Home
»
How To Setup ownCloud On Ubuntu

How To Set Up ownCloud On Ubuntu: A Comprehensive Guide

In a world where data privacy is paramount, self-hosting your cloud storage can be a smart and secure solution. ownCloud is an open-source platform that allows you to store and manage your files conveniently while keeping control of your data. In this blog post, we will walk you through the steps to set up ownCloud on an Ubuntu server, leveraging its powerful features while ensuring your data remains secure.

What is ownCloud?

ownCloud is a cloud storage solution that offers file synchronization, sharing, and management capabilities, similar to services like Dropbox or Google Drive, but with the added benefit of self-hosting. This means that you are in control of your data, serving as your own cloud server. ownCloud allows you to access, share, and collaborate on documents from anywhere, making it a great tool for both personal and business use.

Prerequisites

Before we begin the installation process, ensure that you have the following:

An Ubuntu server (16.04 or higher is recommended).
A user account with sudo privileges.
Basic knowledge of the command line.
A LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL/MariaDB, PHP) installed on your server.

Step 1: Update Your System

Begin by updating your package repository and installed packages. Open your terminal and run:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install the Required Packages

You will need several PHP extensions and other packages for ownCloud. Install them by running:

sudo apt install apache2 libapache2-mod-php php php-mysql php-zip php-gd \
php-json php-mbstring php-curl php-intl php-bz2 php-xml -y

Step 3: Download ownCloud

Now, download the latest version of ownCloud. You can find the latest version on the ownCloud download page. Use wget to download it directly to your server:

cd /var/www/
sudo wget https://download.owncloud.org/community/owncloud-complete-latest.tar.bz2

Once the download is complete, extract the tar file:

sudo tar -xjf owncloud-complete-latest.tar.bz2

Step 4: Set up File Permissions

Now, you need to set the correct permissions for the ownCloud directory:

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/owncloud
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/owncloud

Step 5: Configure Apache

Create a new configuration file for ownCloud in Apache:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/owncloud.conf

Add the following configuration:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerAdmin [email protected]
    DocumentRoot /var/www/owncloud
    ServerName your-domain.com

    Alias /owncloud "/var/www/owncloud/"

    <Directory /var/www/owncloud/>
        Options +FollowSymlinks
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/owncloud_error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/owncloud_access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Make sure to replace your-domain.com with your actual domain name or IP address.

Enable the new site and the rewrite module:

sudo a2ensite owncloud.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite

Step 6: Restart Apache

After making these changes, restart Apache to apply your configuration:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Step 7: Create a Database for ownCloud

Now, let’s create a database for ownCloud. You can use either MySQL or MariaDB. Here’s a quick way to do it using MySQL:

sudo mysql -u root -p

Then run the following commands to create a database and a user:

CREATE DATABASE owncloud;
CREATE USER 'ownclouduser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your-password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON owncloud.* TO 'ownclouduser'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Make sure to replace ‘your-password’ with a strong password of your choice.

Step 8: Complete the ownCloud Installation

Now open your web browser and navigate to http://your-domain.com/owncloud. You will be greeted with the ownCloud setup wizard. Here, fill in the database details you created earlier:

Database user: ownclouduser
Database password: Your chosen password
Database name: owncloud

You can also set up an admin account for the ownCloud instance. Once you have filled in all the details, click the “Finish Setup” button.

Step 9: Secure ownCloud with SSL (Optional but Recommended)

To ensure your data is transferred securely over HTTPS, it’s best practice to enable SSL. You can use Let’s Encrypt to obtain a free SSL certificate. Install Certbot:

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-apache -y

Then run the command to obtain and install the SSL certificate:

sudo certbot --apache -d your-domain.com

Follow the prompts, and your site will be set up with HTTPS.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully set up ownCloud on your Ubuntu server. With your own cloud solution now running, you can easily store, access, and share your files securely. Explore the additional features ownCloud offers, such as collaboration tools, external storage support, and more.

Self-hosting your cloud storage not only gives you control over your data but also allows for customization to fit your needs. As you delve deeper into the world of ownCloud, consider enhancing your installation with additional apps and features available in the ownCloud app store.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to drop us a comment below. Happy cloud hosting!