# Using Dropbox on FreeBSD  by Virtual Box Linux VM



## gmaggior (May 22, 2013)

Hello, 

I want to use Dropbox on FreeBSD and I wonder if I can do this:  

set up a Linux VM using Virtual Box on FreeBSD.  
install Dropbox on the Linux VM and set up the Dropbox directory on a mounted data HDD.
then edit/copy/delete the files in the Dropbox directory using FreeBSD and every couple of hours launch the Linux VM  (boot, etc), mount the data HDD, let Dropbox sync its directory and then shutdown again the VM.
Has anyone tried this (I'm a newbie of FreeBSD, and never used VirtualBox)?

How long does it take for the Linux VM to start?  (of course I will use the lightest Linux distribution which allows running Dropbox). I mean is it practical use?

I'm also aware of Linux binary emulation under FreeBSD but I don't want to use it.

Thanks,
gmaggior


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## danvari (May 22, 2013)

Why don't you use Bittorrent Sync as a Dropbox replacement? They have binaries for FreeBSD 32bit and 64bit. You will need a NAS though.


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## gmaggior (May 22, 2013)

danvari said:
			
		

> Why don't you use Bittorrent Sync as a Dropbox replacement? They have binaries for FreeBSD 32bit and 64bit. You will need a NAS though.



NAS, you mean a Network Attached Storage device? The case usage for Dropbox I'm referring to is: one PC1 (FreeBSD) in one place and another PC2 (Windows) in another geographical place, connected via Internet, with a directory synced by Dropbox.  No LAN or personal server available. PC1 is typically switched off when PC2 is on and the opposite.


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## rusty (May 23, 2013)

Have you considered using ownCloud instead of Dropbox?


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## chatwizrd (May 23, 2013)

rusty said:
			
		

> Have you considered using ownCloud instead of Dropbox?



Haha I never would. One of the worse pieces of software ever.


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## kpedersen (May 23, 2013)

A simpler solution is FTP. A more powerful solution is SVN. A more secure solution is SCP.

Why the hell do people use Dropbox? If you are hell bent on using this crap, you might want to try emulators/wine.


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## gmaggior (May 23, 2013)

kpedersen said:
			
		

> A simpler solution is FTP.
> A more powerful solution is SVN.
> A more secure solution is SCP.
> 
> ...



I will investigate further on using Wine, thank you  (and indeed Googling with the word "wine" led me to a forum answer on this topic I was not able to find before. Thanks again!).

I don't get well the SVN, SCP, etc. solution, although I definitely agree on finding alternatives to Dropbox if possible. This because I don't have an external server (always connected) with a VCS repository where to copy files, unless:

I resort to create a private account on GitHub or a similar site
I decide to have e.g. my own desktop PC (always on and exposed to the iInternet) dedicated to this matter

Am I missing something? Can you elaborate on the simplest use case (in terms of resources) involving SVN, SCP, etc.?


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## kpedersen (May 24, 2013)

DropBox is basically a server (or many) public servers that you are using to store your files on. So you just need to find another public server which provides a better service than DropBox.

If you go the version control route, then also have a look here: http://www.codebasehq.com/packages. They provide a free account (near the bottom of that page). I would personally feel safer signing up with them (and GitHub) than DropBox.

If you go the SCP route, then fewer free web hosting companies support SSH/SCP than FTP but I personally have used http://devio.us for years and it has some impressive uptime.

Hope this helps. Personally I feel the best solution for DropBox users is to sign up for a private account on GitHub, CodeBase etc.


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## danvari (May 24, 2013)

I bought myself a small mini-pc for just 30 euros (a used one). This one is 24/7 on and I use Unison to sync my files between the clients. I would not trust Dropbox or any other service that is not in my hands unless you encrypt your data. It might be convenient to use Dropbox, but think carefully about whether you want convenience in the first place or not.


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## gmaggior (May 25, 2013)

There are many insights in the above posts, thank you. Each solution has his advantages and disadvantages, I see.

Starting from my (limited) knowledge of the topic, I might say that I have no reason to consider Dropbox less trustable for data privacy (in terms of their "good faith", not technical capabilities) than GitHub or CodeBaseHQ, *except* for the fact that DropBox offers much more storage for free whereas the others two are paid services at the same conditions of privateness + storage space.

One additional solution, I found out Googling, is to use TrueCrypt (or others encryption tools) to obtain an encrypted but still handy-to-manage folder to be shared safely onto a cloud service of choice. Also, I read that TrueCrypt is ported and works for FreeBSD (even though it seems it doesn't looking just at the TrueCrypt website notice) so makes it quite a portable solution. Dropbox + TrueCrypt is feasible too, although the combination FreeBSD + Wine + Dropbox + TrueCrypt + handy + working seems at odds to me  But who knows!


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