Best cloud storage services with CLI for KaOS: (Comparison)

Best Cloud Storage with CLI for KaOS Linux

KaOS is an independent, rolling-release distribution focused on KDE Plasma and Qt. Power users on KaOS often prefer managing their cloud storage directly from the terminal. Below is a professional, in-depth guide to the best cloud storage services offering CLI support or easy CLI integration, complete with installation instructions, usage examples, a comparison table, advice on choosing the right provider, and common troubleshooting tips.

Top Recommended Cloud Storage Solutions

• pCloud
• MEGA
• Proton Drive
• Filen
• Tresorit
• Icedrive
• Dropbox
• Google Drive

Comparison Table

Which One to Choose?

• Privacy-first: Proton Drive, Tresorit, Filen.
• Generous free tier: MEGA, Icedrive, Google Drive.
• Lifetime deals: pCloud, Icedrive.
• Native CLI: pCloud (pcloudcc), MEGA (megacmd).
• Universal via rclone/WebDAV: Proton Drive, Filen, Icedrive, Dropbox, Google Drive.

Consider your budget, required storage, and encryption needs when selecting a provider.

Using Each Service with the CLI

1. pCloud (pcloudcc)

The pcloudcc client lets you mount and sync your pCloud account.

# Install dependencies and clone AUR package
sudo pacman -Sy --needed git base-devel
git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/pcloudcc.git
cd pcloudcc
makepkg -si

# Log in and mount
pcloudcc -u your_email@example.com -p YourPassword --mountpoint ~/pCloudDrive

Typical issues: ensure FUSE is enabled (sudo modprobe fuse), check permissions on your mountpoint.

2. MEGA (megacmd)

MEGA’s official CLI is megacmd, available directly in KaOS repos.

# Install megacmd
sudo pacman -Sy megacmd

# Log in
mega-login your_email@example.com

# Upload a file
mega-put ~/Documents/example.txt /Root/example.txt

# Download a folder
mega-get /Root/Projects ~/Downloads/Projects

Common pitfalls: if transfers fail, re-authenticate with mega-login or use mega-sync for continuous sync.

3. Proton Drive (rclone)

Use rclone’s protondrive backend.

# Install rclone
sudo pacman -Sy rclone

# Configure Proton Drive
rclone config create myprotondrive protondrive

# List files
rclone ls myprotondrive:

# Copy to Proton Drive
rclone copy ~/Photos myprotondrive:/Backups/Photos

Ensure you have a modern rclone version. OAuth prompts appear in your browser during rclone config.

4. Filen (WebDAV via rclone)

# Install rclone
sudo pacman -Sy rclone

# Configure Filen via WebDAV
rclone config create myfilen webdav 
  url https://webdav.filen.io 
  vendor other 
  user your_email@example.com 
  pass yourPassword

# Mount or sync
rclone mount myfilen: ~/FilenDrive
rclone copy ~/Backup myfilen:/Backup

If mount fails, install FUSE (sudo pacman -Sy fuse2) and ensure your user is in the fuse group.

5. Tresorit (WebDAV / davfs2)

# Install davfs2
sudo pacman -Sy davfs2

# Add your user to fuse and adjust fstab
sudo usermod -aG fuse USER

# In /etc/fstab, add:
# https://vyprcloud.tresorit.com/dav /mnt/tresorit davfs noauto,user 0 0

# Mount
mkdir -p ~/TresoritDrive
mount ~/TresoritDrive

Use your Tresorit credentials when prompted. For scriptable transfers, consider rclone’s WebDAV option similarly to Filen.

6. Icedrive (WebDAV via rclone)

# Install rclone
sudo pacman -Sy rclone

# Configure Icedrive
rclone config create myicedrive webdav 
  url https://dav.icedrive.net 
  vendor other 
  user your_email@example.com 
  pass yourPassword

# List and copy
rclone ls myicedrive:
rclone sync ~/Documents myicedrive:/DocsBackup

7. Dropbox (rclone or Official CLI)

# Via rclone
sudo pacman -Sy rclone
rclone config create mydropbox dropbox

# Via official (Python) CLI
sudo pacman -Sy python-dropbox
dropbox-cli start
dropbox-cli login

8. Google Drive (rclone)

sudo pacman -Sy rclone
rclone config create mygdrive drive
rclone ls mygdrive:
rclone copy ~/Videos mygdrive:/Videos

Typical Problems Troubleshooting

• FUSE errors: ensure fuse2 is installed and your user is in the fuse group.
• Authentication loops: remove stored tokens (~/.config/rclone or ~/.megacmd) and re-run config or login.
• Slow transfers: check encryption overhead, use multithreading flags (e.g., rclone copy --transfers=8).
• Filename encoding: ensure locale is UTF-8 (export LANG=en_US.UTF-8).
• Mountpoints not writable: check permissions and SELinux/AppArmor policies if enabled.

Conclusion

KaOS users have a wealth of CLI-friendly cloud storage options. For the most seamless native experience, pCloud and MEGA stand out with their dedicated clients. If you prefer a unified tool, rclone plus WebDAV or dedicated backends covers nearly all providers including Proton Drive, Filen, Icedrive, Dropbox, and Google Drive. Evaluate your storage needs, encryption requirements, and budget to select the optimal solution.