Instructions: Installing the Nextcloud

You want to create your own cloud with Nextcloud? In this article we explain how to do it.

Nextcloud is a spin-off of Owncloud. If you want to know the difference between Owncloud and Nextcloud, check out our article about it.

Installation requirements

To install Nextcloud, you need a web server with PHP and MySQL support. If you followed our Raspberry Pi tutorial, you already meet all the requirements. Otherwise, note that the tutorial assumes /var/www/ as the content directory and an SSL certificate in /var/www/ssl including the dhparam.pem file (see instructions).

Connect to your server to execute the following commands.

1. Configuring the server for Nextcloud

First you need to configure the SSL server in Nginx. Replace ||HOST|| with your host in the file provided here:

https://www.sim-networks.com/user/assets/getnginxconfig_nextcloud.txt

and use its contents as server settings (the following command opens the contents of the file):

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/default

Important: Even if you didn't follow our Raspberry Pi instructions, this command should work on other Nginx installations. However, you will need to make sure that the files /var/www/ssl/cloudssl.crt and /var/www/ssl/cloudssl.key and /var/www/ssl/dhparam.pem exist and are certificate files for your SSL certificate.

If you are using Apache, please manually create an Apache vHost entry.

After configuration, restart the web server, in this case Nginx:

sudo service nginx restart

2. Download the latest version of Nextcloud

First we need to download the latest Nextcloud version. Go to the official download page. Under "Nextcloud Server" in the category "Archives" you can download the server version by clicking on "Get ZIP File".

3. Create an SFTP connection

Now connect to your cloud server via (S)FTP. For example, download the Filezilla client (>Download-Link<) to establish an FTP connection.

Now enter the appropriate server information.

For example, the local IP for your Raspberry Pi might look like this 192.168.178.43. If you are not using a Raspberry Pi, enter your FTP host instead, e.g. myftp.myhomepage.com.

Use "pi" or your chosen username as the user. Then enter your chosen password in the next box.

Set the port to 22.

Now connect to the server.

On the right hand side of Filezilla you will now see the folders on the server. Navigate to /var/www/cloud.

4. Upload the installation files

Now all you need to do is upload the Nextcloud installation files to your server.

Navigate to the download location on your PC (see 2.). You may need to unzip the files in your Windows Explorer first.

Now select all files in the Nextcloud folder by marking them with the mouse (or [Ctrl] + mouse click each time). You can now drag and drop the files to the right side or right click and select 'Upload' to upload the files.

Important: You may not upload the Nextcloud folder itself, only the files from this folder!

Uploading may take some time. You can see at the bottom of Filezilla how long the process will take.

Now set the permissions again (adjust if necessary if you are not using a Raspberry Pi):

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/cloud && sudo chmod -R 775 /var/www/cloud

5. Nextcloud installation

All files uploaded? Now open the Nextcloud setup in your browser using the server address (e.g. yourhost.dyndns.com). An installation window will appear (similar to the picture):

If you have used a self-signed certificate – as in our Raspberry Pi tutorial – and get a warning, add a security exception rule (learn more).

If the installation window appears, you can continue with the installation.

If you do not see all the fields, click on “Storage & Database”.

Make sure the data directory is correct. If you have followed our Raspberry Pi instructions, the path is: /var/www/cloud/data.

Nextcloud will also need to be told the correct MySQL database. Specify the MySQL credentials you set up earlier (for the Raspberry Pi: not the root credentials, but the MySQL user and password). You can usually set the host to "localhost" as suggested by Nextcloud.

At the top, you can now create a new administrator account. Enter any username and a secure password.

Then click on 'Complete Installation'. Your cloud setup is now complete!

If you encounter any problems with your Nextcloud, please visit our FAQ, the official Nextcloud documentation or the Nextcloud forum.

6. Setting up Nextcloud clients

For Nextcloud, you can currently use both Nextcloud and Owncloud clients. For an overview of Owncloud clients, see 6. in the Owncloud tutorial.

For desktop device (e.g. PC) synchronisation, clients for MacOS, Linux and Windows are available (go to the link and select "Install Desktop Clients").

You can download the Nextcloud app for Android from the Google Play Store. An iOS App is also available.

In each case, enter your cloud credentials, i.e. your administrator credentials and your server URL (e.g. yourhost.dyndns.com) to access your cloud data.

7. Update for nextcloud (later necessary)

Your Nextcloud interface will notify you when a new version of Nextcloud is available. Updates can be installed using the internal installer of your Nextcloud. To do this, follow the instructions in the Nextcloud interface.

Alternatively, you can install the update manually:

1. Download the latest server version from the Nextcloud site and unzip the files to a directory on your PC.
2. Connect to your cloud server via Filezilla (see 3. Make an SFTP connection).
3. Navigate to your cloud directory, usually /var/www/cloud.
4. Create a backup by selecting all files on the server side and right-clicking and "Download" to any folder on your PC.
5. Select all files and folders on the server side except "config" and "data" (if necessary, exclude them with [Ctrl] + click). Delete the selected files and folders using the [Delete] key on your keyboard.
6. Now navigate in Filezilla on the left side to the folder where you have saved the new Nextcloud files (see under 1.). Select all files and folders (from the "nextcloud" folder, not the "nextcloud" folder itself!) except "config" and "data" and upload them to the server.
7. Go to the nextcloud web interface and follow the instructions. If there are any problems, reset the permissions on the files as described above.

8. Done: Your Nextcloud is up and running

Congratulations, you have successfully set up your Nextcloud! Now you can easily synchronise files with the Owncloud fork and enjoy a comprehensive, stable cloud software.

Enjoy your new Nextcloud!

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