I use the Nextcloud AppImage on a current LMDE installation.
Connected are 2 clouds:
a) my private self hosted nextcloud
b) German T-Online provided MagentaCloud (based on NextCloud)
Sync ran well for a longer period of time.
Recently I updated the client from 3.14.3 to 3.15.2.
Initial sync ran fine, but after a few seconds the sync to to MagentaCloud starts again. Finishes, and starts over - infinite.
So I went back to 3.14.3 and all was ok again.
When 3.15.3 was released I tried again, but same issue.
Endless ever restarting sync.
I just tried 3.16.2.
Same issue, Next Cloud won’t stop syncing.
It says latest sync successful.
The green checkmark icon appears.
Then a few seconds later it starts over.
Even there was no file change.
Again and again.
So I will have to revert to 3.14.3, the last working version.
(but even better, the update seems to have killed my old config, and wants me to log in again…)
Just looked at the logs.
Any version after 3.14.3 constantly detects changes in seemingly all files and writes one log file after the other full of entries like:
2025-03-24 10:03:15:501 [ info nextcloud.gui.folderwatcher /home/user/src/gui/folderwatcher.cpp:252 ]: Detected changes in paths: QSet(“/media/***”)
where *** just stands for any file I have…
And those files clearly did not change.
Reverting to 3.14.3 an silence.
yes, i noticed that. You mentioned it in your first mail. But in some forums for Ubuntu users are problems with the Nextcloud-Appimages reported, but not with flatpak
I’m using CachyOS on three different devices, all with the Nextcloud desktop client version 3.15.3, installed directly from the official CachyOS repositories.
Works flawlessly
Instant synchronization
No issues uploading or syncing large files (multiple GB)
2. Server: Nextcloud AIO – Hub v9
On the server side, I’m running:
Nextcloud AIO – Hub v9 (version 10.7.0)
Nextcloud version: 30.0.6
This setup has been stable and fully functional in combination with the 3.15.3 desktop client.
3. Testing AppImage Version 3.16.2
I also tested the latest AppImage version 3.16.2, available on the official Nextcloud website.
File sync itself works fine, no crashes
However, a major issue is that it does not display sync status icons for individual folders and files (e.g., green/yellow overlays in the file manager)
Because of this limitation, I switched back to version 3.15.3 from the CachyOS repos, which shows sync status correctly and runs without any issues.
4. Comment on This Thread
I noticed that most users in this thread didn’t mention their Nextcloud server version or setup type, which makes it harder to identify the root cause.
The server version and deployment method (AIO, Docker, classic install, etc.) can have a direct impact on desktop client behavior and should always be included in troubleshooting.
5. Conclusion
For me, the combination of:
CachyOS
Nextcloud desktop client 3.15.3 (from repo)
Nextcloud AIO – Hub 9 (30.0.6)
→ has been completely reliable, including syncing large files.
I’m not experiencing any “endless syncing” issues.
I see – you’re running your server on LMDE. That explains the setup a bit more. I’m mostly running everything on Ubuntu Server VMs inside a Proxmox host at home. I find it very flexible, especially when combining multiple self-hosted services.
Out of curiosity – how’s your experience with LMDE for server use? I usually see it more in desktop environments, so I’m interested if you’ve found any advantages or drawbacks when using it in a server context.
Also, completely agree with you – when it comes to the Magenta cloud setup, without knowing their backend and limits, it’s hard to say what’s really going on there.
LMDE as server:
Well, this nextcloud is “just-for-me-and-family”.
So not much load, not too much data, mainly just a repository for anything I want to have accessible from my mobile.
I don’t think LMDE has any advantage as a server, besides being an OS I know and maybe being just a stable and predictable distribution.
Actually it has a few drawbacks, because sometimes I have to fiddle with versions of e.g. php that aren’t at the needed level in the repository.
So LMDE as a server is a “just-me” thing.
At work I “have to” use redhat, so I try to keep my exposure to just those two.
Sync issue:
As I explained above, I never had any issues up to 3.14.3.
So whatever any server setup might be, my server is up to date and I expect magenta to be at least on a recent and secure level.
The logs with recent desktop versions on my desktop show that both connections loop in re-sync. However the logs don’t provide any hint as to why this is the case.
The logs up to 3.14.3 show that there are only a handful changes to my files.
So something elementary must have changed in 3.15 and up.
I still hope someone here know anything about that change.
It might be my setup, but there must be a way to fix it.
Well LMDE is based on Debian. So you may use a Debian-Server-Installation as well and do not need to learn the specifics of a new Distribution. If you like to have a Desktop like MATE / Cinnamon you can have that with Debian-Server as well.
I am using both Debian Server and Ubuntu Server with just the xfce4-Minimal-Desktop (apt-get install xfce4) but without all the software delivered with the full Desktop, like Thunderbird, Firefox, LibreOfiice, GIMP and so on. There is no need for that on a Server OS.
Just to follow up based on my own experience (also mentioned here: Error syncing large files) – I also run a self-hosted Nextcloud AIO instance, used daily by me and my family.
Self-hosted and stable
I run Nextcloud AIO on my own hardware at home, used by multiple users in my family. It has been stable and reliable in our everyday use, even when syncing large files.
Running on Ubuntu Server
I’m using a clean Ubuntu Server installation (currently 24.04) as the base OS. The server runs inside a Proxmox VM, which gives me flexibility and isolation for managing multiple services.
Why a server-grade distro matters
From my experience, using a server-oriented distribution (like Ubuntu Server) makes a significant difference in:
system service behavior (systemd)
file permissions
Docker compatibility
resource handling
and long-term maintenance
These things often behave subtly differently on desktop-focused distributions like LMDE.
LMDE is not built for this
While LMDE is a solid desktop OS, it’s not really optimized for running persistent services like Nextcloud AIO. You might run into unexpected behavior related to updates, file access rights, or container performance.
Recommendation
If possible, I highly recommend migrating the server to a proper Linux server distro like Ubuntu Server or Debian Server, ideally in a clean VM or dedicated hardware. It aligns more closely with Nextcloud’s tested environments and reduces the likelihood of sync issues or performance quirks.
Happy to share more
If you’re interested, I’d be glad to share more details about my setup or help with best practices for running Nextcloud AIO in a home environment.
My Nextcloud is on a VM like yours. Only diffrence is: i do host the VM directly on KVM/QEMU, not using Proxmox. My Nextcloud-VM OS is Debian 12. KVM/QEMU Host OS is also Debian 12.
Whilst all you say is true, and I know
(and a bigger better nextcloud on new hardware is planned anyway)
…
It has worked up to 3.14.3.
The server has zero issues itself.
And the sync issues I have now are with my self-hosted nextcloud
AND with the magenta cloud I can’t influence at all and I suppose is built on dedicated server OS.
So before I do a major change on my end, I like to have an explanation why anything higher 3.14.3 causes these issues on my client.
just did.