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

Introduction

Thinstation is a lightweight Linux-based thin client distribution designed for remote desktop and cloud services. With minimal local resources, integrating cloud storage via command-line interfaces (CLI) is essential. This article reviews top cloud storage providers that offer robust CLI tools, shows how to use them on Thinstation, compares their features, and provides guidance on choosing the right solution.

Top Recommendations for Thinstation

• pCloud – Secure, easy-to-use CLI with encrypted folder support.
• MEGA – Generous free storage, end-to-end encryption, and a native mega-cmd client.
• Proton Drive – Privacy-focused, zero-knowledge, accessible via rclone.
• Filen – Italian provider with strong privacy, CLI via rclone.
• Tresorit – Enterprise-grade security, CLI via rclone.
• Icedrive – Modern UI, Crypto and Lite CLI tool.
• Dropbox – Popular, integrated CLI app dbxcli or rclone.
• Google Drive – Ubiquitous, accessible via rclone or gdrive.

Comparison Table

How to Use Each One with CLI Typical Issues

1. pCloud

pCloud offers pcloudcc (daemon) and pcloud (CLI). You can mount your storage on Thinstation.

Installation:

# Download and install pcloudcc
wget https://linux.pcloud.com/pcloudcc_4.0.2_amd64.deb
dpkg -i pcloudcc_4.0.2_amd64.deb

Authentication mounting:

pcloudcc --login your@email.com --password yourpassword
# Default mount is ~/pCloud

Typical problems:

• mountpoint not found: create it manually (mkdir ~/pCloud).
• Daemon crashes: update to latest version or switch to rclone pCloud remote.

2. MEGA

MEGA’s mega-cmd offers an interactive shell and background service. Ideal for large transfers.

Installation:

# On Debian/Ubuntu
apt-get install megacmd

Basic usage:

# Login
mega-login your@email.com yourpassword
# Upload
mega-put localfile.txt /Root/CloudFolder/
# Download
mega-get /Root/CloudFolder/remotefile.txt .

Typical problems:

• Timeouts on slow connections: use mega-sync for robust syncing.
• Auth errors: run mega-logout and re-login.

3. Proton Drive (rclone)

Proton Drive isn’t officially supported by a native CLI, but rclone has a community Proton backend.

Installation:

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

Configuration:

rclone config
# new remote > name: proton
# storage> protondrive
# follow prompts for client_id and client_secret (or use defaults)

Typical problems:

• Authentication loop: ensure your callback port is reachable (use manual mode).
• Slow transfers: tweak buffer-size and bandwidth settings.

4. Filen, Tresorit (rclone)

Both Filen and Tresorit integrate with rclone similarly.

# rclone config for Filen
rclone config create filen filen
# rclone config for Tresorit
rclone config create tresorit tresorit

Typical problems:

• Scope or token expiration: reauthorize via rclone config reconnect.
• Missing dependencies: install libgnutls or libcurl.

5. Icedrive

Icedrive offers icedrive-cli for Linux. It supports streaming mounts.

# Download binary
wget https://github.com/Icedrive/cli/releases/download/v1.1.0/icedrive-linux-x64.tar.gz
tar xzf icedrive-linux-x64.tar.gz
sudo mv icedrive /usr/local/bin/

# Login
icedrive auth login your@email.com
# List files
icedrive ls /
# Download file
icedrive download /remote.txt local.txt

Typical problems:

• Permission denied: ensure binary is executable (chmod x).
• Stale tokens: icedrive auth logout then re-login.

6. Dropbox (dbxcli / rclone)

Use dbxcli for a native experience or rclone for multi-cloud scripts.

# Install dbxcli
wget https://github.com/dropbox/dbxcli/releases/download/v3.0.0/dbxcli-linux-amd64
mv dbxcli-linux-amd64 /usr/local/bin/dbxcli
chmod  x /usr/local/bin/dbxcli
dbxcli config

# Using rclone
rclone config create dropbox dropbox

Typical problems:

• OAuth errors: ensure redirect URI matches rclone’s or dbxcli’s settings.

7. Google Drive (gdrive / rclone)

Use gdrive for basic tasks or rclone for advanced options.

# Install gdrive
wget https://github.com/prasmussen/gdrive/releases/download/2.1.0/gdrive-linux-x64
chmod  x gdrive-linux-x64
mv gdrive-linux-x64 /usr/local/bin/gdrive
gdrive about

# rclone setup
rclone config create gdrive drive

Typical problems:

• Rate limiting: reduce concurrent transfers or use service accounts.

Which One to Choose?

Choosing the right provider depends on:

• Storage needs: MEGA for up to 20 GB free, Google Drive for collaboration.
• Privacy: Proton Drive, Filen, Tresorit offer zero-knowledge encryption.
• Performance: Native clients (pCloud, MEGA) often beat generic tools.
• Ease of setup: rclone supports many clouds in a single tool.

For Thinstation’s minimal footprint, use rclone if you need multi-cloud in one binary. If you prefer a dedicated client, mega-cmd or pcloudcc are excellent choices.

Conclusion

Integrating cloud storage into Thinstation via CLI maximizes efficiency on resource-constrained thin clients. By comparing providers and using the examples above, you can select and configure the best solution for your environment. Always keep CLI tools updated, monitor typical issues, and choose the provider that aligns with your security and storage requirements.