Totally now giving up ever using NEXTCLOUD

ℹ️ Support
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I’m now walking away from using NEXTCLOUD for my home based storage idea.
I’ve been let down BIG time by Microsoft who lost files and couldn’t care less in getting them back either - thus me looking for another solution.
I’ve now spend over a month and probably tried about 15 times to install NEXTCLOUD on a clean Linux Ubuntu 22.04 server - and failed miserably everytime. And when I got on YouTube all I get from NEXTCLOUD is videos all about new features and presentations - one presentation after another presentation - I’ve never met a group of people that are so utterly interested in presentations then this lot - god do they love it. But actual videos about installing and running NEXTCLOUD fails everytime - there are loads of videos I have tried - and everyone of them uses different installations - and nearly all of them forget to include items you need to consider before you can move on.
After over a month of intense trials I’m now getting to the stage of walking away from this concept - if installing it already is so utterly difficult - what will it be like when your running this in your home environment - and what happens is one of the lines in the config.php - or the config.conf or the php.ini is not working - you can eventually forget your files all together and need help from an engineer and I will probably spend more months fixing and trying to get my files back then I had with Microsoft.

Sorry guys - good luck and hope you all do very well - but I’m done with NEXTCLOUD - not for home users - ONLY FOR WELL PAID IT ENGINEERS that work with this on a daily basis and know Linux inside out.
I’ve tried but now fedup with it all.

Kindest regards to all of you.

CptnKirk over and out.

1 Like
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Hi
I have just installed NextCloud on an Orange pi 5 running Armbian Ubuntu with a 2TB nvme. I followed Novaspirit Tech’s installation using Portainer and yes it took me a few hours but it now working like a dream. I can access my Nextcloud from anywhere using a ddns and I have 2 factor security.
Paul Richards

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Another installation that you found and no idea what Portainer is and I do not have Armbian Ubuntu either - so probably spend more time as I’ve done with all the other combinations of different setups - where every different one needs different tweaking and different errors that you then need to look up again and again - why not straight forward installation on Ubuntu that every normal person can install and gets it working.
I’m fedup with nano, fedup with vim, fedup with gedit or whatever newer version of an editor Linux is using - I’m fedup with all the different flavours of Linux and the command driven fixes - and then another error and you then lookup another problem that you need to give another command in the Terminal - if you haven’t got SSH installed to access it with PUTTY from another machine - its one thing after another thing after another thing and now - thank you very much PAULBERNARDR for giving me your version of your installation - that may or may not work and with my configeration of having an ACTUAL PC to install it on - and not using DOCKER or and other Virtual Machine where again you have to do different things. Its been ongoing matey - and now I’ve just reached my limit after perservering with it and checking and looking around - it is not as if I have not put effort in getting this going. I was totally smitten at the beginning with their concept of running it at home - on your own hard drives and accessing it from anywhere - but I probably buy a DAS and have it access direct from the internet through my router - and do away with having NEXTCLOUD in between messing things up because something doesn’t work. Sorry being negative but I’m really peed off about the amount of time and perseverance I’ve put into this with nothing to show for it at the end.
Maybe one day they spend more on the home user installations then on their presentations. I was just too enthousiastic I suppose to start with and got nothing. I’m very happy to look for my own solutions - if I cannot install it then I’m not interested - no point someone helping, because if it then goes wrong then I need to fix it - it is my storage and my IMPORTANT files that are at stake.

Cptnkirk over and out.

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For the installation of Nextcloud or at the latest for the repair of a Nextcloud you need some Linux experience. Do you have Linux experience and, above all, how many years? And if not years, ask yourself how long you have been learning Windows. And with Windows you still have the option to click a bit. Linux is different.

I think this is a nice installation tutorial. But also you need linux knowhow and it would be nice if you understand lamp.

You should only install Nextcloud to learn Nextcloud. Your knowledge is not sufficient for operation. However, there are many Nextcloud providers who will be happy to rent you a Managed Nextcloud. But of course, you also have to think about backups, for example, or the provider has to take care of this.

Is it certainly much easier to install software on a remote Windows? But if you really want it: Linux also has a GUI, it just doesn’t help you practically. With linux you have to build up knowledge, with windows you have to be able to click. Here linux has the advantage that practically nothing changes over the decades, such as with the console commands or the Vim editor. But you just have to learn it once.

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Hello,

For people like me, who are not into too much of technicals, NextCloud Snap version is idle.

Versions?

There are different ways of installing same software here. Nextcloud alone isn’t enough as it needs other software as dependencies, like SQL database, php, web server like apache and so on.

Native → Here you have to install everything manually, one by one. Configure them before installing Nextcloud itself. Updates and all is on you.

Docker → Comes as package so you deploy as single package containing everything. But you still have to install / configure docker and update it yourself.

Snap → Easiest of the lot but offers next to no customization. It also comes as package but just single command to install everything and it will update everything itself. You will never have to touch the Ubuntu CLI ever. Well, only for OS update may be.

How to install Snap version of Nextcloud?

In a clean Ubuntu Server machine or VM with static IP set, just run following,

sudo snap install nextcloud

sudo nextcloud.manual-install username password

sudo nextcloud.occ config:system:set trusted_domains 1 --value=192.168.xx.xx

(Rember to replace “username” and “password” with you own selection. and that IP should be your VM or Physical servers static local IP.

That’s it. Nothing else… It is as simple as that. Just 3 commands.

Your Nextcliud server is now accessible via that IP address of your VM or Physcial Machine → http://192.168.xx.xx

Try it.

Thanks.

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Thanks for that - I did exactly as you mentioned above and it was straight forward - however, I’m a bit at a loss now - I have 3 errors after the install and not sure now with SNAP installation where to change the php.ini - it does not seem in its normal location.

Error 1: Emails, cannot get the SMTP to work when configuring it in Basic Setting.
Error 2: default_phone_region - where is the .ini file located to add the region for ‘default_phone_region’ => ‘UK’
Error 3: The PHP module “imagick” is not enabled although the theming app is. - I’ve installed - sudo apt install php8.1-imagick - this did not get rid of the error.

One more question - if I have all these error completed - will this version of Nextcloud keep updating itself through the SNAP application?? Or do I make changes over time.

Thanks for the response.

Cptnkirk

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But if Nextcloud Snap breaks e.g. in one year you can not repair it.

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so now that you have finally got NC up with just three error (well done) here is a bit of info on the three errors.

  1. Emails: You have to set it up with an app one use password so go to gmail or icloud and create name and password.
  2. Default Phone…: Not sure on this as I haven’t come across it but would it be to do with your area as in setting the country to english UK.
  3. Imagick: cannot be run with the SNAP install as the snap install is isolated from the rest of the system and cannot be changed.

I would suggest if you have not already done so that you create a mapping to an external storage (Desktop Storage or NAS) that you can easily backup and set your data folder to that.

I have been using NC snap for the last 4years approx and have never had any problems with (touch wood) and as a bonus the NC team do all the NC snap updates for you - you just need to update the installed apps.

Keep going - it’s worth it.

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Well, I certainly won’t argue that installing Nextcloud is a complicated beast. The amount of assumed and pre-requisite knowledge is equal parts frustrating and daunting. It’s taken me over a year to get to the point where I’m comfortable setting up a new deployment, and even now, I still refer back to guides.

As @NaXal and @Mark_F said, the Snap version is the most straightforward to install and update, and the three errors you encountered are completely normal. That said, the Snap install is also the least configurable. Be warned.

Regarding the three errors

  1. Emails. Once you’ve gotten to the web interface, go to Administration Settings → Basic Settings, and there’s a nice GUI for configuring it. You’ll need an SMTP account, but that’s outside the scope of this post.

  2. Default Phone Region. The fact that this isn’t a part of the install process is ridiculous, but here we are. You’ll need to add 'default_phone_region => 'US', to config.php, replacing ‘US’ with your region. Can’t remember off the top of my head where to find config.php in the Snap install, though.

  3. Imagick. Refer to @Mark_F’s post and learn to ignore this. Again, it’s silly that the Snap install doesn’t have a way to hide this warning, but here we are.

Personally, I’d recommend using the Snap version to see if you actually like Nextcloud and want to continue using it. Meanwhile, you can educate yourself on the finer points of the many, many other ways to deploy Nextcloud.

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Amazing, yet another different way of installing NEXTCLOUD - and I need to now understand LAMP - whatever that is.

DEVNULL - With linux you have to build up knowledge, with windows you have to be able to click. Here linux has the advantage that practically nothing changes over the decades, such as with the console commands or the Vim editor. But you just have to learn it once.

With Windows you also have to learn what you’re doing - and I prefer clicks - although I type 140 words and have no problems typing - it is easier with clicks - but DEVNULL is indicating that because it is clicks its not as good. Agreed, nothing changes over decades and it shows, you cannot even do CTRL-C and then CTRL-V in Linux - you constantly have to right click and COPY and then in the Terminal you right click again and PASTE.
Then you have totally over the top editors - not sure how many there are but each again have their own quirks and odd commands and controls.

Anyway, the main reason that over the years I’ve neglected Linux is because it is so utterly cumbersome to get anything done and to learn with it.
And this it has proven again the same - I’m constantly in and out of .ini files and add lines to make things happen - and to yet try and remove another error I’m getting.

Let me get this right - I want to thank DEVNULL for his reply and I’m greatful and I do respect the time you gave me for responding - but my reply is not against DEVNULL but my frustration constantly with Linux - and it has not changed over decades either.

I’m trying to get this NEXTCLOUD going - believe me - but there is only so much time you have and not sure I have this anymore.

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Feel free to upvote the existing enhancement Issue on that[1]. :slight_smile:

[1] Add phone region code in install wizard · Issue #32613 · nextcloud/server · GitHub

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Thanks LittleWhiteFern for your reply - it indicates again that the HOME version of NEXTCLOUD is much more difficult to deploy for my home use then I expected.
I’ve tried the SNAP install - it was easy but now I’m told not to use it because it very difficult to configure afterwards.

So I need to again start with the manual install - where every single explanation is a different install - and every one is NOT COMPLETE and leaves you with additional errors - like no permissions on files - which you’re not told about and have to google again what is going one.

16 times I’ve now started from scratch and practiced and practiced but still not having a working NEXTCLOUD - let alone that I’ve tried out any apps or anything else - I can’t even get a USB drive added to NEXTCLOUD to do a backup.
The NEXTCLOUD system does not see the drive - but when I do LSBLK - it sees my USB drive as /dev/sdb1 - and I’ve mounted it and made directory /media/data - but to no avail.
Have to read 3 books again to get this one going - and so it goes on.

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Thanks LittleWhiteFern, I found that out a while ago now, I’ve done loads of different manual installs - but no one ever give you the path when they talk about a config.php
The config.php is in — /var/snap/nextcloud/current/nextcloud/config/config.php — but with other installations you’ll find that config.php file is in completely different location - something like /var/www/nextcloud - and other installs are again different - and so it goes on - and on - and on…

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Hello,

May be you need to rethink your understanding about “Open Source”…

Falling in line vs Creating your own path

What you are calling a troublesome process with so much different ways are actually the main reason of going open source. When you say, there is no single way, that is actually the reason for “Open Source”

Everyone is free to do things the way they seem fit for their need. Modification of the code down the core is not only just allowed but always encouraged. Off course when you do so, you are at your own risk.

Go snap way

Like you, I didn’t want that and felt kind of overwhelming with my limited knowledge. Snap exist for people like me. Hard core users will dislike snap since it makes you fall in line with next to no deep customization option. However, people like me don’t need that much.

Nextcloud is a vast software with so many modules and I am just fine with it’s defaults. Snap is perfectly suited for me and as a long term user, I can vouch for it being stable and never broke in years of unattended use.

Errors vs Warnings

I am maintaining Snap NextCloud in my home server with exaclty your kind of use case. As an alternative to Google / Microsoft drives or cloud storage for me and my users phone media auto backup and long term storage.

Errors & warnings are 2 different things. Errors may break the setup, warnings one may ignore after understanding the effects of that.

001

Here are the warnings issued under my installation. None actually makes any issue and can be safely ignored. I can elaborate if you wish to know them one by one as why they don’t matter or applicable in my case.

Except this imagick thing. That causes no thumbnails for video files. Snap team have issues with this module of php due to some security concern. It is a debate running since years, you may read more if you are interested → Enable Theming by default · Issue #2456 · nextcloud-snap/nextcloud-snap (github.com)

With snap, you can’t go on to edit files in the core setup. It wont work and may break your installation. Snap is heavily locked down by it’s nature and only few snap specific commands will work.

nextcloud-snap/nextcloud-snap: :cloud::package: Nextcloud packaged as a snap (github.com)

So don’t get confused as you have to do everything that is discussed here for your own setup. Start using the installation in a clean ubuntu + snap nextcloud install. Ask question as you use it and if you are stuck somewhere

Snap will update everything related to nextcloud by itself automatically.

You will only need to update the OS if or when needed. Otherwise it is pretty much unattended. You will never need to touch the Linux CLI ever. Apart from that OS update command or backup of snap.

Thanks.

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Check out some tutorials about vim, if you see an expert using vim, it is impressive. However it is hard to learn but finally so popular that many programming software offers an integrated vim mode.

It has nothing to do of being a professional or something like that. If you run a Linux server, you should know the system a bit. It helps to be interested and be ready to invest some time on it.

Why do the tutorials not solve every problem? Setups are very different, e.g. your outgoing mail can be pretty easy if you run you own mail server (which by itself is tricky). Mail server operators can put in place different measures to prevent spam, so if it works or doesn’t, how you manage if you have 2FA on your mail account, that all differs a lot.

It is extremely diverse, so many environments, so many different solutions. But you got some answers here. And I think it is better to have to struggle a bit before and get to learn things, rather than installing and then after some time hitting a problem and not knowing what to do (e.g. doing and restoring backups, running upgrades, …).

Ask yourself if you want to go through this, and give yourself some time if you want to do it, if not, look for a reliable hoster that provides Nextcloud as a service.

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Thank you NaXal - I’m happy at all times to learn - but I’m a visual learner - when I see things happening I learn from that much easier then to read about things. This is mainly because people always use different words for the same thing and that in turn confuses the hell out of me - best ones are the abbreviations that people use - they make me mad as they are even more confusing. Of course afterwards when you realise that the same was meant and you already made the mistake, people then say, your stupid and turn it around to be your fault - just so they look clever.

Anyway, I was confused - thinking that there is only one way of installing NEXTCLOUD onto Linux and it was straight forward. I’ve dealt with Linux in the past and know the hurdles that need to be overcome and I’ve been trying now for over a month - that is just the installation - let alone playing with the apps it offers. Haven’t even tried one of them.
Now I’m running into the problem of adding a drive - and then doing a complete backup of the system - before continuing any further - as I want to have a complete installation ready - before playing with apps - that could possibly ruin the installation again.

Thanks to ALL OF YOU for your kind help in this matter and your time in answering - it is well appreciated and I will try a bit more and see where I get.

I will do a MANUAL installation and not use SNAP - as this is too limiting for me. I want to be able to speed up things and be able to change size of files for uploading etc…
Then when I’m happy with that then I will do a full backup of it onto a USB stick - so I can install that particular version again and again.

If any of you have pointers to “adding drives” and “backing up the full installation” then that would be amazing - but I will also keep searching for this.
Anyway, I have little choice as the big boys Microsoft, Google etc… leave you in the lurch if things go sadly wrong.

CpntKirk

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So we can close this here?

For specific issues it is better to use separate threads with a precise problem and hopefully an answer that will be more helpful for other users rather than having very long topics, where it is hard for others to identify specific questions and their answers.

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i can relate to this i have been 1 week trying to install nextcloud and tried VM, AIO, docker, manual … and from all of them get some problem or some limitations.

I am IT pro with experience in linux but this is one of the most difficult open-source projects to install i have come across and documentation not clear, think you should have something better documented, or script or dont know.

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Please don’t hesitate to point out problems on Issues · nextcloud/documentation · GitHub. For the more experienced users and developers difficulties for beginners are not obvious.

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Thanks Albertog, yes, NEXTCLOUD are doing a very bad job in having proper installation documentation for the HOME USER.
All I see are presentations - brilliant - that’s not what I’m after - I want to understand what I’m doing. If it is already so very difficult with the installation - what happens if something goes wrong, lets say you installed an application from a developer - and this goes wrong - and it screws up your IMPORTANT files???

It is a LOT OF WORK to get this going - and basically no one is told about it - and a lot of people will walk away from this.
The concept is absolutely brilliant - my initial thought was to set up a system for me here in England and then when I got it all working - and up and running I setup a system for my brother in Germany - and have that as a backup - then we are both covered.

But not so sure yet - I still need convincing - I’m not giving up yet - as the guys here are nice and are responding nicely to my problem - so I will persevere a bit longer and hope I’m completely wrong and have to eat humble pie. :slight_smile:

1 Like