Best cloud storage services with CLI for Guix System (previously GuixSD): (Comparison)

Best Cloud Storage with CLI Support on Guix System

For users of Guix System (formerly GuixSD) seeking reliable, secure and scriptable cloud storage, having a command-line interface (CLI) client is essential. In this article we review several leading providers—pCloud, MEGA, ProtonDrive, Filen, Tresorit, Icedrive—and add two more popular options, Dropbox and Google Drive (via rclone). We compare features, show CLI usage examples on Guix, address common pitfalls, and help you choose the best fit.

Top Recommended Providers

• pCloud – Native pcloudcc CLI, client-side encryption, up to 10 GB free.
• MEGA – Official megacmd, generous 20 GB free, end-to-end encryption.
• ProtonDrive – Privacy-focused, integrates via rclone.
• Filen – WebDAV support, open-source ethos.
• Tresorit – Business-grade zero-knowledge encryption, CLI via tresorit-cli.
• Icedrive – WebDAV/OneFS, mounts via rclone or icedrive-cli.
• Dropbox – Widely adopted, dropbox-cli.
• Google Drive – Accessible via rclone.

Comparison Table

Tresorit CLI isn’t in Guix official channels but can be built manually.

Which One to Choose?

• For maximum free storage: MEGA (20 GB) or Icedrive (10 GB).
• For privacy encryption: ProtonDrive, pCloud Crypto, or Tresorit.
• For ecosystem integration: Dropbox or Google Drive via rclone.
• For open protocols: Filen WebDAV or Icedrive OneFS via rclone.
• For simplicity: pCloud’s native CLI on Guix.

Installing CLI Tools on Guix

Most tools are available in the guix repository:

guix install pcloudcc megacmd rclone dropbox tresorit-cli icedrive-cli

For providers without native packages (e.g. Tresorit), download from their website or wrap the binary in a Guix package recipe.

Usage Examples

pCloud (pcloudcc)

# Authenticate
pcloudcc config set --username you@example.com --password s3cr3t

# Upload a file
pcloudcc upload /path/to/local/file.txt /remote/path/

# List files
pcloudcc ls /remote/path/

MEGA (megacmd)

# Login
mega-login you@example.com s3cr3t

# Upload
mega-put /local/data.zip /Root/cloud-backup/

# Download
mega-get /Root/cloud-backup/data.zip /local/

ProtonDrive via rclone

# Configure
rclone config create protondrive protondrive user you@example.com pass your_app_password

# Sync to cloud
rclone sync ~/Documents protondrive:MyDocs

# Mount (requires fusermount)
rclone mount protondrive: /mnt/proton 

Filen via WebDAV (rclone)

# Configure WebDAV endpoint
rclone config create filen webdav url https://webdav.filen.io/ user you@filen.io pass s3cr3t

# Copy files
rclone copy ~/Pictures filen:Photos

Tresorit CLI

# Initialize (interactive)
tresorit-cli init

# Upload folder
tresorit-cli upload MyTresor /local/project_folder

# List
tresorit-cli list MyTresor

Icedrive via rclone

# rclone config: choose drive, set OneFS endpoint
rclone config create icedrive onedrive user your_email pass your_token drive_type icedrive

# Sync
rclone sync ~/Videos icedrive:Videos

Dropbox CLI

# Link account
dropbox-cli start -i

# Upload file
dropbox-cli put local.txt /Apps/GuixSystem/

# Status
dropbox-cli status

Google Drive via rclone

# Configure
rclone config create gdrive drive client_id yourid appsdotcom

# List root
rclone ls gdrive:

# Mount
rclone mount gdrive: ~/gdrive 

Typical Problems Troubleshooting

• Authentication failures: Ensure 2FA/OAuth tokens are refreshed and correct.
• Mount errors: Verify fuse is enabled and user is in fuse group.
• Slow transfers: Use parallel streams (e.g. rclone -P or --transfers=8).
• Missing Guix package: Wrap upstream binary or use guix import recipes.
• Server-side encryption mismatch: Match client-side crypto parameters (pCloud Crypto key).
• WebDAV quirks: Some providers limit folder names or depth—test with small syncs first.

Conclusion

On Guix System, pCloud and MEGA offer the most seamless native CLI experience, while ProtonDrive and Icedrive shine for privacy and protocol flexibility via rclone. Enterprise users may opt for Tresorit despite manual packaging. For broader integration, Dropbox and Google Drive remain dependable. Evaluate your storage needs, encryption requirements and budget to select the optimal CLI-friendly cloud storage for your Guix workflow.