Best cloud storage services with CLI for LibreELEC: (Tutorial)

Introduction

LibreELEC is a minimal, Linux-based operating system designed to run Kodi. By default it provides a read-only root filesystem and limited package management, but with SSH or the Shell In A Box add-on you can install and run CLI tools to access cloud storage. In this article we’ll explore the best cloud storage providers with a command-line interface (CLI) suitable for LibreELEC, compare their features, guide you in choosing one, and show how to set up and troubleshoot each.

Top Recommended Cloud CLI Tools for LibreELEC

• pCloud – native pcloudcc
• MEGA – megacmd
• Proton Drive – via rclone
• Filen – via rclone (WebDAV)
• Tresorit – tresorit-cli
• Icedrive – via rclone
• Google Drive – via rclone
• Dropbox – via rclone
• Amazon S3 – awscli or s3cmd
• Nextcloud – via WebDAV or rclone

Comparison Table

Which One to Choose?

• Privacy encryption: MEGA, Proton Drive, Filen, Tresorit.
• Budget: Google Drive or pCloud for best free tier.
• Ease of use: pCloud (pcloudcc) or megacmd.
• Self-hosting / total control: Nextcloud or Amazon S3.
• Integration with existing setups: rclone-backed services for uniform CLI.

For most LibreELEC users, pCloud and MEGA strike the best balance of free storage, simple CLI tools, and encryption.

Using Each Service via CLI

Prerequisites

• Enable SSH or install Shell In A Box add-on.
• Install rclone or native CLI via opkg or by copying a static binary to /storage/bin.

1. pCloud (pcloudcc)

1. Download the static binary from pCloud:

   wget https://downloads.pcloud.com/cmdline/pcloudcc
   chmod  x pcloudcc
   mv pcloudcc /storage/bin/
       

2. Authenticate:

   pcloudcc --auth
       

3. Mount remote folder:

   mkdir /storage/pcloud
   pcloudcc --mountpoint /storage/pcloud
       

Common issues: FUSE not available by default ensure /etc/fuse.conf permits non-root mounts. Network timeouts: add --timeout 60.

2. MEGA (megacmd)

1. Install with opkg or copy binary:

   wget https://mega.nz/linux/MEGAcmd/Ubuntu_22.04/amd64/megacmd_2.9.0-1.1_amd64.deb
   ar x megacmd_.deb data.tar.xz
   tar -xJf data.tar.xz --strip-components=2 ./usr/bin/megacmd
   chmod  x megacmd
   mv megacmd /storage/bin/
       

2. Login:

   megacmd login your@email.com
       

3. Mount (via FUSE):

   mkdir /storage/mega
   megacmd mount /storage/mega
       

Common issues: FUSE must be compiled. If mount fails, use megacmd sync instead of FUSE, syncing to local folder.

3. Proton Drive (rclone)

1. Install rclone static:

   wget https://downloads.rclone.org/rclone-current-linux-amd64.zip
   unzip rclone-current-linux-amd64.zip
   mv rclone--linux-amd64/rclone /storage/bin/
   chmod  x /storage/bin/rclone
       

2. Configure:

   rclone config
   # choose new remote, name proton, type protondrive
       

3. Mount:

   mkdir /storage/proton
   rclone mount proton: /storage/proton --daemon
       

Common issues: Browser auth pop-up won’t display on LibreELEC. Use rclone config—headless on another machine, then copy ~/.config/rclone/rclone.conf.

4. Filen (rclone via WebDAV)

1. Add remote:

   rclone config
   # new remote filen, type webdav, vendor other, URL https://dav.filen.io, user/pass
       

2. Mount:

   mkdir /storage/filen
   rclone mount filen: /storage/filen --daemon
       

Common issues: WebDAV timeouts add --webdav-chunk-size 32M.

5. Tresorit (tresorit-cli)

1. Download install:

   wget https://update.tresorit.com/cli/linux/tresorit-cli.zip
   unzip tresorit-cli.zip
   chmod  x tresorit
   mv tresorit /storage/bin/
       

2. Login:

   tresorit login
       

3. Sync or mount:

   tresorit sync /storage/tresorit
       

Common issues: Keychain unavailable use tresorit login --no-keychain. If sync is slow, increase concurrency --jobs 4.

6. Icedrive (rclone)

1. Set up remote:

   rclone config
   # new remote icedrive, type icedrive
       

2. Mount:

   mkdir /storage/icedrive
   rclone mount icedrive: /storage/icedrive --daemon
       

Common issues: rclone plugin must be up to date. If mount stalls, add --vfs-cache-mode full.

7. Google Drive / Dropbox / S3 / Nextcloud (rclone/awscli)

These services follow the same pattern: install rclone (or awscli for S3), configure rclone config (or aws configure), and then rclone mount (or aws s3 sync / s3cmd). Typical flags:

rclone mount remote: /storage/remote 
  --daemon 
  --vfs-cache-mode full 
  --buffer-size 32M 
  --timeout 1h

Troubleshooting Tips

• FUSE not available: compile it into kernel or use sync commands.
• Authentication loops: perform headless OAuth on another machine.
• Mount “permission denied”: check /storage/bin binary permissions and user rights.
• Network resets: increase timeouts (--timeout flags).
• Low performance: enable VFS caching in rclone (--vfs-cache-mode full).

Conclusion

Choosing a cloud storage CLI for LibreELEC depends on your priorities. For out-of-the-box ease, pCloud and MEGA are top picks. For maximum privacy, consider Proton Drive, Filen, or Tresorit. If you already use Google or Dropbox, unify your workflows via rclone. Finally, self-hosting on Nextcloud or AWS S3 gives total control. Follow the steps above to install, configure, and troubleshoot your chosen CLI tool, and enjoy seamless cloud integration on your LibreELEC system.