Dropbox and Ubuntu One Online file storage − Dropbox vs. Ubuntu One Radu Cotescu n-line synchronising and file storage The majority of cloud computing infra- services are quite common nowa- structures work by distributing the load Odays. You probably hear your friends across a large number of servers, usually more than often asking you to join one of located in multiple data-centres around the those services in order for them to be able world, but the cloud appears as a single to share their latest work on various files point of access for the client. So even if from with you. If you do not already use “the the client’s point of view the paradigm does cloud” for securing your files this article will seem to be the classical client-server, given definitely help you out to choose between the number of servers which provide the re- two of the most popular on-line file storing quested data, the response is actually sent and synchronisation solutions – Ubuntu back with the help of distributed computing. One or Dropbox. If you do store your files in “the cloud” then we hope that this article Dropbox will give you more details about the solution Dropbox (http://www.dropbox.com) is one of you chose to use, whichever this is. the most popular cloud storage and synchro- nisation services – approximately 4 million Terms and definitions users –, although it was not the first product The “cloud” or “cloud-computing” defines of its kind when it was launched. Dropbox an internet-based way of computing where Inc. was founded in 2007 by Drew Hous- software and shared resources are provided ton and Arash Ferdowsi, both of them MIT to clients on an on-demand basis. This new graduates, while the service was launched paradigm is a switch from the more tradition- in 2008 as a Y Combinator startup. al client-server architecture where one client The idea behind Dropbox was to replace would benefit from the information and pro- the common memory stick with cloud stor- cessing power provided by only one server. age, allowing its users to have access to their files regarding their location, computer or operating system. The Dropbox client cre- ates a folder on the user’s computer which is then synchronised with the online storage space and with the other associated com- puters. Users have full control of their Drop- box storage space either by using the client application, either by using a web browser. Dropbox supports revision history so that deleted files may be recovered from any of the associated computers or from the web. Another use of the revision history could be collaborative working on some of the files, without losing the previous form. Though the history is limited at 30 days, af- ter which a deleted file cannot be recovered any more, unless the user has subscribed using a paid account. The developers who wrote Dropbox wanted to create a fast and easy to use syn- chronisation system. This is why for each file only the portions of the file that are changed are actually saved from one revision to an- Figure 1. Dropbox set-up wizard other. The process is called delta encoding 26 Linux Identity Office Dropbox and Ubuntu One and conserves bandwidth and time, and safe from interception and/or iPhone, iPad, Android and Blackber- providing fast response times. Al- eavesdroppers. ry. Due to its popularity there are also though there are no restrictions on Dropbox provides a whole range a lot of third-party clients and appli- the file size for the desktop client, of features: cations that rely on Dropbox. the files uploaded via browsers are limited to 300 MB. J selective synchronisation with How to the ability to choose the fold- To install Dropbox, one has to down- Plans, prices and features ers that are to be kept syn- load it first from http://www.drop- The basic plan offers free 2 GB of chronised depending on the box.com The website will automati- storage, though there are many associated computer, cally indicate which client version ways to increase this space for free. J public shares using the “Pub- is suitable for the computer which A user might benefit from 2.25 GB lic” folder, is used to browse the web site. For of free space from the beginning if J the ability to give access to Ubuntu you should choose the pack- he subscribes to the service using one of the files/folders stored age according to the architecture a referral link. Also, a user can earn in the cloud through a “Share- that you are using: 32-bit or 64-bit. up to 8 GB of space from referrals – able link”, Once you have downloaded the new users that subscribe to the ser- J shared folders with other Drop- .deb package, install it like usual. You vice using the user’s referral link or box users, will be asked to restart Nautilus after direct invitations. Another 250 MB J LAN sync directly with other which you should click on the Next but- can be earn by following a number computers from the LAN which ton. Afterwards a wizard will help you of steps described on the Dropbox are linked to the same Drop- through. When the daemon is finished website which helps the user to set box account, downloading, the set-up wizard will up Dropbox on multiple computers. J dedicated “Photos” folder launch. Assuming that you do not have If we add all the bonuses that can which can be used to share a Dropbox account yet, one will be cre- be obtained we reach at 10.5 GB of galleries with people by provid- ated for you. Dropbox will integrate it- free cloud storage space. ing them an access link, self with Nautilus so that all the files The paid plans are “Pro 50” and J notification icon which dis- and folders which are synchronised “Pro 100”. The numbers give an in- plays useful information like with your cloud storage space will dis- dication of the space offered for the the number of files that are to play a special icon to help you figure money: 50 GB or 100 GB. The prices be synchronised, the transfer out the synchronisation status. are 9.99 USD per month or 99.99 speed, occupied space as a Before the wizard finishes, you USD per year for “Pro 50” and 19.99 percent out of the total space, can choose where you want your USD per month or 199.99 USD per J the ability to set automatic “Dropbox” folder – the folder whose year for the “Pro 100” plan. emails for when you remain content is synchronised into the All transfers are made using out of space or when Dropbox cloud. The default option is to leave SSL encrypted connections and the has scheduled maintenance it in your home directory but any oth- files are encrypted using the AES- er location would work just as well. 256 standard. This means that any There are many Dropbox clients, cov- If you want to synchronise folders data transferred from Dropbox over ering different operating systems and which are outside of the “Dropbox” the internet is securely encrypted architectures: Linux, Mac, Windows, folder you can use symbolic links on Ubuntu (and on any other Unix/ Linux machine) but this will not work on Windows clients. For example, if you would like to synchronise your /opt folder without making an iden- tical copy inside the “Dropbox” fold- er, you could create a symbolic link inside the “Dropbox” folder which should point to /opt. This will make all the content from /opt to be stored into the cloud, even if it’s on another partition or in a folder which isn’t a child of the “Dropbox” folder. Ubuntu One Ubuntu One (http://one.ubuntu. com) is a relative new online storage and synchronisation service provided Figure 2. Dropbox folder showing different folders by Canonical for Ubuntu users since 28 Linux Identity Office Dropbox and Ubuntu One the 9.04 release. Although the ser- z files’ and folders’ changes platforms: Ubuntu, Windows vice was launched more than a year are updated automatically, and Mac. ago, the project is still in beta stage: z the ability to offer public J Music Store from what we have noticed on Ubun- access to some of the files z complete integration with tu One’s Twitter account (http:// through short URLs, Rhythmbox, twitter.com/ubuntuone) from time z encrypted transmission of z community support for to time the maintenance that has to the data using SSL encryp- Banshee, be performed on the service usually tion. z purchases are first trans- means downtime. Still, except for the J Contacts synchronisation ferred to the cloud and announced and planned downtimes, z a complete address book then to your desktop, the service performs very good, not stored in the cloud – which z the songs purchased to mention that the basic account – is much safer than any oth- through the music store 2 GB of space in the cloud – is free. er storage medium, don’t count towards the The service will allow you to backup z automatic synchronisation storage limit, and sync files, your contacts from Evo- between the cloud address z 4 regional stores: US, UK, EU lution (the personal information man- book and Evolution, (only Austria, Belgium, Czech ager and email client), Tomboy notes z every change is automati- Republic, Denmark, Finland, and Firefox’s bookmarks which you cally synchronised, Estonia, France, Germany, can then access either online, either z view, create and modify Greece, Hungary, Iceland, from any other subscribed computer.