Best cloud storage services with CLI for Minimal Linux Live: (Guide)

Best Cloud Storage Solutions with CLI for Minimal Linux Live

In resource-constrained environments such as Minimal Linux Live, GUI clients are often unavailable. A command-line interface (CLI) becomes essential for mounting, syncing, and automating cloud storage operations. Below we present top recommended services, a detailed comparison, guidance on choosing the right one, CLI installation usage examples, plus common troubleshooting tips.

Why CLI Cloud Storage on Minimal Linux Live?

• Minimal footprint: no heavy desktop environments
• Scriptability: integrate into shell scripts, cron jobs, init scripts
• Remote-only access: ideal for live rescue media, containers, embedded systems

Top Recommended for Minimal Linux Live

1. pCloud – solid encryption, native CLI (pcloudcc)
2. MEGA – generous free storage, mature megacmd
3. Proton Drive – zero-knowledge, rclone backend
4. Filen – European GDPR, native CLI
5. Tresorit – end-to-end encrypted, CLI available
6. Icedrive – streaming drive, CLI beta
7. rclone – universal multiprotocol CLI client (supports Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, etc.)

Comparison Table

Service	Free Tier	Encryption	CLI Tool	Link
pCloud	10 GB	Client-side optional	pcloudcc / pcloudcmd	pcloud.com
MEGA	20 GB	Client-side	megacmd	mega.io
Proton Drive	1 GB	End-to-end	rclone backend	proton.me/drive
Filen	5 GB	Client-side	filen-cli	filen.io
Tresorit	3 GB	End-to-end	tresorit-cli	tresorit.com
Icedrive	10 GB	Client-side	icedrive-cli	icedrive.net
rclone (multi-service)	N/A	Depends on backend	rclone	rclone.org

Which Service to Choose?

Consider these criteria:

• Required free storage and upgrade cost
• Encryption model (client-side vs zero-knowledge)
• CLI maturity and dependencies (FUSE, Python, Go)
• Regional compliance (GDPR, data sovereignty)
• Automation needs (scheduling, scripts, hooks)

For pure CLI on minimal systems, pCloud and MEGA excel due to standalone binaries. If you need multi-cloud in one tool, rclone is unbeatable. For maximum privacy, Proton Drive via rclone or Tresorit is ideal.

CLI Setup Usage Examples

1. pCloud (pcloudcc / pcloudcmd)

Install:

apk add pcloudcc      # Alpine example
apt-get install pcloudcc  # Debian/Ubuntu
  

Authenticate and mount:

pcloudcc -u you@domain.com -p YourPassword --mount-point /mnt/pcloud
  

Sync folder:

pcloudcc --sync /local/dir /pcloud/remote/dir
  

Typical problems:

• “FUSE not found”: install fuse and load modprobe fuse.
• Auth failures: double-check credentials or two-factor tokens.
• Encryped folder access: use --encrypt flag.

2. MEGA (megacmd)

Install:

wget https://mega.nz/linux/MEGAsync/xUbuntu_20.04/amd64/megacmd.deb
dpkg -i megacmd.deb
  

Login and mount:

mega-login you@domain.com YourPassword
mega-mount /mnt/mega
  

Upload/download:

mega-put localfile.txt /My Cloud/remote.txt
mega-get /My Cloud/remote.txt ./localcopy.txt
  

Typical problems:

• “Invalid session”: run mega-logout and re-login.
• Mount stuck: ensure fusermount is available.
• Rate limit errors: respect MEGA bandwidth quotas.

3. Proton Drive (via rclone)

Install rclone:

curl https://rclone.org/install.sh  bash
  

Configure Proton Drive:

rclone config
# Choose n for new remote, name proton
# Select protondrive backend, follow interactive OAuth
  

Mount or sync:

rclone mount proton: /mnt/protondrive
rclone sync ./local-folder proton:BackupFolder
  

Typical problems:

• OAuth failures: use correct redirect URL and system clock sync.
• FUSE missing: install fuse or use --vfs-cache-mode minimal.
• Rate limits: Proton imposes daily API quotas.

4. Filen (filen-cli)

Install:

wget https://github.com/filen-io/filen/releases/download/v0.9.0/filen-cli-linux-amd64.tar.gz
tar xzf filen.tar.gz
mv filen /usr/local/bin/
  

Login upload:

filen auth login you@domain.com
filen upload ./file.txt /remote/path/
  

Typical problems:

• Invalid token: re-run filen auth logout then filen auth login.
• Permission denied: adjust file modes or run as same user.

5. Tresorit (tresorit-cli)

Install via download:

wget https://assets.tresorit.com/dist/tresorit-cli/linux/tresorit-cli_1.4.3_amd64.deb
dpkg -i tresorit-cli.deb
  

Initialize mount:

tresorit-cli init --email you@domain.com
tresorit-cli mount /mnt/tresorit
  

Typical problems:

• Backend sync hangs: check tresorit-cli status.
• Missing certificates: install ca-certificates.

6. Icedrive (icedrive-cli)

Install:

wget https://github.com/icedrive/icedrive-cli/releases/download/v0.2.0/icedrive-cli-linux-amd64.tar.gz
tar xzf icedrive-cli.tar.gz
mv icedrive /usr/local/bin/
  

Login mount:

icedrive login you@domain.com YourPassword
icedrive mount /mnt/icedrive
  

Typical problems:

• “Mount failed”: ensure FUSE is installed and modprobe fuse.
• Beta stability: automatic reconnection can be flaky.

7. rclone (multi-cloud)

Install (if not already):

curl https://rclone.org/install.sh  bash
  

Configure any backend (Google Drive example):

rclone config
# new remote gdrive, choose drive backend, follow OAuth
  

Sync mount:

rclone sync /data gdrive:Backup
rclone mount gdrive: /mnt/gdrive --vfs-cache-mode writes
  

Typical problems:

• Memory usage for --vfs-cache-mode full, prefer minimal on low-RAM.
• Rate limits: use --tpslimit and --bwlimit.
• Permissions: run fusermount -u /mnt/gdrive on exit.

Conclusion

Minimal Linux Live demands lightweight, scriptable cloud clients. For single-service reliability choose pCloud or MEGA. If you require multi-cloud or self-hosted options, rclone is the go-to. For maximum privacy, combine Proton Drive or Tresorit with rclone. Always install necessary FUSE and dependencies, verify credentials, and use appropriate --cache or --bwlimit options to mitigate rate limits. With these tools, you can seamlessly integrate cloud storage into any minimal or headless Linux environment.