Mounting Cloud Storage on Linux

Mounting Cloud Storage on Linux

Mounting Box.com or Google Drive storage as a disk or file system is not available on CSEE/UMBC maintained machines. These steps are provided for those who run their own Linux systems.

The only way to access files on UMBC/CSEE maintained systems is by uploading/downloading files using a Web Browser to access their respective sites:

• http://drive.google.com - Google Drive
• http://box.umbc.edu - Box.com

Google Drive

GNOME 3 is required to access Google Drive as a remote disk on Linux--this will not work from a CSEE maintained Linux system.

Open the GNOME Control Center (or “Settings”) application. If GNOME 3 is not the default Desktop Environment, install gnome-control-center and then run it from the command line.

Click “Online Accounts”, click the plus symbol (if the plus symbol is dimmed, click the button "Add an online account"), and add your Google account. If this control is not available, install the gnome-online-accounts package.

Enter your UMBC username and password and accept/allow GNOME to access your Google data. A copy of your credentials will be stored in the GNOME keyring.

The Google Drive will be accessible from Nautilus, the GNOME3 file manager. The drive name will be your UMBC email address. If the Google Drive isn't showing up, check to make sure that the gvfs-goa package is installed.

When you are finished accessing your Google Drive, eject the volume from a Nautilus window. Then, open GNOME Control Center, click Google, and click the minus symbol.

Box.com

Using WebDAV

This service will only work to access data from a personal computer--this will not work on CSEE maintained Linux computers. Due to the way this works, it is NOT recommended to perform these steps since it disables the default security that campus places on box.com accounts.

Install davfs2 Package

Ubuntu, Debian, and Mint

To install davfs2 on Ubuntu, Debian or Mint:

$ sudo apt-get install davfs2

CentOS, RHEL or Fedora

To install davfs2 on CentOS, RHEL or Fedora:

$ sudo yum install davfs2

Disable file locks

The WebDAV share exported by Box.com does not support file locks. Thus you need to disable file locks in the davfs2 configuration file located at /etc/davfs2/davfs2.conf. Otherwise, you will encounter "Input/output error" while attempting to create a file.

$ sudo vi /etc/davfs2/davfs2.conf

use_locks      	0

Create a mount point

mkdir ~/box.com

replace "~/box.com" with your preferred mount point

Add yourself to usergroup

This step is only needed if you want to mount as a non-root user.

$ sudo usermod -a -G davfs2 USERNAME

where "USERNAME" is your username

Edit fstab

Add the following to /etc/fstab. The "user" option allows you to mount Box.com as an unprivileged non-root user.

https://dav.box.com/dav /home/user/box.com davfs rw,user,noauto 0 0

Replace "/home/user/box.com" with your own mount point.

Add external password to Box

This steps adds a new authentication method to a box.com account. UMBC may no longer be able to track if this account gets compromised. It is NOT recommended to make this change.

Before you connect, you must create an external password through the Box web interface.

1. Open an internet browser and log on to box.umbc.edu
2. Click on your name in the upper right corner. In the drop down, click on “Account Settings”
3. The bottom section bubble should say “Create External Password.” Click “Edit password”
4. Create an external password.

Note: This password must be different from your email password

Run mount

The final step is to run mount.

$ mount box.com

replacing "box.com" with the mount point used in the fstab

When finished with box.com access

The box.com file system needs to be unmounted when you are done with it

$ umount box.com

replacing "box.com" with your mountpoint