Comments on: Dropbox: Painless and Free Backup http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7848/ Open Source, Open Standards Sat, 05 Oct 2013 13:48:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: spade http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7848/#comment-9471 spade Wed, 27 Apr 2011 21:34:09 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7848/#comment-9471 This kind of tools should be absolutely reliable. As nimityssj noticed, Dropbox is everything but reliable. As it is claimed by people (sect gurus ?) on their forum, it is more a sync tool than a backup tool.I still can't understand how it can achieve the first objective without the second one. The result is that it may overwrite original files and directories with "conflicted" ones on your hard drive and you may lose your important data instead of backing them up. The GUI is very well done, but there is something rotten in the kindom of this soft and it is impossible to trust it. So far I prefer using SpiderOak. This kind of tools should be absolutely reliable. As nimityssj noticed, Dropbox is everything but reliable. As it is claimed by people (sect gurus ?) on their forum, it is more a sync tool than a backup tool.I still can’t understand how it can achieve the first objective without the second one. The result is that it may overwrite original files and directories with “conflicted” ones on your hard drive and you may lose your important data instead of backing them up. The GUI is very well done, but there is something rotten in the kindom of this soft and it is impossible to trust it.
So far I prefer using SpiderOak.

]]> By: David Abrahams http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7848/#comment-9443 David Abrahams Thu, 21 Apr 2011 13:53:35 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7848/#comment-9443 What kind of security improvements do you envision beyond what's described at https://www.dropbox.com/help/27? What kind of security improvements do you envision beyond what’s described at https://www.dropbox.com/help/27?

]]> By: David Abrahams http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7848/#comment-9442 David Abrahams Thu, 21 Apr 2011 13:52:03 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7848/#comment-9442 In what way are the security measures described at https://www.dropbox.com/help/27 insufficient? In what way are the security measures described at https://www.dropbox.com/help/27 insufficient?

]]> By: mparillo http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7848/#comment-9265 mparillo Wed, 23 Mar 2011 19:05:07 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7848/#comment-9265 What about Ubuntu One? It works for me on Ubuntu 10.10, and I can download individual files on MS-Windows, though I have not tried the MS-Windows client. What about Ubuntu One? It works for me on Ubuntu 10.10, and I can download individual files on MS-Windows, though I have not tried the MS-Windows client.

]]> By: eshneto http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7848/#comment-8649 eshneto Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7848/#comment-8649 <p>Ah ah ah! It is 1 cent cheaper to get two 50GB storage services than simply get 100GB. Those *9.99 prices are so ridiculous, don't you think? </p> Ah ah ah! It is 1 cent cheaper to get two 50GB storage services than simply get 100GB. Those *9.99 prices are so ridiculous, don’t you think?

]]> By: giangiammy http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7848/#comment-8650 giangiammy Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7848/#comment-8650 <p>Hi all,<br /> just a line to refer about an interesting project: http://cloudusb.net<br /> It uses Dropbox as a online storage, with all its advantages, but in a configuration which sends only crypted data online: get the advantages of distributed storage while keeping the control on your data privacy!</p> <p>bye<br /> giammy </p> Hi all,
just a line to refer about an interesting project: http://cloudusb.net
It uses Dropbox as a online storage, with all its advantages, but in a configuration which sends only crypted data online: get the advantages of distributed storage while keeping the control on your data privacy!

bye
giammy

]]> By: alecclews http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7848/#comment-8651 alecclews Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7848/#comment-8651 <p>I keep a small Git repo on my dropbox that contains my .dot files. As these files can contain confidential information such as passwords I don't want to keep them on GitHub.</p> <p>The trick is to define two repos. A normal Git repo on the local file-system. This is your working repo. A second bare repo on the Dropbox directory.</p> <p>When you make changes to your files<br /> a) Do a check in<br /> b) Do a push</p> <p>The benefit of the bare repo is that it makes it easy to have multiple machines</p> <p>Couple of additional tips</p> <p>1) Create a Git branch for each of your platforms or machines. That way you can manage differences between them<br /> 2) Have a post-commit hook that automates the push (step b above)</p> <p>I can't remember where I saw this originally, but it's not my technique. </p> I keep a small Git repo on my dropbox that contains my .dot files. As these files can contain confidential information such as passwords I don’t want to keep them on GitHub.

The trick is to define two repos. A normal Git repo on the local file-system. This is your working repo. A second bare repo on the Dropbox directory.

When you make changes to your files
a) Do a check in
b) Do a push

The benefit of the bare repo is that it makes it easy to have multiple machines

Couple of additional tips

1) Create a Git branch for each of your platforms or machines. That way you can manage differences between them
2) Have a post-commit hook that automates the push (step b above)

I can’t remember where I saw this originally, but it’s not my technique.

]]> By: nimityssj http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7848/#comment-8652 nimityssj Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7848/#comment-8652 <p>I have mixed feelings about Dropbox. It's usability and service model are excellent. I wish the data was end-to-end encrypted somehow, but friends and I just create a quick Truecrypt volume and share the password over Pidgin-OTR if it's sensitive data. Most of its just BS we're sharing so we just throw it in there.</p> <p>I did encounter a severe bug when I used it about six months ago. On my Linux system, it would regularly make me reinstall it. My hard drive had three partitions: Windows; Linux; DATA. Keeping the data separate helped with backups and OS installs/uninstalls. Due to some issue with mounting, Dropbox on Linux would think it was just installed, make me log in, create a home directory, etc. It occasionally wiped things out. I had to manually start it after everything was mounted, but it still occasionally happened. So, I turned to more reliable options. </p> <p>Soon as the bugs are worked out, I plan to switch to dropbox again for non-sensitive transfers. I've also been thinking about building a compatible version with better security. </p> I have mixed feelings about Dropbox. It’s usability and service model are excellent. I wish the data was end-to-end encrypted somehow, but friends and I just create a quick Truecrypt volume and share the password over Pidgin-OTR if it’s sensitive data. Most of its just BS we’re sharing so we just throw it in there.

I did encounter a severe bug when I used it about six months ago. On my Linux system, it would regularly make me reinstall it. My hard drive had three partitions: Windows; Linux; DATA. Keeping the data separate helped with backups and OS installs/uninstalls. Due to some issue with mounting, Dropbox on Linux would think it was just installed, make me log in, create a home directory, etc. It occasionally wiped things out. I had to manually start it after everything was mounted, but it still occasionally happened. So, I turned to more reliable options.

Soon as the bugs are worked out, I plan to switch to dropbox again for non-sensitive transfers. I’ve also been thinking about building a compatible version with better security.

]]> By: littlepeon http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7848/#comment-8653 littlepeon Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7848/#comment-8653 <p>i to think that the data should be encrypted by them somehow, but there are MANY work arounds--nimityssj just named one. i have had no other issues with dropbox (unlike ubuntu-one which was buggy out of the box, and i still will not trust any data on) but it seems as if nimityssj's issue was a mounting/install bug and not an issue with dropbox. i have also used other cloud components (ubuntu-one, spideroak, etc) and have found dropbox to be the easiest and most dependable--good job guys. </p> i to think that the data should be encrypted by them somehow, but there are MANY work arounds–nimityssj just named one. i have had no other issues with dropbox (unlike ubuntu-one which was buggy out of the box, and i still will not trust any data on) but it seems as if nimityssj’s issue was a mounting/install bug and not an issue with dropbox. i have also used other cloud components (ubuntu-one, spideroak, etc) and have found dropbox to be the easiest and most dependable–good job guys.

]]> By: dsf http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7848/#comment-8654 dsf Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7848/#comment-8654 <p>Binfer is a great alternative to transfer large files directly from Linux to any other computer, without uploading to a server. You can send hundreds of files of any size with a simple drag and drop. Binfer will manage the transfers with auto resumes, encryption, notifications etc. Check it out: http://www.binfer.com </p> Binfer is a great alternative to transfer large files directly from Linux to any other computer, without uploading to a server. You can send hundreds of files of any size with a simple drag and drop. Binfer will manage the transfers with auto resumes, encryption, notifications etc. Check it out: http://www.binfer.com

]]> By: john@ukgillies.com http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7848/#comment-8655 john@ukgillies.com Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7848/#comment-8655 <p>Just a note to remind people that there is a superb app that sets up Dropbox in KDE.</p> <p>Go and see http://kdropbox.deuteros.es/<br /> - beautifully integrated Dropbox into KDE.</p> <p>May be changing it's name to Kfilebox as some people as getting possessive and their name. </p> Just a note to remind people that there is a superb app that sets up Dropbox in KDE.

Go and see http://kdropbox.deuteros.es/
- beautifully integrated Dropbox into KDE.

May be changing it’s name to Kfilebox as some people as getting possessive and their name.

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