Best cloud storage services with CLI for Kubuntu: (Guide)

Cloud Storage with CLI on Kubuntu: Top Picks and How-to Guide

Managing cloud storage directly from the terminal can streamline workflows, enable automation, and integrate seamlessly into scripts on Kubuntu. Below is a professional, comprehensive guide covering the best cloud storage services with command-line interfaces (CLI), detailed comparisons, usage tutorials, and troubleshooting tips.

Top Recommended Services

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

Comparison Table

Which Service to Choose?

• Privacy and Encryption: Tresorit and Filen offer zero-knowledge end-to-end encryption.
• Generous Free Tier: MEGA (20 GB) and Icedrive (10 GB) top the list if you need more free storage.
• Budget-Friendly: pCloud lifetime plans and Proton Drive’s low-cost tiers.
• Integration: Dropbox CLI is mature and widely supported by third-party tools and scripts.

CLI Setup and Usage

1. pCloud (pcloudcc)

pCloud’s CLI client pcloudcc can be installed via the official .deb package or snap.

# Download and install the .deb package
wget https://download.pcloud.com/pcloudcc.deb
sudo dpkg -i pcloudcc.deb
sudo apt-get install -f

# Authenticate
pcloudcc --login your@email.com

# Mount your drive locally
mkdir ~/pcloud
pcloudcc --mountpoint ~/pcloud

# Upload a file
pcloudcc --upload ~/Documents/report.pdf /backups/report.pdf

Common issue: “permission denied” when mounting—run pcloudcc with sudo or add your user to the FUSE group:

sudo usermod -aG fuse USER

2. MEGA (megacmd)

# Install via repository
sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 0x27F83AED
echo deb https://mega.nz/linux/repo/Ubuntu_(lsb_release -rs)/ ./  sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mega.list
sudo apt update
sudo apt install megacmd

# Login
mega-login your@email.com

# List remote files
mega-ls

# Sync local folder to cloud
mega-sync /home/you/photos /root/MEGA/Photos

Common issue: “SSL error” often means an outdated OpenSSL—update your system or use the AppImage version.

3. Proton Drive (proton-drive-cli)

# Install with apt
sudo apt install curl gpg
curl https://repo.proton.me/debian/public_key.asc  sudo apt-key add -
echo deb https://repo.proton.me/debian stable main  sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/protonmail.list
sudo apt update
sudo apt install proton-drive-cli

# Authenticate
proton-drive-cli login

# Upload and download
proton-drive-cli upload ~/report.docx /
proton-drive-cli download /settings.zip ~/Downloads

Troubleshoot: If login hangs, check your network or use proton-drive-cli login --no-browser.

4. Filen (filen-cli)

# Snap installation
sudo snap install filen-cli

# Initialize
filen-cli init
# Follow prompts to enter API key and passphrase

# Upload directory
filen-cli put ~/projects/myapp /CloudBackup/myapp

# List remote
filen-cli ls /

Note: Filen requires a strong passphrase. Losing it means losing access to synced files.

5. Tresorit (tresorit-cli)

# Download .deb and install
wget https://download.tresorit.com/linux/tresorit-cli.deb
sudo dpkg -i tresorit-cli.deb
sudo apt-get install -f

# Login
tresorit-cli login

# Sync a tresor (encrypted folder)
tresorit-cli sync --add MyTresor /home/you/MyTresor

# Pause syncing
tresorit-cli sync --pause MyTresor

Tip: Tresorit’s logs in ~/.tresorit/logs help diagnose sync errors.

6. Icedrive (icedrive-cli)

# Snap install
sudo snap install icedrive-cli

# Authenticate
icedrive auth login

# Mount to local folder
mkdir ~/Icedrive
icedrive mount ~/Icedrive

# Copy remote file locally
icedrive cp remote:/docs/ebook.pdf ~/Downloads

Watch out: FUSE instability can be resolved by upgrading to the latest kernel or using icedrive sync instead of mount.

7. Dropbox (dropbox-cli)

# Install from repository
sudo apt install nautilus-dropbox

# Run and follow GUI prompt for login
dropbox start -i

# CLI commands
dropbox status
dropbox exclude add ~/Movies
dropbox filestatus ~/project/main.py

Issue: If dropbox status hangs, kill the daemon (pkill dropbox) and restart.

Common Problems Solutions

• FUSE mount errors: Ensure fuse is installed and user is in the fuse group.
• Authentication failures: Check 2FA settings or use token-based login if available.
• SSL/TLS errors: Update openssl and CA certificates (sudo apt-get install --reinstall ca-certificates).
• Conflict during sync: Use dedicated sync commands (e.g., mega-sync, tresorit-cli sync) rather than manual copy.

Conclusion

Choosing the right cloud storage CLI on Kubuntu depends on your priorities: if you need maximum privacy, go for Tresorit or Filen if you want large free storage, MEGA or Icedrive shine for mature ecosystem and broad support, Dropbox remains a solid choice. Follow the installation and usage examples above to integrate any of these services into your terminal workflow smoothly, and consult the troubleshooting tips whenever issues arise.