Missing icon problem
DropBox has always had a Linux client since 2008 or so when I started using Xubuntu. As always, this software has been changing and has not always worked so well.
In 2016, folks started reporting problems with the notification icon in the panel not properly appearing.
Various solutions popped up, but I was not having much luck with those solutions myself.
With 18.04, Bionic Beaver, however, the icon problem finally has been resolved.
The trick is to make sure to use the new status notifier plugin for the panel. As the 18.04 release notes indicate:
Status Notifier Plugin
This new plugin replaces the Application Indicator with a more configurable and better supported option. It supports indicators provided by indicator-application as well as the FreeDesktop.org StatusNotifierItem specification. Configuration options include:
- Configurable icon size
- Square icons — all items will be at least as wide as they are tall
- Symbolic icons — Application indicators will be displayed with a symbolic icon if it is available
- Hide or show individual application indicators
When installing Xubuntu from scratch, you get this new plugin automatically. When upgrading from a prior installation of Xubuntu, however, your previous panel settings will be brought over to 18.04. So, once the upgrade is complete, make sure to edit your panel via the following menu commands: Settings Manager | Panel. Then click on the Items tab, then the plus button. Type in ‘status’ to see the new plugin you need.
Click on Status Notifier Plugin and then the Add button. The new plugin will probably appear at the bottom of the panel. So, select this new addition and then use the up (↑) arrow to position this plugin where you want it.
Click Close, and you now have the newest notification plugin for your DropBox icon.
Integration with Thunar
With older versions of Xubuntu, integrating DropBox with Thunar could get complicated. See, e.g., How To Install Dropbox In Xubuntu And Get Thunar Integration.
With this latest version of Xubuntu, the solution is now simple. After quitting DropBox, remove the standard version of DropBox with this terminal command:
sudo apt-get remove dropbox
Then install the version of DropBox that includes the needed Nautilus extensions as part of DropBox itself along with a plugin for Thunar:
sudo apt-get install nautilus-dropbox thunar-dropbox-plugin
Then, restart DropBox from a menu or via this terminal command:
dropbox start
The result is full use of DropBox sharing commands from within Thunar:
