Nextcloud Docker Permissions

Roddneyuk · September 2, 2025, 9:24am

Nextcloud Server version (e.g., 29.x.x):
-Nextcloud AIO v11.6.0
Operating system and version (e.g., Ubuntu 24.04):
- Ubuntu Server 24.04.3 LTS
Web server and version (e.g, Apache 2.4.25):
- ? New Install
Reverse proxy and version _(e.g. nginx 1.27.2)
- None
PHP version (e.g, 8.3):
- ? New Install
Is this the first time you’ve seen this error? (Yes / No):
- Yes
When did this problem seem to first start?
- When I messed around with permissions
Installation method (e.g. AlO, NCP, Bare Metal/Archive, etc.)
- AIO
Are you using CloudfIare, mod_security, or similar? (Yes / No)
- No

Summary of the issue you are facing:

I have been using nextcloud snap up until this install, whereby I would use a third party app to backup the database and user data. This would also backup things like the tasks, users, email settings, etc
On reinstall I could use the same backup app to reinstate the files, database etc, start snap and job done. I don’t want to go back to snap as more people are starting to use my server and snap is showing its limitations.

I would like to do the same / similar with docker AIO, however I know there is the extra step of permissions.

Also I have not found where tasks, settings and database are stored.

Steps to replicate it (hint: details matter!):

Install AIO and get it up and running.
in Terminal - sudo systemctl stop docker
use nautilus to copy files and folders to /var/lib/docker/volumes/nextcloud_aio_nextcloud_data/_data/
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/lib/docker/volumes/nextcloud_aio_nextcloud_data
sudo systemctl start docker; allow it to start and make sure website is accessible.
sudo docker exec --user www-data -it nextcloud-aio-nextcloud php occ files:scan --all

So, the above works perfectly. However, in anticipation (Bull at a gate) of finding the tasks and database I changed item 4. to /var/lib/docker/volumes
This seems to have broken the containers Apache, Nextcloud, Database, Notify Push.

Therefore, can anyone tell me what I should be backing up in future and what permissions the containers require.

I know there is a built in / downloadable backup solution but I would prefer to keep using my third party app as it will still be used for other parts of my server.

Thanks,
Dave

jtr · September 2, 2025, 7:33pm

The migration doc for AIO should offer some hints (though it’s for the reverse of what you’re doing I guess).

github.com/nextcloud/all-in-one

migration.md

main

# How to migrate from an already existing Nextcloud installation to Nextcloud AIO?

There are basically three ways how to migrate from an already existing Nextcloud installation to Nextcloud AIO (if you ran AIO on the former installation already, you can follow [these steps](https://github.com/nextcloud/all-in-one#how-to-migrate-from-aio-to-aio)):

1. Migrate only the files which is the easiest way (this excludes all calendar data for example)
1. Migrate the files and the database which is much more complicated (and doesn't work on former snap installations)
1. Use the user_migration app that allows to migrate some of the user's data from a former instance to a new instance but needs to be done manually for each user

## Migrate only the files 
**Please note**: If you used groupfolders or encrypted your files before, you will need to restore the database, as well! (This will also exclude all calendar data for example).

The procedure for migrating only the files works like this:
1. Take a backup of your former instance (especially from your datadirectory, see `'datadirectory'` in your `config.php`)
1. Install Nextcloud AIO on a new server/linux installation, enter your domain and wait until all containers are running
1. Recreate all users that were present on your former installation
1. Take a backup using Nextcloud AIO's built-in backup solution (so that you can easily restore to this state again) (Note: this will stop all containers and is expected: don't start the container again at this point!)
1. Restore the datadirectory of your former instance: for `/path/to/old/nextcloud/data/` run `sudo docker cp --follow-link /path/to/old/nextcloud/data/. nextcloud-aio-nextcloud:/mnt/ncdata/` Note: the `/.` and `/` at the end are necessary.
1. Next, run `sudo docker run --rm --volume nextcloud_aio_nextcloud_data:/mnt/ncdata:rw alpine chown -R 33:0 /mnt/ncdata/` and `sudo docker run --rm --volume nextcloud_aio_nextcloud_data:/mnt/ncdata:rw alpine chmod -R 750 /mnt/ncdata/` to apply the correct permissions. (Or if `NEXTCLOUD_DATADIR` was provided, apply `chown -R 33:0` and `chmod -R 750` to the chosen path.)
1. Start the containers again and wait until all containers are running
1. Run `sudo docker exec --user www-data -it nextcloud-aio-nextcloud php occ files:scan-app-data && sudo docker exec --user www-data -it nextcloud-aio-nextcloud php occ files:scan --all` in order to scan all files in the datadirectory.

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wwe · September 2, 2025, 8:01pm

use search many topics exist e.g. 101: backup what and why (not how)

system · December 1, 2025, 8:02pm

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