NextCloudPi is a community project that provides a Nextcloud version for Raspberry Pi that is pretty much ready to use, including an installation program. The special NextCloudPi instance is optimally adapted to the specifics of mini-computer hardware, in order to guarantee the compatibility of various components. NextCloudPi can be downloaded for free as an image file.
If the installation package works with the pre-installed Nextcloud version, you’ll now have access to a web server including a database connection. The installation package includes an interface with all the tools you need for self-hosting a private or company cloud. You can usually operate and manage the cloud solution using a web browser with the user interface loaded on it. However, you can also manage Nextcloud on Raspberry Pi using the command line and Secure Shell (SSH) if you want to fine tune the settings or make more substantial changes.
Aside from a few exceptional cases, the Raspberry Pi Nextcloud system is pre-configured and provides numerous features without the need for further installation procedures. That’s how it can be used as a file and media server, much like a Raspberry Pi NAS. So you can, for example, upload your smartphone photos to your cloud on the go and save memory space on your phone. NextCloudPi’s features also include productivity tools like a calendar, an address book, and a notepad.
The Nextcloud instance provides useful security features that ensure a high level of protection. NextCloudPi users can, for example, use the free certificate authority Let’s Encrypt, which has provided so-called SSL/TLS certificates for encrypted data transfer via Transport Layer Security since 2015. Another useful security features is Fail2Ban, which protects Nextcloud accounts and data from brute force attacks.
Nextcloud also works with the web app firewall ModSecurity, which is committed to the open source concept. Frequent updates, which are automatically carried out in the background, keep the system up to date and thus increase the security of the cloud.
This impressive set of features is rounded out by file management including data synchronization. It makes shared file storage with real-time updating possible - which is ideal for mobile use of the cloud. Further, you have access to the cloud not only via a web browser but also via a user-friendly app available for all the common mobile operating systems. Nextcloud can be expanded with various apps, so that the cloud is flexibly adapted to your particular needs.