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https://github.com/zewth/nextcloud-setup

Build your own self-hosted cloud storage with Nextcloud, with enhanced privacy and security for file management
https://github.com/zewth/nextcloud-setup

apache apache2 debian-linux debian-server mariadb nextcloud nextcloud-installation nextcloud-server php php8 privacy security ubuntu-server

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Build your own self-hosted cloud storage with Nextcloud, with enhanced privacy and security for file management

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README 

        
# Make your own self-hosted cloud storage

## Benefits

- More privacy and security

- Cost-Effectiveness

- Scalability

- More Control and Customisation



## Prerequisites

- A computer running Ubuntu or any Debian flavor.

- Check if your ISP allows you to enable port-forward [Optional]

- Own a domain [Optional]



## Initial server setup

#### Update your Linux distribution

```Bash

sudo apt update

sudo apt full-upgrade

sudo apt autoremove

```

- Install all necessary packages (some may be optional based on your requirements)

```bash

sudo apt install neovim wget mariadb-server php php-apcu php-bcmath php-cli php-common php-curl php-gd php-gmp php-imagick php-intl php-mbstring php-mysql php-zip php-xml unzip nmap

```



#### Update your hostname (Optional)

- Modify the file and assign an appropriate hostname or domain name to your server



```bash

sudo nvim /etc/hostname

```

![hostname.png](pictures/hostname.png)

```bash

sudo nvim /etc/hosts

```

![hosts.png](pictures/hosts.png)

+ Restart your server to apply the changes made thus far



```bash

sudo reboot

```



### Downloading Nextcloud

+ Download the Nextcloud ZIP file

```bash

wget https://download.nextcloud.com/server/releases/latest.zip

```

### MariaDB Setup

+ Check the status of the `mariadb` service

```bash

systemctl status mariadb

```

+ Run the secure installation script

```bash

sudo mysql_secure_installation

````

- Then you should see a several question. Answer following the provided input below

```

Password prompt --> Click Enter key

Switch to unix_socket_auth [Y/n] --> n

Change the root password [Y/n] --> Y

Enter your secure password: 

Remove anonymous users [Y/n] --> Y

Disallow root login remotely [Y/n] --> Y

Remove test database and access to it [Y/n] --> Y

Reload privileges tables now [Y/n] --> Y

```



### Setting up the Nextcloud Database

+ Access to MariaDB

```bash

sudo mariadb

```

- Create the database

```sql

CREATE DATABASE nextcloud;

```

+ Set-up permissions

```sql

GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON nextcloud.* TO 'nextcloud'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'mypassword';

  

FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

```

+ Press CTRL+D to exit



### Apache WebServer



+ Enable these PHP extensions



```bash

sudo phpenmod bcmath gmp imagick intl

```

+ Unzip the Nextcloud file



```bash

unzip latest.zip

```

+ Move the files to the serving location and set the appropriate permissions



```bash

mv nextcloud your.domain.name

```

+ Change permissions



```bash

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data your.domain.name

```

+ Move the directory to /var/www



```bash

sudo mv your.domain.name /var/www

```

- Disable the default site for apache



```bash

sudo a2dissite 000-default.conf

```



### Configure Nextcloud host

- Create an Apache config file for serving Nextcloud



```bash

sudo nvim /etc/apache2/sites-available/your.domain.name.conf

```



* Insert the provided content into the file, ensuring to modify the part that mentions 'your.domain.name'



```bash



    DocumentRoot "/var/www/your.domain.name"

    ServerName your.domain.name



    

        Options MultiViews FollowSymlinks

        AllowOverride All

        Order allow,deny

        Allow from all

   



   TransferLog /var/log/apache2/your.domain.name_access.log

   ErrorLog /var/log/apache2/your.domain.name_error.log



  

```



* Enable the site



```bash

sudo a2ensite your.domain.name.conf

```



### PHP



+ You have to tweak certain lines in order to work nextcloud



```bash

sudo nano /etc/php/8.1/apache2/php.ini

```



+ Within the file, locate and modify these parameters



```php

memory_limit = 3G #(Increase the value if you have more RAM)

upload_max_filesize = 50G #(Increase/Decrease the value following your purposes)

max_execution_time = 3600

post_max_size = 50G #(Increase/Decrease the value following your purposes)

date.timezone = Europe/London #(View the link below to adjust your timezone)

opcache.enable=1

opcache.interned_strings_buffer= 128

opcache.max_accelerated_files=10000

opcache.memory_consumption=128

opcache.save_comments=1

opcache.revalidate_freq=1

```



[Timezones](https://www.php.net/manual/en/timezones.php)



+ Enable PHP mods for Apache



```bash

sudo a2enmod dir env headers mime rewrite ssl

```



+ Restart Apache



```bash

sudo systemctl restart apache2

```



### Set-up Nextcloud web server



- When you first enter the page you should see something like this

![admin.png](pictures/admin.png)

- Enter the following information into the respective boxes

```txt

Username --> Your Username

Password --> Set a secure password to login into Nextcloud



Data Folder --> Leave as default



Database user --> nextcloud

Database password --> nextcloud_db password

Database name --> nextcloud

```



+ Then, Install the recommended apps



### ***Optional***



+ As mentioned earlier, to establish a connection to your Nextcloud from outside your private network, you need to enable port forwarding on your router

+ In order to proceed, in this example, I configure my port forwarding on a Movistar router

+ The first thing you need to do is search for your private IP using the following command



```bash

ifconfig -a

```



![ifconfig.png](pictures/ifconfig.png)



+ Next, enter your router portal to configure the port forwarding. Enter the IP address and select 'web-server' at port 80, then enable it

+ To check if your port 80 is open, run the following command



  ```bash

  sudo nmap -n -PN -sT -sU -p80 {IP}

  ```

+ Check if the nextcloud page is accessible typing your public IP on the web browser

  - You should see something like this



![untrusted.png](pictures/untrusted.png)



#### *Extra*

- If you want to access to your nextcloud through your public IP 

+ Edit ```config.php```



  ```bash

  sudo nvim /var/www/your.domain.name/config/config.php

  ```

+ On trusted_domains add your public IP

  

![trusted.png](pictures/trusted.png)



#### Configure your domain



- Initially, you require a domain, which can be either purchased or obtained for free

- Several websites provide affordable domain options

  	- [Namecheap](https://www.namecheap.com)

  	- [Cloudflare](https://www.cloudflare.com)

  	- [Squarespace](https://domains.squarespace.com)

  	- [Name.com](https://www.name.com)



#### Set-up Namecheap

- Once you've acquired a domain, proceed to the Advanced DNS settings and establish a host record

- In the ```IP Address``` section, input your public IP address

- Then, on the ```HOST``` section put "@"

  ![namecheap_host.png](pictures/namecheap_host.png)

- Proceed to edit the `config.php` file



```Bash

sudo nvim /var/www/your.domain.name/config/config.php

```



- Add your domain name to the `trusted_domains` array

![domain_trusted.png](pictures/domain_trusted.png)



+ Now, you can access to Nextcloud through your domain



### TLS certificate



+ Install snapd



```bash

sudo apt install snapd

sudo snap install core && sudo snap refresh core

```



+ Install certbot



```bash

sudo snap install --classic certbot

sudo ln -s /snap/bin/certbot /usr/bin/certbot

```



+ Get and install your certificates



```bash

 sudo certbot --apache

```



## Troubleshooting

- For troubleshooting, search the internet. Most forums typically have solutions

- I case that you don't know how to solve the problem. Please feel free to contact me via [email](mailto:[email protected])



## Resources

- [Nextcloud Documentation](https://docs.nextcloud.com/)

- [Nextcloud Community](https://help.nextcloud.com/)

	- Feel free to ask anything, is a wonderful community



**In case of any errors or suggestions, please submit a pull request**