You Can Now Use OneDrive in Linux Natively Thanks to Insync
OneDrive is a cloud storage service from Microsoft and it provides 5 GB of free storage to every user. This is integrated with Microsoft account and if you use Windows, you are have OneDrive preinstalled there.
OneDrive as a desktop application is not available on Linux. You can access your stored files via the web interface but you won’t get that native feel of using the cloud storage in the file manager.
You can use rclone CLI tool to sync OneDrive in Linux but it’s not easy to do and doesn’t give the native desktop application feel.
The good news is that you can now use an unofficial tool that lets you use OneDrive in Ubuntu or other Linux distributions.
Insync is a quite popular premium third-party sync tool when it comes to Google Drive cloud storage management on Linux. We already have a detailed review of Insync with Google Drive support for that matter.
However, recently, Insync 3 was released with OneDrive support. So, in this article, we are going to take a quick look at how OneDrive can be used with it and what’s new in Insync 3.
Non-FOSS Alert
Few developers take the pain of bringing their software to Linux. As a portal focusing on desktop Linux, we cover such software here even if they are not FOSS.
Insync is neither open source software nor it is free to use. You only get a 15-day free trial to test it out. If you like it, you can purchase it for a lifetime fee of $29.99 per account.
Get A Native OneDrive Experience in Linux With Insync
Even though it is a premium tool – the users who rely on OneDrive may want to get this for a seamless experience to sync OneDrive on their Linux system.
To get started, you have to download the suitable package for your Linux distribution from the official download page.
You can also choose to add the repository and get it installed. You will get the instructions at Insync’s official website.
Once you have it installed, just launch it and choose the OneDrive option.
Also, it is worth noting that you need a separate license for each OneDrive or Google Drive account you add.
Now, after authorizing the OneDrive account, you have to select a base folder where you would want to sync everything – which is a new feature in Insync 3.
In addition to this, you also get the ability to selectively sync files/folders locally or from the cloud after you set it up.
You can also customize the sync preference by adding your own rules to ignore/sync folders and files that you want – it is totally optional.
Finally, you have it ready:
You can now start syncing files/folders using OneDrive across multiple platforms including your Linux desktop with Insync. In addition to all the new features/changes mentioned above, you also get a faster/smoother experience on Insync.
Also, with Insync 3, you can now take a look at the progress of your sync:
Wrapping Up
Overall, Insync 3 is an impressive upgrade for those looking to sync OneDrive on their Linux system. In case you do not want to pay – you can try other free cloud services for Linux.
What do you think about Insync? If you’re already using it, how’s the experience so far? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.