client.
Insync provides extensive documentation on very handy features like 1-way sync and selective sync. We suggest you review this before you set it up.
Q: I have noticed that my account avatar in Insync does not match the one I set for my Google account. How can I fix this?
A: Click on the top-right (+) to add another Google Drive account. Enter the address of the account you would like updated. After authorizing the account, Insnyc will update the avatar and then notify you that the account is already configured.
Q: I use Insync and have noticed that it can sometimes use 100% or more CPU and spin up the fans. This can't be good for performance or battery life. How can I improve this?
A: There is a known Insync bug that can drain the battery and spin the cooling fans. It does not affect all Insync users, but it does affect other computer models and OSes.
You can diagnosis this bug with KSysGuard. Click on the Process Table tab, click on the CPU% column, and then search for the insync process. The bug is present if you see one or more Insync processes appear at the top with 50-100% CPU usage while not syncing files.
If you encounter this bug it takes just a few seconds to fix: right-click on the Insync icon in the system tray and select Quit. The fans and CPU should subside in a few seconds. If this step did not remove the Insync processes, you can select them in KSysGuard and press delete to stop them.
When you restart Insync the usage should remain below 5% after syncing is complete. You may pause or disable Insync to conserve power.
Q: I see the following error message when fetching software updates. This happens when using Discover or the command-line. How can I fix this?
A: This is due to expired key. This can be fixed as illustrated below.
You may replace the keyserver URL with hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80 if you need to work around a firewall. After updating the key, the error should be eliminated.
This is a partial revision history. See the git repository for all entries.
2024-03-18 450d294e Add user guide links for Dropbox and Insync2024-03-18 fb9b592d Add syntax highlighting for codeblocks2023-11-18 e770b1c6 Add search and help bar2022-07-13 ecfebbcc Update images2022-07-12 7c6e13f5 Update for 22.042021-10-10 5728326e Reformat to 2-column2021-09-22 dc862884 Update link and headline colors2021-08-23 681261b4 Review and update codeblocks2021-07-28 1b9cf29b Revise units to have a space after number2020-12-08 4e06a402 Update per service bulletin2020-11-11 2e4c21f3 Add workaround for Insync bug2020-09-10 5f5c2fe5 Initial publicationWe try hard to provide a useful solution validated by professionals. However, we cannot anticipate every situation, and therefore cannot guarantee this procedure will work for your needs. Always backup your data and test the solution to determine the correct procedure for you.
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