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

Introduction

Pisi Linux is a lightweight and fast distribution that attracts users who prefer minimalism and performance. When working on servers, development environments or simply managing personal files, a reliable cloud storage solution with a powerful command-line interface (CLI) is indispensable. In this article, we review the best cloud storage providers offering CLI tools on Pisi Linux, compare their features, guide you through installation and usage, and highlight typical issues you may encounter.

Top Cloud Storage Solutions with CLI on Pisi Linux

• pCloud – Secure, zero-knowledge encryption, native pcloudcc CLI.
• MEGA – End-to-end encryption, MEGAcmd for full CLI control.
• Proton Drive – Privacy-focused, accessible via rclone.
• Filen – Swiss-based, zero-knowledge, works with rclone.
• Tresorit – Enterprise-grade encryption, supported by rclone.
• Icedrive – Modern encryption, official icedrive-cli binary.
• Dropbox – Popular, integrates via official CLI or rclone.
• Nextcloud – Self-hostable, mountable via WebDAV (davfs2).

Comparison Table

Which One to Choose?

• Privacy Security: Proton Drive, Tresorit and Icedrive offer zero-knowledge encryption by default.
• Native CLI: pCloud and MEGA have purpose-built CLIs. Dropbox offers an official CLI but relies on OAuth.
• Flexibility: rclone unifies many backends (Proton, Filen, Tresorit, Dropbox).
• Self-hosting: Nextcloud is ideal if you want full control over your data and run your own server.
• Budget: Filen and Proton Drive start at very low cost MEGA gives generous free storage.

Installing and Using Each CLI on Pisi Linux

pCloud (pcloudcc)

Install via Pisi repository and authenticate:

sudo pisi it pcloudcc
pcloudcc --username you@example.com --password YourPassword
pcloudcc --mountpoint ~/pcloud

Common issue: FUSE permission. If mount fails, ensure fuse and fuse-utils are installed.

MEGA (MEGAcmd)

Install MEGAcmd and login:

sudo pisi it megacmd
mega-login you@example.com YourPassword
mega-mount ~/mega
mega-ls /
mega-put localfile.txt /

Typical problem: If mega-mount hangs, kill existing mount with fusermount -u ~/mega and retry.

Proton Drive via rclone

Use rclone’s built-in Proton Drive backend.

sudo pisi it rclone
rclone config create protondrive protondrive
# Follow prompts for client_id, secret, OAuth
rclone ls protondrive:
rclone copy ~/Documents protondrive:/Documents

Tip: If OAuth fails, run rclone config reconnect protondrive: to refresh tokens.

Filen via rclone

Configure Filen endpoint:

rclone config create filen filen
# Provide API key or credentials
rclone lsd filen:
rclone sync ~/Backup filen:/Backup

Note: Filen may throttle on free accounts. Monitor with –bwlimit.

Tresorit via rclone

Set up Tresorit remote:

rclone config create tresorit tresorit
rclone mount tresorit: ~/tresorit --daemon
rclone copy ~/Work tresorit:/Work

If rclone mount reports “permission denied”, ensure allow_other is enabled in /etc/fuse.conf.

Icedrive (icedrive-cli)

Download and run the official CLI binary:

wget https://docs.icedrive.net/downloads/icedrive-cli-linux.zip
unzip icedrive-cli-linux.zip  chmod  x icedrive
./icedrive login
./icedrive mkdir remote:/MyFolder
./icedrive upload localfile.txt remote:/MyFolder/

Watch for missing libs. If ./icedrive fails, install libssl and libcurl via Pisi.

Dropbox via rclone or Official CLI

With rclone:

rclone config create dropbox dropbox
rclone copy ~/Photos dropbox:/Photos

Or install the official Dropbox daemon:

sudo pisi it nautilus-dropbox
dropbox start -i
dropbox autostart y

Nextcloud via WebDAV (davfs2)

Mount your Nextcloud storage locally:

sudo pisi it davfs2
mkdir -p ~/nextcloud
sudo mount -t davfs https://cloud.example.com/remote.php/dav/files/username ~/nextcloud

To auto-mount, add entry to /etc/fstab with credentials stored in ~/.davfs2/secrets.

Typical Problems and Troubleshooting

• FUSE Mount Errors: Ensure /etc/fuse.conf contains “user_allow_other” and that you’re in the fuse group.
• Authentication Failures: Check OAuth tokens for rclone use rclone config reconnect to refresh.
• Rate Limits Throttling: Free plans may be rate-limited. Use –bwlimit or upgrade plan.
• Missing Dependencies: Install required libraries (libssl, curl, fuse) via Pisi.
• Permission Problems: Verify file ownership and group membership when mounting and syncing.

Conclusion

Pisi Linux users have a wealth of cloud storage options with robust CLI tools. If you seek native performance and official support, pCloud or MEGA are top picks. For privacy enthusiasts, Proton Drive, Tresorit and Icedrive shine. When you need a unified interface, rclone simplifies management across multiple services. Finally, if you control your infrastructure, Nextcloud offers unmatched flexibility. Choose the solution that best aligns with your workflow, security requirements and budget.