Best cloud storage services with CLI for OPNsense: (Comparison)

Introduction

OPNsense is a versatile open source firewall/router platform. While it doesn’t ship with a native GUI for personal cloud storage, you can integrate several cloud storage providers via the CLI. This article explores top cloud storage services that offer official or well-supported command-line tools. We cover pCloud, MEGA, Proton Drive, Filen, Tresorit, Icedrive, plus an additional pick—Backblaze B2. You’ll find a detailed comparison table, installation and usage examples, troubleshooting tips, and recommendations for your OPNsense environment.

Why CLI Matters for OPNsense

• Headless Operation: OPNsense often runs without a desktop environment.
• Automation Scripting: CLI tools integrate with cron, shell scripts, and plugins.
• Resource Efficiency: No overhead of graphical clients, suited for firewall hardware.

Selection Criteria

• Official CLI Support: Maintained and updated by the provider.
• Encryption Privacy: Client-side or zero-knowledge encryption.
• Free Tier Pricing: Handy for small backups or logs.
• Performance Bandwidth: Throttling, parallelism support.
• Community Documentation: Quality of manuals and user feedback.

Comparison Table

Top Recommendation for OPNsense

If you need straightforward integration, MEGA and pCloud stand out due to mature CLI tools and free storage. MEGA’s megacmd offers seamless sync while pCloud’s pcloudcc is lightweight and reliable. For maximum privacy, consider Proton Drive’s zero-knowledge encryption, though its CLI is newer. Backblaze B2 is ideal for log archives if you already use B2’s pricing model and don’t require client-side encryption.

How to Use Each Service via CLI

1. pCloud

Installation

# On Debian/Ubuntu
curl -O https://linux.pcloud.com/pcloudcc/releases/pcloudcc_amd64.deb
dpkg -i pcloudcc_amd64.deb
apt-get install -f
# On FreeBSD/OPNsense
pkg install pcloudcc

Authentication Mount

pcloudcc -u you@example.com -p your_password --mountpoint /mnt/pcloud

Common Issues

• “cannot mount”: ensure FUSE is installed and /dev/fuse permissions are correct.
• Sync lag: use “–sync” flag or reduce folder count per mount.

2. MEGA

Installation

# Debian/Ubuntu
apt-get update
apt-get install megacmd
# FreeBSD/OPNsense (via ports)
cd /usr/ports/net/megacmd  make install clean

Basic Commands

# Login
mega-login you@domain.com your_password
# Upload
mega-put /var/log/syslog /Root/Logs/
# Sync local to remote
mega-sync /usr/local/configs /Root/Backups/configs

Common Issues

• “Failed to connect”: check proxy settings or firewall rules.
• Bandwidth cap: configure –upload-limit flag.

3. Proton Drive

Installation

# Requires Go environment
go install github.com/ProtonMail/protondrive-cli/cmd/protondrive@latest

Usage

protondrive login   # follow interactive prompt
protondrive upload /path/to/backup.tar.gz /backups/
protondrive download /backups/backup.tar.gz .

Common Issues

• Interactive auth fails: ensure HOME/.config/protondrive exists and has correct perms.
• Timeouts: set PROTONDRIVE_API_TIMEOUT env var.

4. Filen

Installation

# Download latest from GitHub
curl -LO https://github.com/filen/filen-cli/releases/download/v1.2.3/filen-cli-linux-amd64.tar.gz
tar xzf filen-cli-linux-amd64.tar.gz -C /usr/local/bin
chmod  x /usr/local/bin/filen-cli

Usage

filen-cli login      # opens browser or asks API key
filen-cli upload /etc/config.xml /Config/
filen-cli list /Config/

Common Issues

• API key expired: re-run “filen-cli login”.
• Upload fails on large files: use chunked uploads via –chunk-size flag.

5. Tresorit

Installation

# Debian/Ubuntu
echo deb https://packagecloud.io/tresorit/ubuntu/ bionic main 
   tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/tresorit.list
apt-key adv --recv-keys --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com CCE7D40A
apt-get update
apt-get install tresorit-cli

Usage

tresorit login
tresorit push /usr/local/firewall.cfg MyTresor/Config/
tresorit pull MyTresor/Config/firewall.cfg /backup/

Common Issues

• Keyserver unreachable: switch to different keyserver or import manually.
• Sync conflicts: use “tresorit resolve” to pick versions.

6. Icedrive

Installation

# Download AppImage
curl -L https://icedrive.net/download/cli/linux  tar xJ -C /usr/local/bin
chmod  x /usr/local/bin/icedrive

Usage

icedrive login
icedrive mount /mnt/icedrive
icedrive sync /backup /RemoteBackup

Common Issues

• “Permission denied”: ensure FUSE usage and AppImage execution bits.
• Stale mounts: unmount with “fusermount -u /mnt/icedrive”.

7. Backblaze B2

Installation

# Python-based tool
pip install b2

Configuration

b2 authorize-account YOUR_KEY_ID YOUR_APPLICATION_KEY
# Create bucket
b2 create-bucket my-backups allPrivate
# Upload file
b2 upload-file my-backups /var/log/ufw.log ufw.log

Common Issues

• Permissions: your application key must have write/list/read rights.
• Large file timeouts: use –part-size flag for multipart uploads.

Which One to Choose?

• Best Free Tier: MEGA (20 GB) or pCloud (10 GB).
• Strongest Privacy: Proton Drive or Tresorit for end-to-end.
• Cost-Effective Archival: Backblaze B2 at 0.005/GB-mo.
• Simplicity: pCloud for lightweight installs, MEGA for robust sync.

Conclusion

For most OPNsense deployments, pCloud and MEGA deliver a balance of free storage, mature CLI tools, and ease of use. If privacy is paramount, lean toward Proton Drive or Tresorit despite higher costs. For large-scale log retention, Backblaze B2’s low per-GB pricing is unmatched. Follow the platform-specific installation steps above, watch for FUSE and permission quirks, and you’ll have reliable off-site backups directly from your OPNsense CLI.