Best cloud storage services with CLI for Parabola GNU/Linux-libre: (Comparison)

Best Cloud Storage with CLI for Parabola GNU/Linux-libre

Parabola GNU/Linux-libre is a fully free-software distribution that values software freedom and transparency. When selecting cloud storage solutions with a command-line interface (CLI), it’s essential to balance convenience, encryption, open-source support and compatibility with free-software principles. This article reviews top providers—pCloud, MEGA, Proton Drive, Filen, Tresorit, Icedrive—plus additional suggestions (Dropbox, Backblaze B2), and shows how to install and use each on Parabola GNU/Linux-libre. You’ll find a detailed comparison table, guidance on choosing the right service, CLI usage examples, and troubleshooting tips.

Comparison Table

Top Recommendations for Parabola GNU/Linux-libre

• pCloud: Generous free tier, optional zero-knowledge encryption, strong CLI support via Rclone.
• MEGA: End-to-end encryption by default, active open-source CLI (megacmd).
• Proton Drive: Privacy-focused, free-software integration through rclone, Swiss jurisdiction.
• Icedrive: Modern UI, optional client-side encryption, good CLI tools.

Which One to Choose?

• If you need pure free-software CLI and open-source trust, use providers supported by rclone (pCloud, Filen, Proton Drive, Backblaze B2).
• If you want native end-to-end encryption with minimal setup, choose MEGA or Tresorit (though Tresorit’s CLI is proprietary).
• If pricing is critical, consider Backblaze B2 pay-as-you-go or lifetime plans from Icedrive/pCloud.

Installing and Using Each Service via CLI

1. pCloud

We recommend using rclone for a fully free-software approach.

# Install rclone
pacman -S rclone

# Configure pCloud remote
rclone config
# > n (new remote)
# name> pcloud
# Storage> pcloud
# Client_id/secret (optional): press enter
# Use auto config? y
# Complete OAuth in browser

# List files
rclone ls pcloud:

# Sync local to remote
rclone sync ~/Documents pcloud:Documents

Typical issues: OAuth browser pop-up may fail in headless servers use remote OAuth manual mode.

2. MEGA

Use the official MEGAcmd client.

# Install MEGAcmd
git clone https://github.com/meganz/MEGAcmd.git
cd MEGAcmd  mkdir build  cd build
cmake ..  make  sudo make install

# Login
mega-login your.email@example.com password

# Upload a file
mega-put ~/file.txt /Root

# Download a directory
mega-get /Root/myfolder ~/Downloads

# List remote
mega-ls /Root

Typical issues: “glibc” version mismatches compile from source. Ensure dependencies: cmake, libssl-dev, libcrypto .

3. Proton Drive

Proton Drive is accessible via rclone’s protondrive backend.

# Install rclone
pacman -S rclone

# Configure Proton Drive
rclone config
# > n
# name> proton
# Storage> protondrive
# Client_id/secret: leave blank for default
# Complete OAuth flow with browser
# service account / advanced scope: no

# List files
rclone ls proton:

# Copy to remote
rclone copy ~/Music proton:MusicBackup

Typical issues: Rate limits if many small files. Consider combining them or using checksums carefully.

4. Filen

Filen is also supported by rclone:

# Install rclone
pacman -S rclone

# Configure Filen
rclone config
# > n
# name> filen
# Storage> filen
# API credentials: register at Filen to get client_id and client_secret

# Sync
rclone sync ~/Pictures filen:Photos

Typical issues: Must request API credentials from Filen support response time varies.

5. Tresorit

Tresorit provides a proprietary CLI:

# Download Tresorit CLI (AppImage or .tar.gz) from website
wget https://downloads.tresorit.com/apps/tresorit-linux.tar.gz
tar -xzf tresorit-linux.tar.gz
cd tresorit-linux

# Login
./tresorit login you@example.com
Password: 

# List Tresors
./tresorit list

# Mount Tresor
./tresorit mount MyTresor /mnt/tresor

Typical issues: FUSE mount permission add your user to fuse group. The client is proprietary, so verify licensing.

6. Icedrive

Icedrive supports both native CLI and rclone.

# Native CLI
wget https://icedrive.net/install/linux-cli/icedrive-cli.zip
unzip icedrive-cli.zip  cd icedrive-cli

# Login
./icedrive login yourtoken

# Upload
./icedrive upload ~/example.txt /

# Using rclone
pacman -S rclone
rclone config
# > n
# name> icedrive
# Storage> icedrive
# Token> paste from Icedrive account page
# List
rclone ls icedrive:

Typical issues: Generating the API token—visit the Icedrive web panel. CLI may require glibc ≥ 2.28.

7. Dropbox

Official CLI plus rclone are available.

# Official CLI (Linux distribution not official, use Snap or build)
snap install dropbox

# Or use rclone
pacman -S rclone
rclone config
# > n
# name> dropbox
# Storage> dropbox
# Complete OAuth

# List
rclone ls dropbox:

Typical issues: Snap on Parabola may conflict with freedom policy prefer rclone.

8. Backblaze B2

Backblaze B2 is purely API-driven via rclone.

# Install rclone
pacman -S rclone

# Configure B2
rclone config
# > n
# name> b2
# Storage> b2
# Account and key from https://www.backblaze.com

# Create bucket
rclone mkdir b2:mybucket

# Upload
rclone copy ~/Backup b2:mybucket

Typical issues: Payments required before storing watch region-specific endpoints.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

• OAuth Pop-ups in Headless Environments: Use rclone authorize with a local machine.
• FUSE Mount Permissions: Add your user to fuse group, ensure /etc/fuse.conf has user_allow_other.
• Rate Limits Throttling: Large parallel transfers can trigger API limits—tweak --transfers and --checkers.
• Missing Dependencies: Always install curl, openssl, and relevant FUSE libs (fuse2).
• Time Skew Issues: Ensure your system clock is synced via ntpd or systemd-timesyncd.

Conclusion

Choosing the best cloud storage with CLI for Parabola GNU/Linux-libre depends on your priorities: open-source compliance, encryption model, pricing, and storage needs. For pure Free Software and flexibility, rclone-supported services (pCloud, Proton Drive, Filen, Backblaze B2) excel. For turnkey encrypted solutions, MEGA and Tresorit shine. Finally, Icedrive offers a modern UI and lifetime pricing. Use the examples above to install, configure, and troubleshoot each CLI, and enjoy secure, command-line-driven cloud workflows.