I downloaded the Official-Nextcloud-VM.zip file to my Debian11 instance and when I unzip it all I get is a Official-Nextcloud-VM.ova file.
Is there another NC server zip file that I am missing?
OVA files are virtual machines to be run in VMware ESXi or VirtualBox.
I’m not sure if you have a preference of install methods but if you install Ubuntu server on the VM then you can simply use the Ubuntu snaps and Nextcloud installs so easily.
I’ve never used a ova method before or docker and portainer. Some have said those are as easy if you have knowledge of this method.
I used snap because it’s included in Ubuntu server and easy to install without messing up anything already installed. Easy to uninstall snaps as well.
Hi @ericg75
Here is a link to the official documentation of the Nextcloud VM. There are videos on how to run it in VMware Player, VirtualBox and Hyper-V…
Of course there are various other installation methods as @Captain86 has already noted. Which one you want to use depends on several factors…
- Installation on a separate server or on your PC (not recommended except for testing purposes),
- your skills and knowledge
- purpose of use
The advantage of the official VM is, that you get a fully functional Nextcloud server with many bells and whistles already installed and preconfigured in a VM. Reading the documentation and a little bit of setup from your side is of course still necessary. 
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