Best cloud storage services with CLI for MX Linux: (Tutorial)

Introduction

MX Linux users often seek reliable, secure and scriptable cloud storage solutions with command-line interfaces (CLI). In this article, we review the top contenders—pCloud, MEGA, Proton Drive, Filen, Tresorit, Icedrive—and introduce rclone as a universal CLI tool. We’ll provide an in-depth comparison, installation and usage examples on MX Linux, typical troubleshooting tips, and guidance on selecting the best option for your workflow.

Top Recommendations for MX Linux

• pCloud – Easy FUSE mount, official CLI daemon, competitive free tier
• MEGA – 20 GB free, robust megacmd toolset
• Proton Drive – Zero-knowledge encryption, CLI via proton-drive-cli
• Filen – EU-based, privacy-focused accessible via rclone
• Tresorit – Enterprise-grade end-to-end encryption, official CLI
• Icedrive – DA Cryptomator integration, CLI client available
• rclone – Unified CLI for 60 cloud services, including all above via API

Comparison Table

Provider Overview and CLI Usage

1. pCloud

pCloud offers an official daemon (pcloudcc) that mounts your remote storage via FUSE.

Installation on MX Linux:

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

Usage:

# Login (interactive)
pcloudcc

# Mount pCloud to /mnt/pcloud
pcloudcc --mountpoint=/mnt/pcloud --username your@pcloud.email --password yourpassword

Common issues: FUSE permissions (ensure your user is in fuse group), stale sessions (restart daemon).

2. MEGA (MegaCMD)

MEGA’s official CLI megacmd provides commands like mega-login, mega-ls, mega-get, mega-put, and FUSE mount.

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install megacmd

Usage:

# Login
mega-login your@mega.email yourpassword

# List files
mega-ls /

# Download file
mega-get /remote/path /local/path

# Mount to /mnt/mega
mega-mount /mnt/mega

3. Proton Drive

Proton Drive CLI (proton-drive-cli) is community-driven and installs via pip:

python3 -m pip install proton-drive-cli

# Login (opens browser)
proton-drive login

# List drives
proton-drive list

# Download a file
proton-drive download  /local/path

# Upload a file
proton-drive upload /local/path 

FUSE mounting is experimental expect occasional hangs.

4. Filen (via rclone)

Filen doesn’t ship an official CLI yet. Use rclone:

sudo apt-get install rclone
rclone config
# Choose New remote, name it filen, 
# then select Webdav or Other HTTP, and enter Filen WebDAV creds.

# List
rclone ls filen:

# Mount
rclone mount filen: /mnt/filen

5. Tresorit

Tresorit’s CLI runs as a daemon. Download the .deb from their site:

wget https://downloads.tresorit.com/cli/latest/linux/tresorit-linux.deb
sudo dpkg -i tresorit-linux.deb
sudo apt-get install -f

# Login
tresorit-cli login your@tresorit.email

# Sync a tresor to local
tresorit-cli sync --tresor MyTresor --destination /mnt/tresorit

6. Icedrive

Icedrive CLI is available as an AppImage or via their repo:

# Example AppImage usage
chmod  x IcedriveCLI.AppImage
./IcedriveCLI.AppImage login your@icedrive.email yourpassword

# List and mount
./IcedriveCLI.AppImage ls /
./IcedriveCLI.AppImage mount /mnt/icedrive

7. rclone (Universal CLI)

rclone supports all major providers—use it if you prefer a single tool.

sudo apt-get install rclone
rclone config
# Follow prompts to add pcloud, mega, proton, etc.

# Sync local -> cloud
rclone sync /home/user/backup remotename:backup

# Mount cloud
rclone mount remotename: /mnt/cloud

Typical Problems and Troubleshooting

• FUSE permissions: Add your user to the fuse group (sudo usermod -aG fuse USER).
• Stale auth tokens: Log out and log back in delete stored credentials if login fails.
• Mount conflicts: Ensure mountpoint is empty and not in use by another process.
• Bandwidth limits: Some providers throttle free accounts—consider upgrade or alternative mirror.
• Dependency errors: Use sudo apt-get install -f after a dpkg -i failure.

Which One to Choose for MX Linux?

• Best Free Tier: MEGA (20 GB), pCloud (10 GB referrals).
• Privacy Security: Proton Drive or Tresorit (zero-knowledge encryption).
• Lightweight Universal: rclone (unified tool for all services).
• Simplicity: pCloud CLI (pcloudcc)—minimal setup, reliable FUSE mount.

For most MX Linux users, pCloud or rclone hits the sweet spot of ease, stability, and features. If zero-knowledge encryption is critical, choose Proton Drive or Tresorit.

Conclusion

MX Linux’s Debian base makes installing CLI tools straightforward. Whether you need large free quotas, strong encryption, or multi-cloud flexibility, there’s a solution here. Start with pCloud or rclone for general purpose use, and explore specialized services (Proton Drive, Tresorit) as your privacy requirements grow. Use the examples above to get up and running in minutes.