Nextcloud External Storage Setup and Configuration

To set up external storage in Nextcloud, you'll need to install the Nextcloud External Storage app from the app store. This app allows you to mount external storage devices to your Nextcloud instance.

You can connect to external storage services such as Google Drive, Dropbox, and Microsoft OneDrive using the Nextcloud External Storage app. The app supports various protocols, including WebDAV, SFTP, and FTP.

To configure external storage, you'll need to enter the credentials for your external storage service in the Nextcloud admin panel. This includes the username, password, and server URL.

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Enabling external storage support on Nextcloud is a straightforward process. You can find the External storage support application on your Apps page.

To access the settings for configuring external storage mounts, click on your Profile icon in the top right and select settings from the dropdown. On the left side under Administration select External Storage.

You can create a new external storage mount by selecting an available backend from the dropdown Add storage. Each backend has different required options, which are configured in the configuration fields.

The available storage backends include Amazon S3, FTP/FTPS, Local, Nextcloud, OpenStack Object Storage, SFTP, SMB/CIFS, and WebDAV.

Related reading: Dropbox on External Drive

Storage Configuration is a crucial aspect of Nextcloud External Storage. You can access the settings for configuring external storage mounts by clicking on your Profile icon in the top right and selecting settings from the dropdown.

On the left side under Administration, select External Storage. To create a new external storage mount, select an available backend from the dropdown Add storage. Each backend has different required options, which are configured in the configuration fields.

The External storage support application is enabled on your Apps page. Required fields are marked with a red border, and when all required fields are filled, the storage is automatically saved. A green dot next to the storage row indicates the storage is ready for use.

A non-blocking or correctly configured SELinux setup is needed for these backends to work. The following backends are provided by the external storages app: Amazon S3, FTP/FTPS, Local, Nextcloud, OpenStack Object Storage, SFTP, SMB/CIFS, and WebDAV.

To configure external storage mounts, you'll need to select an available backend and configure the required options. Different backends support different authentication mechanisms, which are selected with the dropdown under Authentication. Some specific authentication mechanisms include username and password, Log-in credentials, save in session, and RSA public key.

You can configure external storage in two main ways: as a user or as an admin. A storage configured in a user's Personal settings is available only to the user that created it.

This means you have complete control over who can access your personal storage. You can think of it like a private folder on your computer, but accessible from anywhere.

A storage configured in the Admin settings, on the other hand, is available to all users by default. This is useful for shared storage needs, but you can also restrict access to specific users and groups in the Available for field.

Permissions play a crucial role in determining who can access and use your storage.

A storage configured in a user's Personal settings is available only to the user that created it. This means you have complete control over who can see and use your personal storage.

A storage configured in the Admin settings is available to all users by default, which can be a security concern.

Using self-signed certificates can be a bit tricky, especially when it comes to external storage mounts. You'll need to import the certificate into your personal settings.

To do this, you'll want to refer to the Nextcloud HTTPS External Mount documentation for more information. This will give you the specific steps to follow for your particular setup.

Self-signed certificates require a bit more configuration, but it's worth the extra effort for added security.

Consider reading: Nextcloud Self Hosted

You can configure each storage mount individually with specific options. The Overflow menu exposes the settings and trashcan, where you can delete the mountpoint or configure the mount.

The settings button allows you to enable or disable sharing on individual mountpoints. Sharing is disabled by default.

You can also configure the encryption, previews, and filesystem check frequency for each mountpoint. Note that server-side encryption is not available for other Nextcloud servers used as external storage.

To encrypt a mountpoint, the Encryption app must be enabled. This is visible only when the Encryption app is enabled.

Here are the available options for configuring each storage mount:

Keep in mind that some options may only be visible when certain conditions are met, such as the Encryption app being enabled.

Nextcloud external storage offers a wide range of storage options to choose from. You can access these options by clicking on your Profile icon in the top right and selecting settings from the dropdown.

Available storage backends include Amazon S3, FTP/FTPS, Local, Nextcloud, OpenStack Object Storage, SFTP, SMB/CIFS, and WebDAV. These backends have different required options, which are configured in the configuration fields.

Each backend may also accept multiple authentication methods, which are selected with the dropdown under Authentication. Required fields are marked with a red border, and when all required fields are filled, the storage is automatically saved.

Here are the available storage backends:

A non-blocking or correctly configured SELinux setup is needed for these backends to work.

To access the settings for configuring external storage mounts, click on your Profile icon in the top right and select settings from the dropdown.

You'll need to select External Storage on the left side under Administration to start configuring external storage mounts. This is where the magic happens, and you can set up new storage options.

Each backend has different required options, which are configured in the configuration fields. So, be sure to check the specific requirements for the backend you've chosen.

A non-blocking or correctly configured SELinux setup is needed for these backends to work, so make sure you've got that sorted out.

Adding files to storage is a straightforward process, but there's a catch - Nextcloud may not always detect changes made remotely.

To ensure your files are synced across all storage locations, you can configure the background job Webcron or Cron, which allows Nextcloud to automatically detect files added to your external storage.

This is especially useful if you have a deep folder hierarchy in your external storage.

You can set up a cron job that runs the command sudo -u www-data php occ files:scan --all to trigger a rescan of your files periodically, which includes the mounted external storage.

This command can be run every 15 minutes, or you can replace --all with the user name if needed.

Adding the External Storage Support app to your Nextcloud server is a straightforward process. You can find it on your Apps page.

To add the app, you'll need to log in to your Nextcloud server as an administrator. This will give you the necessary permissions to install new apps.

Consider reading: Nextcloud Server

Click the drop-down in the upper left corner and select Apps. This will take you to the apps page where you can manage your installed apps.

Click Not Enabled from the left navigation menu to view a list of available apps. Locate the External Storage Support app and click Enable.

After enabling the app, log out and log back in to your Nextcloud server. This will allow the app to take effect.

That's it! You've successfully added the External Storage Support app to your Nextcloud server.

Mobile access is a key feature of Nextcloud, allowing you to access your external storage from your mobile device.

The mobile app displays external storage as a directory, making it easy to manage your files on the go. I've configured my Auto-Upload feature to synchronize my Camera directory with a directory inside my BBData directory.

Here's what happens when you take a photo on your mobile device: