本文分享了如何使用Synology NAS和其配套的Drive和Cloud Sync应用来替代Dropbox，从而摆脱臃肿的Dropbox客户端。作者通过自身的使用经验，详细介绍了配置过程，包括在Synology上安装Drive Server和Cloud Sync，以及在电脑上安装Drive客户端。通过这种方式，用户可以将文件同步到自己的Synology NAS，再由Cloud Sync将文件同步到Dropbox，从而实现文件在本地、NAS和云端的同步。作者认为这种方式不仅能带来更清爽的使用体验，还能避免Dropbox客户端的臃肿问题，并推荐有Synology NAS的用户尝试。

📅作者自2009年就开始使用Dropbox，并对其最初的可靠同步功能印象深刻，但Dropbox客户端逐渐变得臃肿复杂。

⚙️解决方案的核心是使用Synology NAS，通过安装Synology Drive Server和Cloud Sync来实现文件同步。Drive充当类Dropbox的角色，在设备间同步文件，Cloud Sync则负责在Dropbox和Drive之间同步。

💻配置流程包括在Synology上安装和配置Drive Server，在电脑上安装Drive客户端并验证同步，以及在Synology上安装Cloud Sync并配置与Dropbox的同步。同步时，需要将Dropbox同步文件夹设置为Drive内的文件夹。

📁文件同步的工作流程是：在Mac上创建文件并保存到Drive中的Dropbox文件夹，Drive客户端将文件上传到Synology，Cloud Sync检测到新文件后上传到Dropbox，最终文件会出现在Dropbox中。

I don’t recall when, exactly, I started using Dropbox. However, I apparentlyearned a bonus 250 MB of space by completing the “Getting Started” flow backin September of 2009. So, it’s been a minute.

At first, Dropbox was a revelation. It was the first time somethingsynchronized with the cloud, and did so reliably. Their client apps weresvelte, optimized, and worked a treat.

Over the years — mostly but not entirely because of their own choices— their client apps have become gross, bloated, overcomplicated messes.

I still rely on Dropbox to collaborate with mycoworkers. However, I haven’t run one of their client appson my computers in around five years. How?

My Synology takes care of it for me. If you happen to have a SynologyNAS, you, too, can live in this eden.

The path forward is a combination of Synology Drive andSynology Cloud Sync. In short, Drive acts as a faux-Dropbox, andallows you to sync files between your devices via your own Synology.Cloud Sync then synchronizes between your Dropbox and your Drive.

Install Synology Drive Server on your SynologyConfigure it… however it needs to be configured. Honestly, I haven’tdone this for a decade, so, uh, Godspeed.Install a Synology Drive client on your computer and verify that filesare being synchronized between your computer and Synology.Install Synology Cloud Sync on your SynologyClick the ➕ button to add a new cloud providerSelect DropboxGo through the authentication flow. While you do this, the key isto set your Dropbox sync folder to be within your Drive. This way,the place that Dropbox is synced to is synced to your computer via DriveDelete the Dropbox client from your computer and rejoice

So, for me, my Synology’s filesystem looks like this:

~casey   +-- ...   +-- Drive   |     +-- ...   |     +-- Dropbox   |     |      `-- (My entire Dropbox is here)   |     `-- ...   `-- ...

On my Mac, it looks basically the same.

So, if I were to create a new file on my Mac, and save it as

~/Drive/Dropbox/some-text-file.txt

The following will happen:

The Synology Drive client on my Mac will see the new fileThat file will be uploaded to the SynologyCloud Sync (running on the Synology) will see the new filewithin the synchronized Dropbox directoryCloud Sync will upload that file to Dropbox

Thus, some-text-file.txt ends up in my Dropbox, and all I had to dowas save the file on my local SSD and trust my synchronization scaffoldingto take care of it.

I will say that the Synology Drive client for macOS is… not great. It’s clearlya cross-platform app, though I believe it’s using Java or some other sort oftechnology, rather than Electron. It’s ugly, but it works, and unlike theDropbox client apps, it stays out of the way.

I can’t recommend this setup enough, and if you have the means Synology, Ihighly suggest you pick one up give it a chance.