Dropbox Is Dropping Support For All Linux File Systems Except Unencrypted Ext4 (dropboxforum.com)

New submitter rokahasch writes: Starting today, August 10th, most users of the Dropbox desktop app on Linux have been receiving notifications that their Dropbox will stop syncing starting November. Over at the Dropbox forums, Dropbox have declared that the only Linux filesystem supported for storage of the Dropbox sync folder starting the 7th of November will be on a clean ext4 file system. This basically means Dropbox drops Linux support completely, as almost all Linux distributions have other file systems as their standard installation defaults nowadays -- not to mention encryption running on top of even an ext4 file system, which won't qualify as a clean ext4 file system for Dropbox (such as eCryptfs which is the default in, for example, Ubuntu for encrypted home folders).

The thread is trending heavily on Dropbox' forums with the forum's most views since the thread started earlier today. The cries from a large amount of Linux users have so far remained unanswered from Dropbox, with most users finding the explanation given for this change unconvincing. The explanation given so far is that Dropbox requires a file system with support for Extended attributes/Xattrs. Extended attributes however are supported by all major Linux/Posix complaint file systems. Dropbox has, up until today, supported Linux platforms since their services began back in 2007. A number of users have taken to Twitter to protest the move. Twitter user troyvoy88 tweets: "Well, you just let the shitstorm loose @Dropbox dropping support for some linux FS like XFS and BTRFS. No way in hell im going to reformat my @fedora #development station and removing encryption no way!"

Another user by the name of daltux wrote: "It will be time to say goodbye then, @Dropbox. I won't store any personal files on an unencrypted partition."

Comments

I don't get it.

[xvan]

Isn't dropbox sync a userland application? Why does it care about the underlying FS?

Re:I don't get it.

[93 Escort Wagon]

Isn't dropbox sync a userland application? Why does it care about the underlying FS?

Dropbox likes to worm its way into the operating system and get access it doesn’t need - I can only speculate that the sleazeballs are doing something behind the scenes with that access in an attempt to furtively monetize their users’ data.

I stopped using Dropbox on OS X when they got caught adding themselves into the system-wide accessibility permissions table without asking. Thing is, the service works just fine without that (I did it for a couple weeks, until I got tired of denying Dropbox’s repeated requests to “fix” my system). So why are they asking for it - can’t be for any reason the end user would want.

Why...

[Stormy Dragon]

...does the Dropbox App even care about the low level details of the file system? Shouldn't they all look the same to it from an API perspective?

Re:Can't use the app?

[b0s0z0ku]

You can, but then you lose synchronization, and good luck dealing with large files over a slow connection.

Re:Open source the client

[arth1]

They should open source their linux client then. I bet this boils down to them thinking that it cost them more money to maintain the client then the number customers they will lose by not having it.

Or it boils down to National Security Letters telling them that someone wants access to the unencrypted data, on a file system that doesn't do automatic wiping.

Re:Who uses Linux anyway?

[SeaFox]

Litmus test to tell whether or not Linux is a viable desktop OS:

Me, on phone: "Hey wife, can you log into my laptop and email me a file?"
Wife: Mmmm ... :/

I can understand, I mean the process in Linux would be:

1. Turn on computer.
2. Enter password at login prompt.
3. Open mail client.
4. Open new email compose window.
5. Add attachment.
6. Address email.
7. Click Send

Meanwhile, it's so much different in macOS. You have to:

1. Turn on computer.
2. Enter password at login prompt.
3. Open mail client.
4. Open new email compose window.
5. Add attachment.
6. Address email.
7. Click Send

Bonus: You can have the exact same email client on both platforms -- Thunderbird. Making the process identical even in detailed "here's how you move a mouse" level directions.

Re:If you care enough to encrypt a volume...

[gtwrek]

The normal setup is encryption after partition. Meaning dropbox is operating on the unencrypted data. Sure dropbox may re-encrypt on their end (and probably in flight too). But that whole thing is encryption on their terms (Dropbox) not yours. Meaning as strong as they like it, and key-management as they like it.

All the linux encrypted volume stuff is meaningless to the files stored on the Dropbox Cloud.

That said, this decision my Dropbox is troublesome. They have a really good cross-platform product that syncs better than most of the existing solutions. I don't think this a wise decision.

A current (paid) Dropbox user, watching carefully...

Re:One word....

[BronsCon]

My text editor doesn't give a shit what filesystem I'm using. There's no real reason Dropbox should, either; they're doing file-level transactions, not block-level.

Re:Who uses Linux anyway?

[Anonymous Coward]

On windows it' s so much easier. You have to:

1. Turn on computer.
2. Enter password at login prompt.
3. Open mail client.
4. Wait for unscheduled system update.
5. Wait for system reboot.
6. Enter password at login prompt.
7. Open mail client.
8. Click refuse opt-in to store mail in the cloud.
9. Open new email compose window.
10. Add attachment.
11. Click refuse ad to install mail checker app.
12. Address email.
13. Wait for unscheduled system update.
14. Wait for system reboot.
16. Enter password at login prompt.
17. Open mail client.
18. Open saved draft.
19. Click Send