Best cloud storage services with CLI for Openwall GNU/Linux: (Tutorial)

Introduction

Openwall GNU/Linux (OWL) is a security-hardened distribution widely used in environments where robustness and minimal attack surface are paramount. Integrating cloud storage into OWL can enhance backup reliability, remote collaboration, and offsite data redundancy. For Linux power users who prefer command-line interfaces (CLI), choosing a service with a mature CLI tool is critical. Below is an extensive overview of leading cloud-storage providers offering CLI support on Linux, with recommendations tailored to OWL’s security-focused profile.

Top Recommendation for Openwall GNU/Linux

Given OWL’s emphasis on hardening and minimal dependencies, pCloud emerges as a top recommendation. Its official CLI client (pcloudcc) is self-contained, written in C/C with minimal external libraries, and supports zero-knowledge encryption via a client-side “crypto” folder. MEGA and Icedrive also provide native CLIs with strong encryption. When strict zero-knowledge is required, prefer pCloud or Icedrive when larger free quotas or collaboration features are needed, consider MEGA or Tresorit (via rclone).

Comparison Table

Which One to Choose?

• Privacy Zero-Knowledge: Select pCloud, Icedrive or MEGA for client-side encryption.
• CLI Maturity: pCloud’s pcloudcc and MEGA’s megacmd are full-featured native tools. For others, rclone is reliable but adds a layer of abstraction.
• Free Quota: MEGA’s 20 GB free is generous pCloud and Filen offer 10 GB Tresorit only gives 3 GB.
• Automation Scripting: All CLIs support scripting check per-tool flags for non-interactive auth.
• Enterprise Needs: Tresorit and Backblaze B2 have advanced compliance features good for regulated environments.

CLI Usage and Troubleshooting

1. pCloud

Install the pCloud CLI (pcloudcc) from the official repository or download a static binary.

# Download and run (example)
/usr/bin/curl -O https://downloads.pcloud.com/cli/pcloudcc_x86_64
chmod  x pcloudcc_x86_64
mv pcloudcc_x86_64 /usr/local/bin/pcloudcc

# Authenticate and mount
pcloudcc --username you@example.com --password YourPassword --mountpoint /mnt/pcloud

Common issues:

• “FUSE not found”: Ensure modprobe fuse and install fuse package.
• Mount fails on RootHash mismatch: Update to latest pcloudcc.

2. MEGA

MEGAcmd provides a comprehensive CLI and daemon.

# On Debian/OWL:
apt-get install megacmd

# Login
mega-login you@example.com StrongPassword

# List files and sync
mega-ls /
mega-sync /home/user/Documents /Root/DocumentsBackup

Troubleshooting:

• 2FA accounts: Use mega-login --authcode with your one-time code.
• Connection resets: Add --no-smb flag or check firewall.

3. Proton Drive (via rclone)

Proton Drive lacks an official CLI you can use rclone and the protondrive remote.

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

# Configure Proton Drive
rclone config create myproton protondrive

# Copy files
rclone copy /home/user/Photos myproton:Backups/Photos

Watch for:

• OAuth errors: Ensure less-secure apps are allowed in your Proton account settings.
• Rate limits: Proton imposes strict API limits throttle using --bwlimit.

4. Filen

Filen offers its own CLI tool.

# Download  install
curl -sL https://filen.io/cli/install.sh  bash

# Authenticate
filen login --email you@example.com --password YourPassword

# Upload and list
filen upload /etc /backup/etc
filen list /

Common pitfalls:

• 2FA: Generate an app password in your account before login.
• Slow uploads: Enable multipart uploads with --parallel 4.

5. Tresorit (via WebDAV rclone)

No official CLI use WebDAV endpoint with rclone.

rclone config create mytresorit webdav 
  url https://webdav.tresorit.com vendor other 
  user you@example.com pass EncryptedPassword

# Sync data
rclone sync /home/user/Projects mytresorit:ProjectsBackup

Notes:

• “401 Unauthorized”: Ensure your password is your Tresorit WebDAV password, not your master password.
• Performance: WebDAV can be slower limit file count per directory.

6. Icedrive

Icedrive’s official CLI (icedrive-cli) supports mounting and file operations.

# Install AppImage
curl -L https://github.com/IcedriveApps/icedrive-cli/releases/download/v1.0.0/icedrive-cli.AppImage -o icedrive
chmod  x icedrive
./icedrive login you@example.com

# Mount or list
./icedrive mount /mnt/icedrive
./icedrive ls /

Troubleshooting:

• FUSE errors: Ensure fuse and libfuse2 are installed.
• Mount disconnects: Use the --reconnect flag.

7. Dropbox

Dropbox provides an official Python-based CLI.

apt-get install python3-dropbox-cli

# Start daemon and link account
dropbox-cli start
dropbox-cli status

Typical issues:

• “Account not linked”: Run dropbox-cli link and follow the OAuth URL.
• Sync stalls: Check ~/.dropbox/logs.

8. Backblaze B2

Use the official b2 tool or rclone.

# Install B2 CLI
pip install --upgrade b2

# Authorize
b2 authorize-account  

# Sync or upload
b2 sync /var/log b2://mybucket/logs

Watch out for:

• Part size limits: Use --part-size for large files.
• 403 Forbidden: Check your key permissions and bucket settings.

Conclusion

Openwall GNU/Linux users can confidently integrate any of these cloud-storage providers via CLI. For zero-knowledge and minimal dependency, pCloud and Icedrive stand out. MEGA’s generous free tier and mature CLI make it a close runner-up. When an official CLI is absent, rclone bridges the gap without sacrificing control. Evaluate your privacy needs, budget, and automation requirements to select the best fit and get up and running securely on OWL.