Best cloud storage services with CLI for SME Server (formerly e-smith): (Guide)

Introduction

For small and medium enterprises running SME Server (formerly e-smith), integrating reliable cloud storage via command-line interfaces (CLI) ensures automated backups, scripts, and headless operations. In this article, we review leading cloud storage providers with native or community CLIs, compare their features, recommend the best fits for SME Server, and walk through setup, usage examples, and common pitfalls.

Top Recommended Providers for SME Server

• pCloud
• MEGA
• Proton Drive
• Filen
• Tresorit
• Icedrive
• Dropbox (via rclone or dropbox-uploader)
• Backblaze B2
• Amazon S3

Comparison Table

Which One to Choose?

• Unlimited automation: AWS S3 or Backblaze B2 for granular pricing and scalability via awscli or b2.
• Privacy-focused: MEGA or Tresorit for built-in zero-knowledge encryption.
• Budget-friendly: pCloud or Icedrive for low flat rates use pCloud Crypto or Icedrive Crypto for encryption.
• Ecosystem integration: Dropbox for native apps, Google Drive via rclone for Google Workspace integration.

How to Use Each with CLI

1. pCloud

Install the pCloud CLI daemon (pcloudcc), authenticate, and mount or sync.

# On CentOS/SME Server, enable EPEL and install:
yum install epel-release -y
yum install pcloudcc -y

# Authenticate (browser-based token)
pcloudcc -u your-email@example.com
# or use --authcode option if you have an auth code

# Mount to /mnt/pcloud
mkdir -p /mnt/pcloud
pcloudcc -m /mnt/pcloud

# Sync folder to pCloud
pcloudcc -u your-email@example.com -s /backups /remote/backups

Common issues:

• Authentication failure: ensure system time is correct and token is valid.
• Mount errors: confirm FUSE module is loaded (modprobe fuse).

2. MEGA

Use megacmd to login, upload, download, and sync.

# Install MEGAcmd
yum install wget -y
wget https://mega.nz/linux/MEGAsync/CentOS_7/x86_64/megacmd.rpm
rpm -Uvh megacmd.rpm

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

# Upload folder
mega-put /var/backups /BackupsFolder

# Sync local to remote
mega-sync /var/www /www_remote

Common issues:

• ENOSPC: client hitting inotify or transfer limits—use --no-progress.
• Network errors: adjust mega-transfers concurrency.

3. Proton Drive (via rclone)

Since no official Proton Drive CLI exists, use rclone with the WebDAV backend.

# Install rclone
curl https://rclone.org/install.sh  bash

# Configure Proton Drive via WebDAV
rclone config create protondrive webdav url https://drive.proton.me remote user your_email password your_app_password vendor Other

# List root
rclone ls protondrive:

# Sync local to Proton Drive
rclone sync /home/user/data protondrive:/backup

Common issues:

• Authentication failure: ensure you generate an app-specific password in Proton settings.
• SSL or certificate errors: update CA certificates with yum update ca-certificates.

4. Filen (via rclone)

Filen supports WebDAV and SFTP backends via rclone.

# Configure WebDAV for Filen
rclone config create filen webdav url https://dav.filen.io user your_email password your_token

# List files
rclone ls filen:

# Copy local folder to Filen
rclone copy /path/to/files filen:/MyFiles

Common issues:

• Timeouts: add --low-level-retries 10 --timeout 1m.

5. Tresorit

Install the official Tresorit CLI (tresorit-cli).

# Download and install
wget https://download.tresorit.com/linux/tresorit-cli.rpm
rpm -Uvh tresorit-cli.rpm

# Login
tresorit login

# Sync a tresor to local folder
tresorit sync MyTresor /mnt/tresor

# Upload file
tresorit upload /etc/hosts MyTresor/Subfolder

Common issues:

• Missing FUSE: install fuse-lib and ensure user in fuse group.

6. Icedrive (via rclone)

Icedrive can be accessed via WebDAV or its own rclone backend.

# Configure Icedrive
rclone config create icedrive webdav url https://webdav.icedrive.net user your_token password 

# List
rclone ls icedrive:

# Mirror backup directory
rclone sync /var/lib/mysql icedrive:/mysql-backups

Common issues:

• 401 Unauthorized: regenerate API token in Icedrive account settings.

7. Dropbox (via rclone or dropbox-uploader)

Two common methods:

1. rclone:

   rclone config create dropbox dropbox
   rclone sync /home/user/backups dropbox:/SME-Backups
   

2. dropbox-uploader (community script):

   git clone https://github.com/andreafabrizi/Dropbox-Uploader.git
   cd Dropbox-Uploader
   ./dropbox_uploader.sh upload /var/log/syslog /
   

Common issues:

• API rate limits: throttle with --bwlimit.

8. Backblaze B2

Use the official B2 CLI or rclone’s B2 backend.

# Official B2
pip install b2
b2 authorize-account ACCOUNT_ID APPLICATION_KEY

# Upload
b2 upload-file my-bucket /home/user/db.sql db.sql

# rclone
rclone config create b2 b2 account your_id key your_key
rclone copy /home/user/db b2:my-bucket/db-backups

Common issues:

• Bucket not found: verify bucket name and region consistency.

9. Amazon S3

Use AWS CLI or rclone.

# AWS CLI
yum install awscli -y
aws configure   # enter key, secret, region

# Sync folder
aws s3 sync /srv/www s3://my-sme-www --storage-class STANDARD_IA

# rclone
rclone config create aws s3 provider AWS access_key_id your_key secret_access_key your_secret region us-east-1
rclone sync /srv/www aws:my-sme-www

Common issues:

• Access denied: check IAM policies and bucket ACLs.
• Signature mismatch: ensure system clock is accurate.

Typical Problems and Solutions

• Authentication Failures: confirm credentials, regenerate tokens, sync system time with ntpdate.
• FUSE Mount Errors: load fuse module, add users to fuse group, check permissions.
• Rate Limits: throttle transfers with --bwlimit or provider CLI flags.
• SSL/CACERT Issues: update ca-certificates, verify curl or wget TrustStore.
• Firewall/Proxy Blocks: allow outbound HTTPS (port 443), configure proxy variables (HTTP_PROXY, HTTPS_PROXY).

Conclusion

Choosing the right cloud storage provider for SME Server depends on privacy needs, budget, and automation requirements. pCloud and Icedrive offer low-cost, flat-rate models MEGA and Tresorit provide zero-knowledge encryption AWS S3 and Backblaze B2 excel in scalability and script-driven workflows. By leveraging native CLIs or versatile tools like rclone, you can integrate seamless backups, syncs, and remote storage management directly into SME Server’s ecosystem.