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

Best Cloud Storage with CLI for Linux PrimTux

PrimTux, an educational Linux distribution tailored for young learners and teachers, often requires lightweight, scriptable tools. Managing cloud storage directly from the terminal simplifies automation and integration into teaching workflows. Below, we review top cloud providers offering official or community CLI tools, suggest additional options, compare features, and show how to install and use each on PrimTux.

Top Recommended Cloud Storage Providers

• pCloud – Secure, zero-knowledge encryption (optional), 10 GB free.
• Mega – End-to-end encrypted, 20 GB free bonus.
• Proton Drive – Privacy-focused, end-to-end encrypted, 1 GB free.
• Filen – Zero-knowledge encryption, 10 GB free.
• Tresorit – Enterprise-grade security, 3 GB free.
• Icedrive – Twofish encryption, 10 GB free.
• rclone – Multi-backend sync tool supporting Google Drive, OneDrive, S3, Mega, pCloud, etc.
• Dropbox (via Dropbox-Uploader) – Popular, 2 GB free.

Comparison Table

Which One to Choose?

• Students Beginners: pCloud or Icedrive for user-friendly setup and decent free tier.
• Privacy-conscious: Mega or Proton Drive for end-to-end encryption.
• Teachers Administrators: rclone connecting to institutional Google Drive/OneDrive, or Tresorit for compliance.
• Advanced Scripting: rclone or Dropbox-Uploader for maximum backend flexibility.

How to Use Each Cloud Storage with CLI

1. pCloud (pcloudcc)

Official pCloud CLI daemon for Linux.

1. Install pcloudcc:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install pcloudcc
  

2. Authenticate and run:

pcloudcc -u your@email.com -p YourPassword --daemon
  

3. Mount remote folder:

mkdir -p ~/pcloud
pcloudcc --mountpoint ~/pcloud
  

4. Typical problems:
   • Mount errors: ensure FUSE installed (sudo apt install fuse).
   • “Conflict” issues: use --configdir to isolate profiles.

2. Mega (megacmd)

Official Mega command-line tool.

1. Download and install:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install megacmd
  

2. Login:

mega-login your@email.com YourPassword
  

3. Basic commands:

mega-ls /Root
mega-put localfile.txt /Root/RemoteFolder
mega-get /Root/RemoteFolder/file.txt ~/Downloads
  

4. Typical problems:
   • “Network timeout”: add --verbose or update to latest megacmd.

3. Proton Drive (proton-drive-cli)

1. Install via pip:

sudo apt install python3-pip
pip3 install proton-drive-cli
  

2. Authenticate (will open browser):

proton-drive login
  

3. Upload/download:

proton-drive upload file.pdf /MyDrive/Docs
proton-drive download /MyDrive/Docs/file.pdf .
  

4. Typical problems:
   • OAuth fails: ensure xdg-open is installed.

4. Filen (filen-cli)

1. Install:

pip3 install filen-cli
  

2. Configure API key:

filen login
  

3. Use:

filen upload report.docx /Reports/
filen list /Reports/
  

4. Typical problems:
   • Rate limit: slow down batch transfers.

5. Tresorit (tresorit-cli)

1. Download AppImage or DEB:

wget https://download.tresorit.com/linux/tresorit-client.deb
sudo apt install ./tresorit-client.deb
  

2. Login and sync folder:

tresorit login
tresorit sync MyTresor ~/Tresorit
  

3. Typical problems:
   • Permission denied: run tresorit daemon as your user.

6. Icedrive

1. Download binary:

wget https://icedrive.net/downloads/icedrive
chmod  x icedrive
sudo mv icedrive /usr/local/bin/
  

2. Authenticate:

icedrive auth
  

3. Basic usage:

icedrive upload file.png /MyDrive/Pictures
icedrive download /MyDrive/Pictures/file.png .
  

4. Typical problems:
   • SSL errors: install ca-certificates.

7. rclone

1. Install:

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

2. Configure remote:

rclone config
# Follow interactive prompts: new remote, choose provider, auth
  

3. Sync example:

rclone sync ~/SchoolDocs remote:Docs --progress
  

4. Typical problems:
   • Auth browser fails on headless: use manual OAuth.

8. Dropbox (Dropbox-Uploader)

1. Clone script:

git clone https://github.com/andreafabrizi/Dropbox-Uploader.git
cd Dropbox-Uploader
chmod  x dropbox_uploader.sh
sudo mv dropbox_uploader.sh /usr/local/bin/dropbox_uploader
  

2. Configure:

dropbox_uploader
# Enter app key/secret or follow on-screen
  

3. Upload/download:

dropbox_uploader upload notes.txt /School/notes.txt
dropbox_uploader download /School/notes.txt .
  

4. Typical problems:
   • Permission denied: ensure executable bit set.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

• FUSE not installed: sudo apt install fuse.
• SSL/certificate errors: sudo apt install ca-certificates.
• Headless OAuth: use manual copy-paste tokens or configure on another machine.
• Rate limits: throttle batch scripts with sleep.

Conclusion

Choosing the right CLI-based cloud storage depends on free tier, encryption needs, and scripting requirements. PrimTux users will find pCloud and Icedrive straightforward, while rclone offers unmatched flexibility for multi-provider workflows. Privacy-focused schools may prefer Mega or Proton Drive. Follow the installation and usage guides above to integrate cloud storage seamlessly into your PrimTux environment.