Best cloud storage services with CLI for Peppermint OS: (Tutorial)

Introduction

Peppermint OS is a lightweight, Debian-based distribution designed for speed and efficiency. For users who handle large amounts of data or require secure backups, integrating a cloud storage solution with a command-line interface (CLI) can streamline workflows, automate backups, and reduce dependence on graphical clients. This article explores the best cloud storage providers with robust CLI support on Peppermint OS, offers a comparison table, and provides step-by-step instructions for each service.

Top Recommended Cloud Storage Providers

• pCloud
• Mega
• Proton Drive
• Filen
• Tresorit
• Icedrive
• Dropbox (official CLI)
• Google Drive via rclone
• OneDrive via rclone

Comparison Table

Which One to Choose?

• For privacy/security: Proton Drive, Tresorit, Filen.
• For generous free tier: Mega, Google Drive.
• For seamless CLI integration: pCloud (dedicated CLI), Mega (megacmd), Dropbox (dbxcli).
• For single-tool support across providers: rclone with Google Drive, OneDrive, Proton Drive, Filen, Icedrive.

Using Each Cloud Service with CLI on Peppermint OS

1. pCloud (pcloudcc)

1. Install dependencies:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y g   cmake libcurl4-openssl-dev libssl-dev
  

2. Download and compile pcloudcc:

git clone https://github.com/pcloudcom/console-client.git
cd console-client
mkdir build  cd build
cmake ..
make
sudo make install
  

3. Authenticate:

pcloudcc -u your_email -p your_password
  

4. Basic commands:

# List files
pcloudcc -l
# Upload file
pcloudcc -u /path/to/local.txt /remote/folder/
# Download file
pcloudcc -d /remote/file.txt /local/folder/
  

2. Mega (megacmd)

1. Install megacmd:

wget https://mega.nz/linux/repo/Ubuntu_(lsb_release -rs)/Release.key -O Release.key
sudo apt-key add Release.key
echo deb https://mega.nz/linux/repo/Ubuntu_(lsb_release -rs)/ ./   sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mega.list
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y megacmd
  

2. Login:

mega-login your_email your_password
  

3. Basic operations:

# List
mega-ls
# Upload
mega-put local.txt /MyDrive/backup/
# Download
mega-get /MyDrive/photo.jpg ~/Pictures/
  

3. Proton Drive (via rclone)

1. Install rclone:

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

2. Configure Proton Drive:

rclone config
# Choose new remote, name e.g. proton
# Select Proton Drive from list
# Follow on-screen OAuth steps
  

3. Commands:

# List
rclone ls proton:
# Upload
rclone copy ~/Documents/report.pdf proton:Reports
# Download
rclone copy proton:Photos/image.jpg ~/Pictures
  

4. Filen (via rclone)

1. Ensure rclone is installed (see Proton Drive).
2. Configure Filen remote:

rclone config
# new remote filen
# choose WebDAV
# URL: https://webdav.filen.io
# vendor: other
# enter credentials
  

3. Usage:

rclone ls filen:
rclone copy ~/Videos/filen_video.mp4 filen:Backups
rclone sync filen:Project folder/ ~/LocalProject
  

5. Tresorit (t3rcli)

1. Download and install t3rcli:

wget https://github.com/tresorit/t3rcli/releases/download/v1.0.0/t3rcli-linux-amd64 -O t3rcli
chmod  x t3rcli
sudo mv t3rcli /usr/local/bin/
  

2. Login:

t3rcli login
# opens browser for auth
  

3. Basic commands:

t3rcli ls
t3rcli upload /etc/hosts=Secure/hosts.backup
t3rcli download Secure/notes.txt=~/notes.txt
  

6. Icedrive (via rclone)

1. Install rclone (as above).
2. Configure Icedrive:

rclone config
# new remote icedrive
# select WebDAV
# URL: https://webdav.icedrive.net
# vendor: other
# credentials
  

3. Commands:

rclone ls icedrive:
rclone copy ~/Music icedrive:MusicBackup
rclone mount icedrive: ~/mnt/icedrive --daemon
  

7. Dropbox (dbxcli)

1. Install dbxcli:

GO111MODULE=on go get -u github.com/dropbox/dbxcli
sudo mv ~/go/bin/dbxcli /usr/local/bin/
  

2. Authenticate:

dbxcli account
# follow OAuth instructions
  

3. Usage:

dbxcli ls /
dbxcli put report.pdf /Backups/
dbxcli get /Photos/holiday.jpg ~/Pictures/
  

8. Google Drive amp OneDrive (rclone)

1. Install rclone.
2. Configure each with rclone config, selecting Google Drive or OneDrive. Follow OAuth instructions in your browser.
3. Sample commands:

# Google Drive
rclone ls gdrive:
rclone copy gdrive:Shared/project.zip ~/Downloads/

# OneDrive
rclone ls onedrive:
rclone sync ~/Work onedrive:WorkBackup
  

Typical Problems and Troubleshooting

• Authentication failures: Ensure system time is correct. Remove stale tokens (~/.config/rclone, ~/.pcloud, etc.) and re-run login steps.
• Permission denied: Mount points require FUSE and user in fuse group. Install fuse and add user: sudo adduser USER fuse.
• Rate limits: Some free tiers throttle CLI usage. Upgrade plan or space out automated jobs.
• SSL errors: Update CA certificates: sudo apt install --reinstall ca-certificates.
• Mount instability: Use --daemon-timeout or mount with --vfs-cache-mode full for rclone.

Conclusion

Choosing the right cloud storage with CLI support on Peppermint OS depends on your priorities—privacy, free storage, pricing, or ease of integration. pCloud and Mega stand out for dedicated CLI clients, while rclone offers unmatched flexibility across multiple providers. Tresorit and Proton Drive excel in end-to-end encryption for sensitive data. With these tools and troubleshooting tips, you can streamline backups, automate workflows, and maintain secure access to your files directly from the command line.