Google Drive on Linux

[TOC]

PopOS! / GNOME

First try was using the "Online Accounts" configs of GNOME in PopOS. The file manager shows my google drive (note: it didn't work on the first try). But it's only visible in the Gnome's File Manager (not accessible in the terminal).

google-drive-ocamlfuse

Looks promising! 🙂

• https://github.com/astrada/google-drive-ocamlfuse

Installation

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:alessandro-strada/ppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install google-drive-ocamlfuse

Automount

Following the instructions to mount using systemd

1. Create the file ~/.config/systemd/user/gdrive.service (replace ${label} and ${mountPoint} with proper values):

[Unit]
Description=FUSE filesystem over Google Drive
After=network.target

[Service]
ExecStart=google-drive-ocamlfuse -label ${label} ${mountPoint}
ExecStop=fusermount -u ${mountPoint}
Restart=always
Type=forking

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

# mount the drive
systemctl start --user gdrive.service

# umount the drive
systemctl stop --user gdrive.service

# automount on boot
systemctl enable --user gdrive.service

Synchronizing

Install unison

Download an awesome tool named unison:

https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison

I've download this file here: https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison/releases/download/v2.52.1/unison-v2.52.1+ocaml-4.14.0+x86_64.linux.tar.gz

And then:

# the file was downloaded in the ~/Downloads dir
cd ~/Downloads

# create a tmp dir for unison
mkdir unison-dir

# uncompress the files into the right dir
tar xvzf unison-v2.52.1+ocaml-4.14.0+x86_64.linux.tar.gz \
  -C unison-dir

cd unison-dir

# move the binaries to /usr/local/bin
sudo mv bin/* /usr/local/bin/
rmdir bin

# move the docs to a proper dir
mkdir -p /usr/local/share/unison
mv * /usr/local/share/unison

# DONE! The unison is now "installed"

Testing unison

Let's test unison:

# create two empty directories
mkdir -p ~/tmp/{source,target}
cd ~/tmp

# now run this command to keep directories 'source' and
# 'target' synchronized.
# (took from: https://jpcercal.com/en/how-to-create-a-bidirectional-file-sync-using-unison/
unison \
  -repeat watch \
  -copyonconflict \
  -prefer newer \
  source/ \
  target/

# NOTE: if the command above breaks due to a
# "Filesystem watcher error", it's probably because
# you didn't followed the steps above to install unison

Once you confirm it works as expected, let's create a preferences file for unison:

# this should be in ~/.unison/gdrive.prf
# Unison preferences to sync my Obsidian files on google drive
label = gdrive Obsidian
logfile = /home/${user}/.unison/gdrive.log
root = /home/${user}/source
root = /home/${user}/gdrive/target
ignore = Path .git
batch = true
repeat = watch
copyonconflict = true
prefer = newer
contactquietly = true
silent = true

This is incomplete...

I found this in an old .bashrc file:

# mount Google Drive & sync with unison
###############################################################################
# Requirements:
# - https://github.com/astrada/google-drive-ocamlfuse
# - https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison
#
# Configuring a systemd unit:
# - google-drive-ocamlfuse:
# https://github.com/astrada/google-drive-ocamlfuse/wiki/Automounting#mount-using-systemd
#
# - unison [just as inspiration]:
# https://gist.github.com/asksven/ee38dbe5bdab7e39aa133a1df24dd034
###############################################################################
# [[ -s "${HOME}/.config/systemd/user/gdrive.service" ]] \
#   && [[ -s "${HOME}/.config/systemd/user/unison.service" ]] \
#   && [[ -s "${HOME}/.unison/gdrive.prf" ]] \
#   && ! mountpoint -q "${HOME}/gdrive" \
#   && systemctl start --user gdrive
# && systemctl start --user unison
# stopped using unison because I paid a subscription of Obsidian Sync