The correct way to install/upgrade NextCloud client on Ubuntu

📱 Desktop & mobile clients 💻 Desktop
#1

so I am reviewing this guide: https://docs.nextcloud.com/desktop/3.3/installing.html I think it needs to be updated, but I don’t have the correct method.

In it, it says “Linux users must follow the instructions on the download page to add the appropriate repository for their Linux distribution” so I went to the download page, https://nextcloud.com/install/#install-clients. There’s no instruction at all, but a link to “https://github.com/nextcloud/desktop/releases/download/v3.3.6/Nextcloud-3.3.6-x86_64.AppImage”, which I download to the Desktop, right-click, chose “Run” and it did nothing.

Thoughts? Suggestions? TIA!

#2

Hi @copenhaus

On Ubuntu you could use this PPA…
https://launchpad.net/~nextcloud-devs/+archive/ubuntu/client

Make sure you are at least on the latest LTS Version to get the newest version of the client out of the PPA.

I don’t have any experience with AppImages, but it’s possible that you need to make the file executable first…
https://itectec.com/ubuntu/ubuntu-how-to-make-a-file-executable-duplicate/

Another distribution independent package format besides AppImages, would be Flatpaks…
https://flathub.org/apps/details/com.nextcloud.desktopclient.nextcloud
https://flatpak.org/setup/Ubuntu/

For whatever reason there seems to be no Snap package of the desktop client available. But there is a Snap package of the Nextcloud server instead, although Snap was primarily designed for desktop applications. Well, we don’t have to understand everything, I guess… :wink:

Anyway, on Ubuntu I would prefer the PPA or the Flatpak variant, in that order.

#3

thanks @bb77, for the quick update. I am why bother compiling .AppImage at all if the instruction is rather different.

Anyway, I followed the instruction and was surprised that I got:

nextcloud-desktop is already the newest version (2.6.5-20200713.144448.adada8b2e -1.0~xenial1).

#4

I asume you tried to use the PPA. As I said, for the PPA you have to be at least on the latest LTS release of Ubuntu, which would be 20.04 Focal. But the message you posted, suggests that you are on Ubuntu 18.04 Xenial. Is there a specific reason why you are still using 18.04 on your desktop?

If you have to stay on 18.04, I would recommend using the Flatpak. But make sure you uninstall the old package or at least make sure that it is not running respective you’re not signed in anymore, before you use a package from another source

#5

all right, it’s getting a brand new coat of 20.04 this weekend… :grin:

1 Like