Nextcloud¶

Nextcloud is the most deployed self-hosted content collaboration platform.

Description¶

It provides a safe home for all your data - files, contacts, calendars, and more.

When to use it¶

When you need a comprehensive, self-hosted suite for file storage, collaboration, and productivity.
For users who want to maintain full control over their data while having access to features similar to Google Workspace or Microsoft 365.
When you want an extensible platform with a wide range of apps (Talk, Calendar, Contacts, Office).

When not to use it¶

If you only need simple file synchronization without the extra features (consider Syncthing).
If you have very limited server resources, as Nextcloud can be resource-intensive.

Getting started¶

Docker¶

The fastest way to get Nextcloud running is using the official Docker image:

docker run -d \
  --name nextcloud \
  -p 8080:80 \
  -v nextcloud:/var/www/html \
  nextcloud

Access Nextcloud at http://localhost:8080.

Hello World¶

Run the Docker command to start Nextcloud.
Navigate to http://localhost:8080 in your browser.
Create an admin account by entering a username and password.
Click Install to finish the initial setup.
You can now start uploading files or installing apps from the Nextcloud App Store.

CLI examples¶

Nextcloud includes the occ (Nextcloud Command-line Control) tool for server management.

# List all available occ commands
docker exec --user www-data nextcloud php occ list

# Reset the admin password
docker exec --user www-data nextcloud php occ user:resetpassword admin

# Put the server into maintenance mode
docker exec --user www-data nextcloud php occ maintenance:mode --on

API examples¶

Nextcloud supports the OCS (Open Collaboration Services) API for remote management.

Get user information¶

curl -u admin:password \
     -H "OCS-APIRequest: true" \
     -X GET "http://localhost:8080/ocs/v1.php/cloud/users/admin"

List files via WebDAV¶

curl -u admin:password \
     -X PROPFIND "http://localhost:8080/remote.php/dav/files/admin/"

Links¶

Official Website

Alternatives¶

SSO & OIDC Integration¶

Nextcloud can be integrated with Authentik for Single Sign-On using the user_oidc app.

Configuration Steps¶

Install App: In Nextcloud, go to Apps and install the OpenID Connect user backend (user_oidc) app.
Authentik Provider: Create an OAuth2/OpenID Provider in Authentik:
- Client Type: Confidential.
- Redirect URIs: https://nextcloud.example.com/apps/user_oidc/openid-callback/authentik
Nextcloud Settings: Go to Administration settings > OpenID Connect:
- Provider Identifier: authentik
- Discovery Endpoint: https://authentik.example.com/application/o/nextcloud/.well-known/openid-configuration
- Client ID: <Your Client ID>
- Client Secret: <Your Client Secret>
- Scope: openid profile email

[!WARNING] If you require Server-Side Encryption, you must use LDAP instead of OIDC, as encryption requires the user's cleartext password which is not provided by OIDC.