Networking

The Problem In a previous post I described a setup for sharing a Linux project folder with Windows using Samba, then hooking it into Dropbox via a directory symlink. The idea was that Dropbox would treat the symlink as a regular folder and sync everything to the cloud. It did not work. Dropbox on Windows refuses to follow symlinks that point to network drives. The folder showed up in Explorer with sync arrows on it, looked like it was working, but nothing ever actually synced. After trying every variation I could think of, including running Dropbox as Administrator, I gave up on that approach entirely. ...

The Problem I run a Linux machine as my main workstation and occasionally need to access project files from a Windows PC. I also wanted those files backed up to Dropbox without having to manually copy anything or change where my Dropbox folder lives. The solution I settled on: share the folder over the local network from Linux, give the Linux machine a permanent address so the connection never breaks, map it as a drive on Windows, then trick Dropbox into backing it up by pointing it at that drive. ...