Dropbox: Clue needed...

Icebike

Senior Member
Apr 28, 2011
1,523
186
Where the **** does Dropbox store your synced directory on Android? Or is the drop box app just a viewer of the cloud folder?

Do I even need the DropBox app on the Acer since ES File Manager knows how to access the dropbox folder in the cloud ?

I had this magical Idea I could sync all my ebooks with the Acer by must putting a copy of my Calibre directory in my Dropbox folder. While I can see the folder on line, I can't find it on the MicroSD or External_microSD card. Where did it go?
 

Spider

Administrator
Staff member
Mar 24, 2011
15,785
1,813
Using ES File Explorer, I found it in my Nook on the External_microSD card. (/sdcard/Android/data/com.dropbox.android/cache/thumbs/) It contains the three folders Files, Photos and Public. The folders actually contain my "stuff" just as it appears on my laptop & desktop in My Documents/My Dropbox Files, Photos and Public. The cloud data is being synced to all three devices and the data is actually on all three devices. When I start the app/program the device is synced.
 
Last edited:

Icebike

Senior Member
Apr 28, 2011
1,523
186
Ah, but in my tablet, /sdcard/Android/data/com.dropbox.android/cache/thumbs/ does not contain anything unless I downloaded it or tapped a file while using the Dropbox app. (In my case, I tap an ebook and it opens with Lumiread).

After my first post, I noticed that if I tapped on an ebook (or any file) in the Dropbox app, it suddenly created the directory /sdcard/dropbox. It wasn't there prior to me actually tapping a file in the dropbox app. In fact it created the entire directory structure structure down to that file, but none of the other sub-directories were there, and none of the other files.

So in Dropbox app, I drilled down under my ebooks folder to the author Douglas Adams, and then to "Hitchhikers Guide..." directory and then tapped the "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.epub".
Then, and ONLY then did it download that file to the corresponding file in my microSD card (/sdcard/dropbox/ebooks/Douglas Adams.....etc)

It didn't download the Cover.jpg file or the metadata file, just the ebook, and then it launched Lumiread.

The hundred or so other ebooks in my dropbox directory are not in that directory or any other directory on the tablet, even tho the DropBox app can list them (from dropbox, not from the tablet).

So I think the Android client is a huge fake. Its not syncing all your content. It only brings down what you specifically ask for.

To test this:
Create a new sub-directory on your compter's dropbox folder named testpics and put three .jpg files in there.
Then fire up the tablet, and see if you can find those files anywhere with ES File Explorer.
Then fire up dropbox, drill down into that new sub-directory, and tap one image file and view it.
Now EE File explorer will find a copy in /sdcard/dropbox/testpics. But the other two will not be there. Nor will they be in
the cache file you found under /sdcard/Android

The ES File Explorer now has a Net option, and it can access Dropbox directly. If I tap an ebook in ES File Explorer, it will download it (but not to the drop box folder. It downloads to /sdcard/.estrongs/tmp/.
 

Spider

Administrator
Staff member
Mar 24, 2011
15,785
1,813
Interesting, I'll do that test tomorrow and let you know what happens. Right now, I'm going to bed.:) It's been a long day.
 

bamsen

Member
Apr 28, 2011
5
0
Your files will be in /sdcard/dropbox/.....
But only the files you have selected and downloaded in the dropbox GUI. This is to save space on the portable device.
 

AQ_OC

Member
May 14, 2011
313
8
Dropbox works different on mobile devices than it does on PCs. On PCs, dropbox will keep all folders synced (automatically). On mobile devices, it only brings down what you want (what you tell it to bring down) to have stored on the device. The notion is that mobile devices have much less storage space than PCs (desktops/laptops). It's been this way for as long as I have been using DB and frankly, I'd rather it stay this way. I would not want auto syncing on my phone over 3G, for example. I do believe there is an option to force it to automatically sync folders or files, but I mainly just bring down stuff as I need it.
 

Icebike

Senior Member
Apr 28, 2011
1,523
186
Well, in the case of an WiFi only tablet having it sync the entire this would be nice, because pictures and ebooks and other critical things are with me where ever I go, and available even when I'm flying and have no wifi.

Is it possible to move the location of the dropbox folder to external microSD? Putting it in sdcard seems pretty arbitrary if you ask me. Especially with a tablet.
 

AQ_OC

Member
May 14, 2011
313
8
Well, in the case of an WiFi only tablet having it sync the entire this would be nice, because pictures and ebooks and other critical things are with me where ever I go, and available even when I'm flying and have no wifi.

Is it possible to move the location of the dropbox folder to external microSD? Putting it in sdcard seems pretty arbitrary if you ask me. Especially with a tablet.

I moved it and it just foobar-ed dropbox. Could not even put it back. You might want to suggest this to the dropbox makers. Seems like a good idea to me.
 

Spider

Administrator
Staff member
Mar 24, 2011
15,785
1,813
Your files will be in /sdcard/dropbox/.....
But only the files you have selected and downloaded in the dropbox GUI. This is to save space on the portable device.

@Icebike, sorry for the delay. I think that's your answer. With WiFi only, you'll have to tap the files you're going to need before getting out of range.
 

Icebike

Senior Member
Apr 28, 2011
1,523
186
That's what it looks like. And its not clear if it keeps them up to date, or if I have to go back
into Dropbox app and tap them again each time I make a change.
 

Spider

Administrator
Staff member
Mar 24, 2011
15,785
1,813
The only time they get updated on my PC is when I run the DropBox program, so I'm betting you're right about that.
 
Top