Two-way folder mirroring
Mirror all of My Drive or selected folders to local disk, with edits flowing in both directions and offline access to mirrored files.
Skymir
Skymir is a native Google Drive sync client for 64-bit Debian-based Linux systems. It mirrors all or selected My Drive folders to local disk, provides browser shortcuts for Google documents, and runs ongoing sync from a desktop tray.
Google Drive synchronization for Linux
Skymir is a native Google Drive synchronization client for Linux. It mirrors a user's Google Drive files—or selected My Drive folders—to local disk, allowing files to be accessed offline and edited from either side of the connection. The application is built on Google's public Drive API rather than presenting Drive as a virtual filesystem.
Its workflow is designed around native Google documents as well as ordinary files: .gdoc, .gsheet, and .gslides shortcuts represent Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides and open the live documents in a browser. A background daemon handles synchronization, while a GTK system-tray icon exposes status and common controls. Skymir is distributed for 64-bit Debian-based Linux systems and includes a 14-day full-featured trial.
Key features
Incremental background sync
Changes saved locally are uploaded within seconds, while changes made in Drive are checked and downloaded within about a minute without rescanning the entire Drive.
Google document shortcuts
Creates .gdoc, .gsheet, and .gslides shortcuts for native Google files so they can be opened in the browser from Nemo, Nautilus, or Dolphin.
Deletion safeguards
Propagates deletions to trash rather than permanently deleting them, with stated 30-day recovery; sync operations that would delete more than half of the files are refused.
Native Linux system tray
Provides a GTK3/AppIndicator3 tray icon with status and actions for syncing now, pausing, opening the folder, and accessing settings.
Guided setup and daemon
Includes a guided setup wizard, graphical settings, an activity viewer, and a background daemon for ongoing synchronization.
Practical use cases
Working with Drive files offline
Keep a working copy of Drive folders on a Linux desktop for offline access, while allowing local edits and Drive-side changes to move between both locations.
Focused workstation sync
Use the selective mode to mirror only the folders needed for a project or workstation, leaving large or unrelated My Drive folders out of the local copy.
Desktop access to Google documents
Open native Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides from Nemo, Nautilus, or Dolphin without searching for them separately in a browser.
Low-interruption daily sync
Monitor synchronization and perform common actions from the desktop tray while the background daemon continues syncing files.
First-time Linux setup
Set up a Linux computer with a guided Google sign-in and choose a full or selective mirror without manually configuring a command-line synchronization workflow.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Mirrors Drive content as real local files rather than using a virtual filesystem.
- Supports either full My Drive mirroring or folder-level selective sync.
- Includes shortcuts for opening native Google documents from common Linux file managers.
- Uses trash-based deletion handling and blocks sync operations that would delete more than half of the files.
- Provides a native GTK tray workflow with background syncing and practical controls.
Cons
- Current packaging and documented support focus on Debian-based 64-bit Linux distributions; Fedora, Arch, and Flatpak support are listed as planned.
- Shared drives are not supported according to the product FAQ.
- A license is limited to one active machine at a time, although it can be moved by deactivating the old machine.
FAQ
Which Linux distributions does Skymir support?
Skymir runs on 64-bit Debian-based distributions with glibc 2.35 or newer, including Ubuntu 22.04+, Linux Mint 21+, Debian 12+, Pop!_OS, elementary OS, and Zorin OS. It has been tested on Linux Mint 22.3, Ubuntu 24.04.4 LTS, Ubuntu 22.04.5 LTS, and Debian 13. Fedora, Arch, and Flatpak packaging are planned but are not currently listed as supported.
Can I mirror all of My Drive or only selected folders?
The first-run wizard guides Google sign-in and lets you choose Full Drive Sync, which mirrors all of My Drive and adds new top-level folders automatically, or Selective mode, which mirrors only chosen folders. The mode can be changed later in Settings. Shared drives are not currently supported.
How does the free trial work?
Skymir offers a 14-day trial with full functionality and no credit card or account registration. An email address is requested for trial reminders and support. After the trial, a license is required to continue using the graphical app and background sync.
Can a license be moved to another computer?
Each license activates one machine at a time. You can move it to another computer by deactivating it from Settings → License → Deactivate, then activating it on the new machine.
Is Skymir affiliated with Google?
Skymir is an independent application built on Google's public Drive API and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Google. Google Drive, Google Docs, and related marks belong to Google LLC.
Quick Facts
- Category
- Cloud storage sync client
- Platform
- 64-bit Debian-based Linux; glibc 2.35+
- Sync scope
- My Drive or selected folders; shared drives unsupported
- Document handling
- .gdoc, .gsheet, and .gslides browser shortcuts
- Installation
- Signed apt repository or direct .deb package
- Trial
- 14 days with full functionality; no credit card required
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