CDSync is the always-on Google Drive sync client for Linux you've been waiting for. It keeps a real, physical copy of your Google Drive files on your computer — just like Google Drive Desktop for Windows. You can browse, search, edit, and open them with any program, even when you're offline. When you come back online, every change syncs back to the cloud in seconds.
~/GoogleDrive/ (or wherever you choose). Your files. Open them with anything.
Edit a file locally, save, and it's in Google Drive within a second. Edit on another device, and it lands on your computer within a second.
Works in both directions, automatically. No upstream/downstream configuration.
A small icon in your system tray shows sync status at a glance — green when idle, working when syncing, red if something needs attention.
Lose your internet connection and keep working. CDSync queues every change and replays them when you're back online. Up to 30 days offline.
One email, one machine, yours forever. No monthly fees, no telemetry, no ads.
Grab the package from the button above and put cdsync, cdsync-tray, and your license.lic in one folder.
./cdsync activate — a browser opens, you sign in with the exact Google account from your license, and it binds to this machine. Done.
./cdsync install — the wizard picks the remote, the local folder, the poll interval. It registers systemd + tray. About a minute.
./cdsync start launches the background daemon and opens the tray icon. Files in your local folder and Google Drive now stay in sync automatically.
Full details? Installation guide.
| Distribution | Status |
|---|---|
| Ubuntu 22.04 / 24.04 (Jammy, Noble) | Fully tested |
| Linux Mint 22 (Cinnamon/Fat) | Tested on QEMU VM |
| Debian 12+ (Bookworm, Trixie) | Fully tested |
| Fedora 36+ | Builds and runs |
| Arch / Manjaro / EndeavourOS | Works |
| Pop!_OS 22.04+ | Works |
| Ubuntu 20.04 / Debian 11 | GLIBC 2.31 — requires ≥ 2.38 |
| RHEL 8 / CentOS 8 / Rocky 8 | GLIBC 2.28 — too old |
| ARM (Raspberry Pi, ARM NAS) | Planned — not in v1.0 |
| macOS / Windows | Linux-only (GTK3, systemd, inotify) |
Minimum requirements: x86_64, kernel 3.2+, GLIBC ≥ 2.38, a GTK3-compatible desktop with AppIndicator support. You do not need Python or pip installed — the Python 3.11 runtime is statically embedded.