Beginner - Setting up NextCloud as a family replacement for OneDrive

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The Basics

  • Nextcloud Server version (e.g., 29.x.x):
    • Winter Hub 26
  • Operating system and version (e.g., Ubuntu 24.04):
    • Ubuntu 24.04 LTS Server
  • Installation method (e.g. AlO, NCP, Bare Metal/Archive, etc.)
    • Docker

Summary of the issue you are facing:

I’m a new user of NextCloud, I’m starting from scratch as my trial and error approach needs some cleanup so treat this as being a fresh install.

I want to use NextCloud as a OneDrive replacement, I’m currently on a O365 subscription that I do not wish to renew. The functionality I’m primarily wanting to replicate is for family members to be able to do cloud backups of photos and files to their own personal folders. Me being the admin means I’ll have overall control but I want my daughter and son to feel like they have some privacy.

The NextCloud server will be a desktop running Ubuntu LTS 24.04 (command line interface only). It has a 500GB SSD which is the OS drive, and 2x 8TB HDD in a Raid 1 setup where everything will be saved. I will be creating a folder on the raid array named NextCloud. NextCloud will be installed via Docker and during installation I will add in the instructions to have /dev/md0/NextCloud as the default folder location.

In my mind I want there to be an admin account plus four accounts (myself, my wife, child 1, child 2). Each account apart from the admin account can only see their folders and when using the iOS app, it backs up their photos to just their folders.

I’ve looked through the How To and the 101 guide but couldn’t find a tutorial. If there is would you be able to link me to it, if not could you explain the steps I will need to take please.

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Hi, I guess this page might be helpful: Installation on Linux — Nextcloud latest Administration Manual latest documentation

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Thanks, Szaimen. Apologies if my request wasn’t clear, its not the installation I need the help with its the setting up the structure; accounts, folders, permissions, etc to replicate the OneDrive/O365 functionality

The reason I’ve mentioned doing a fresh install is because on my first attempt I setup my raid after setting up Docker when it should have done before hand and I don’t want to make any similar mistakes.

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Hello @MattEvansC3,

welcome to the Nextcloud community! :handshake:

so you don’t ask for technical support but rather for the “user guide”?

There are many installation tutorials but usage is not covered well :frowning:

  • In general you would say each user account is independent - each has personal files, calendar, contacts etc.. form the application point of view nobody not even an admin can access files from others until they actively share.. (obviously server admin with storage and DB access could extract the files).
  • for files you want to give access to the whole family look at groupfolders-app
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that seems to be a more general problem. you should have set up your basics first, of course, before installing anything additional to your system.
so you should have your storage installed and configured, e.g.

Szaimen hinted to the installation on Linux to give you a rough overview on what to install at which time (first of all you should have an idea of which way to go here, in gerenal) - let me suggest to do the AiO installation. It’s docker as well but it’s going to install everything you’d need to have a safe and sane system running in the end.

From what I think I’ve taken from your request you exactly describe what NC offers natively.

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NextCloud supporting it was the reason I went for NextCloud but the documentation on it isn’t great.

I’d already made a mistake because I hadn’t correctly configured the raid storage prior to installing NextCloud and not specifying the file structure during the Docker install of AiO. Do I need to create a folder for each person with an account or does NextCloud handle that? Do I have to define where each account saves to or does NextCloud handle that. It’s all those type of questions I couldn’t find answers for in the documentation.

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actually that has nothing to do with NC. Only if you like to store your NC-data there. It should have been defined prior to stor ANY data there.

No, NC does that for you… Just follow the AiO-Installationguide

Together with setting up accounts NC will setup the(ir) storage place. Pls read the AiO installation-guide carefully (like having a different default storage-place) and make sure that the requirements there are met.

Note: AiO Installationguide is the best documented setup guide for NC that I personally know of.
Just run it once and see which questions will be asked… and if you won’t be ok with the outcome just start anew. And only deploy it to your family once you’re content with how it runs.

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you are not aware about basics of systems administration so please read 101: Self-hosting information for beginners before you add sensitive and important data to a system.

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