Copying RCP Files to Dropbox with rclone
rclone is a command-line tool that can be used to copy files between your RCP project space and Dropbox. This tutorial walks through configuring a Dropbox connection and copying files from the RCP to Dropbox.
1. Open rclone in the Utility Launcher
Start and connect to the Utility Launcher inside your RCP project space. Once connected, open a Terminal.
2. Configure rclone to connect to Dropbox
In the Terminal, type:
Create a new remote
Indicate that you would like to create a new remote and give it a name.
You will use this name later when copying files between the RCP and Dropbox.
Select Dropbox
Select Dropbox as your storage provider.
When prompted for client_id and client_secret, leave both fields empty and press Enter to accept the defaults.
When asked whether you would like to edit the advanced configuration, select No.
3. Authenticate with Dropbox
The next steps depend on how you normally authenticate to Dropbox.
Important: If you use passwordless authentication—such as a passkey, fingerprint, Face ID, or another authentication method tied to your local device—you will not be able to complete that authentication from the browser running inside the RCP. Follow the Passwordless authentication instructions below instead.
If you do not use passwordless authentication
When rclone asks whether you would like to use a web browser to automatically authenticate the remote, select Yes.
A browser will open inside the Utility Launcher.
Log in to your Dropbox account and complete the authentication process.
Once authentication is complete, return to the RCP Terminal.
If you use passwordless authentication
If you normally authenticate using a passkey or another passwordless authentication method, such as a fingerprint or Face ID on your laptop, you cannot complete that authentication from the RCP.
When rclone asks whether you would like to use a web browser to automatically authenticate the remote, select No.
You will need to complete the authentication on another computer that has rclone installed. If you do not already have rclone installed on that computer, follow the rclone installation instructions.
On your other computer, open a Terminal or command prompt and run:
This will open a browser on your other computer. Log in to Dropbox using your usual authentication method, including your passkey or biometric authentication if prompted.
Once authentication is complete, return to the Terminal on your other computer. rclone will provide an authorization result.
Copy the entire authorization result, beginning with { and ending with }.
Return to the RCP Terminal and paste the authorization result when prompted.
Save the remote
After authentication is complete, review the configuration and select the option to keep the existing remote.
Your Dropbox connection is now configured.
4. Copy files to Dropbox
You can now copy files between the RCP and Dropbox.
For example, to copy files from an RCP project data folder to a folder in Dropbox, use:
Replace:
<project-name>with the name of your RCP project.<remote-name>with the name you gave your Dropbox remote during configuration.<dropbox-folder>with the folder in Dropbox where you want the files copied.
For example:
In this example, RCP_Testing is the name of the remote and RCP-data is the destination folder in Dropbox.
For additional options and rclone commands, see the rclone command documentation.
Syncing files with rclone
rclone can also sync files between locations. However, sync behaves differently from copy and should be used with caution.
With:
rclone copies new or changed files to the destination without deleting files that are already there.
With:
rclone changes the destination so that it matches the source.
⚠️ Be careful when using
sync. Files in the destination that do not exist in the source may be deleted. For example, if you sync an RCP folder to a Dropbox folder that already contains other files, those additional Dropbox files could be deleted.
If your goal is simply to transfer or update files, use rclone copy rather than rclone sync.
Before using sync, you can preview what rclone would do by adding the --dry-run option:
This allows you to review the proposed changes without actually copying or deleting files.
Additional notes
- rclone is available in the Utility Launcher on the RCP.
- These instructions have been tested with Dropbox.
- Other rclone storage providers may work but have not been tested by RCS.
- At this time, rclone cannot connect to OneDrive from the RCP.
- If you have questions or encounter problems using rclone on the RCP, contact research@hbs.edu.