Hello,
I am new in next cloud. I need to know if I can deploy a Node.js web application with PostgreSQL DB on the nextcloud for free and what is the process I have to follow?
Regards,
Hossam
Hello.
Nextcloud uses generally a PHP-based backend. There are trends to extend this using so called ExApps, but the basis are PHP files.
For Node.js, you need a node.js web server running, which is not a basic assumption/system requirement. You could ship the files to start a node.js server on the web server but most admins will be hesitant to install a third party service blindly and even less will expect such a thing to be necessary.
Remember, I am talking about backend here. If you were asking about any sort of fancy frontend, it is a complete different story. But you asked for
Node.js web application with PostgreSQL DB
This impled for me that you are thinking of the backend.
Can you convert to PHP or is this too much effort?
Is this web app of yours related to NC in some way (using the same data basis …)? If yes, an ExApp that uses docker as an abstraction level might be feasible. depends a bit on your use case.
The wording about free triggers me though. NC is open source. Where you host it, is your business (unless you pay someone else to do it on your behalf). What you host there is your business as well. So, in that sense it is free as you can do anything. But, I am not sure if this is what you mean by free.
Is it just that you want to reuse an existing webspace for NC + something external? Do you want to extend NC in some useful way? Maybe this helps to decide.
Chris
Thanks, Chris, for your support…
As I mentioned, I am new to NextCloud. Actually, I want to install Node.js and PostgreSQL DB, but I am not sure if it’s applicable in NextCloud. What is the OS I will work with if I try the installation process, and how much HD space, CPU, and RAM can the NextCloud provide to me? Finally, what do you mean by ExApps?
Regards,
Hossam
OK, first we must be clear about the wording:
There is the Nextcloud server. This is just an open source software with various features. It is written in PHP and it can be extended by PHP-native apps and ExApps.
The app store lists all apps (both native as well as ExApps). Most are PHP-native.
The difference between the app types is that PHP-native are plugin-like extensions to the NC server and integrated in it (somehow).
The ExApps were introduced recently to allow for non-PHP apps. This was mainly done to allow for A.I. solutions, which are typically written in Python (PyTorch, TensorFlow, Keras, … are typical Python libraries used in A.I. context). ExApps are in fact network attached and typically docker containers running adjacent to the NC server.
The Nextcloud GmbH (aka company) sits in Germany and is the main development driver for the core and core apps. They provide much stuff on GitHub and offer help to increase their ecosystem. They also pay full-time devs to work on the NC server and run the website nextcloud.com.
Having said this, I think there is still a misunderstanding: Nextcloud (both server and company) do not directly provide a hosting solution. There are solutions out in the world for different aspects and different price ranges, from managed to self-managed. What these hosters do and use, I cannot tell you. There is no restriction by the server on this.
The server only needs web access (aka HTTP(S)), a supported DB, and a PHP interpreter. So, you cannot tell in advance if there is PostgreSQL, MariaDB/MySQL, Oracle, or SQLite in place. Neither, you cannot tell anything about OS or involved hardware. Yes, there are suggestions and recommendations but these are such that the server runs smoothly.
I hope this clears a bit the image and you can understand my questions better.
Chris
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Many Thanks Chris for your time, support and explanation …
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