NextCloud and Apple File Provider vs. Virtual Drive

📱 Desktop & mobile clients 💻 Desktop
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1

Are there any plans integrating NextCloud with Apple’s new File Provider / Cloud Storage API?

I like how Dropbox now integrates seamlessly with MacOS / iOS.

I tried the experimental Virtual Drive feature, but the direction with the .nextcloud file extensions feels more like a hack / workaround. It seems like it has already been pendung development for a couple of years. Also, I’m not able to access a file other than through Finder. With Cloud Provider, I can access files even from the terminal via ~/Library/CloudStorage/

I tried WebDAV as well but it is painfully slow.

Some requirements around my use case:

  • I do have many terabytes of data and I want to minimize what I store on my device. Ideally, I only ever want to download a file when I need it and evict it when not in use for a while
  • I want to be able to browse the entire data set, not just sync individual folders
  • I want files to be able to work with the file system directly, such as setting up symlinks, allowing 3rd party applications to access files on demand

Are there any plans supporting Apple’s FileProvider API?

2

I just saw that the FileProvider API work has already started - https://github.com/nextcloud/desktop/pull/5527

I tried using the latest daily build and enabled macFileProviderModuleEnabled=true , but I don’t see any option on the UI to enable FileProvider. Are there instructions anywhere to test this out?

3

As a former Dropbox user, I can confirm that the Nextcloud client works just like it: No space occupied until I use the file, from any application (not just finder).

On the Terminal, the files can be accessed at ~/Library/CloudStorage.