Best cloud storage services with CLI for Smoothwall Express (formerly SmoothWall Express): (Comparison)

Introduction

Smoothwall Express is a popular, lightweight Linux distribution designed for firewall and gateway services. In many deployments, administrators need secure, off-site storage to back up logs, configurations or user data. A command-line interface (CLI) client makes automation and remote management straightforward. In this article we explore the best cloud storage providers offering CLI support on Linux, focusing on pCloud, MEGA, Proton Drive, Filen, Tresorit, Icedrive and some additional options. We compare their features, help you choose the right one, and show you how to install and use each with typical troubleshooting tips.

Top Recommended Providers

• pCloud
• MEGA
• Proton Drive
• Filen
• Tresorit
• Icedrive
• Backblaze B2 (added)
• Dropbox (added)

Comparison Table

Which One to Choose?

• Need large free storage? MEGA (20 GB) or Filen (50 GB).
• Require end-to-end encryption? Proton Drive, Filen, Tresorit.
• Want an end-to-end encrypted CLI? Proton Drive with proton-drive-cli or Filen via rclone WebDAV.
• Prefer an official and dedicated CLI? pCloud (pcloudcc), MEGA (mega-cmd), Backblaze B2 (b2).
• Looking for affordable pay-as-you-go? Backblaze B2.
• Already use Dropbox? Use rclone for integration on Smoothwall.

How to Use Each with CLI

1. pCloud (pcloudcc)

Installation:

# Debian/Ubuntu
wget https://linux.pcloud.com/pcloudcc_amd64.deb
apt install ./pcloudcc_amd64.deb

Authentication:

pcloudcc --auth user@example.com
# You will be prompted for your password and 2FA

Basic commands:

pcloudcc --upload /etc/configs config_backup/
pcloudcc --list /
pcloudcc --download config_backup/config.conf /root/restore.conf

Typical issues: Missing FUSE in kernel ensure fuse module is loaded:

modprobe fuse

2. MEGA (mega-cmd)

Installation (Ubuntu/Debian):

apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 6B8E6F19
echo deb https://mega.nz/linux/MEGAsync/xUbuntu_(lsb_release -rs)/ ./  tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mega.list
apt update  apt install mega-cmd

Authentication:

mega-login user@example.com

Basic commands:

mega-put /var/log/syslog /backup/syslog.log
mega-ls /backup
mega-get /backup/syslog.log ~/syslog.log

Typical issues: Check mega-session if login fails. Use mega-logout then mega-login again.

3. Proton Drive (proton-drive-cli)

Note: Proton Drive CLI is in Beta. You can also use rclone.

Installation:

# Download latest from GitHub
wget https://github.com/ProtonMail/proton-drive-cli/releases/download/v0.4.0/proton-drive-linux-amd64.tar.gz
tar xzf proton-drive-linux-amd64.tar.gz
install proton-drive /usr/local/bin/

Authentication:

proton-drive login
# Follow URL and paste the code

Basic commands:

proton-drive upload /etc/smoothwall.conf /
proton-drive list /
proton-drive download /smoothwall.conf ~/restore.conf

Typical issues: Beta service limits ensure you have the right Proton account tier.

4. Filen (via rclone)

Filen does not have an official CLI use rclone with WebDAV:

apt install rclone
rclone config
# Choose n for new remote
# name> filen
# type> webdav
# url> https://webdav.filen.io
# vendor> other
# user/pass> your credentials

# List remote
rclone ls filen:
# Upload a file
rclone copy /etc/configs filen:backup_configs

Typical issues: WebDAV timeouts—use --transfers 1 --timeout 1m flags.

5. Tresorit (via rclone)

Use rclone with the Tresorit backend:

rclone config
# new remote tresorit
# type> tresorit
# Enter your API key/secret from Tresorit dashboard

rclone copy /etc/secure tresorit:ConfigsSecure
rclone ls tresorit:

Typical issues: API key permissions must include “Files” and “Folders”.

6. Icedrive (via rclone)

Rclone supports Icedrive natively:

rclone config
# new remote icedrive
# type> icedrive
# Paste your OAuth token

rclone sync /var/log icedrive:LogsArchive
rclone ls icedrive:

Typical issues: OAuth token expiration—re-authenticate when needed.

7. Backblaze B2 (b2 CLI)

Installation:

pip install b2

Authentication:

b2 authorize-account  

Basic commands:

b2 create-bucket configs_bucket allPrivate
b2 upload-file configs_bucket /etc/smoothwall.conf smoothwall.conf
b2 ls configs_bucket

Typical issues: Clock skew—ensure NTP is synced on Smoothwall.

8. Dropbox (via rclone)

Although Dropbox has a partial Python CLI, rclone is recommended:

rclone config
# new remote dropbox
# type> dropbox
# Follow the OAuth link

rclone copy /home/admin/dropbox_test dropbox:WSMBackup
rclone ls dropbox:

Typical issues: API rate limits—avoid very large sync jobs in one go.

Conclusion

For Smoothwall Express environments, your choice depends on capacity, encryption needs and CLI availability. For full official CLI support use pCloud or MEGA. For maximum privacy with end-to-end encryption, Proton Drive or Filen via rclone are ideal. If cost is key, Backblaze B2 stands out. Finally, rclone provides a universal interface across most services. Always test uploads/downloads, monitor logs for errors (authentication, timeouts) and automate backups via cron.