Best cloud storage services with CLI for OLPC OS (One Laptop Per Child Operating System): (Tutorial)

Introduction

One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) OS is a lightweight Linux distribution tailored for education and low-resource hardware. While it excels in simplicity, managing cloud storage via command-line interfaces (CLI) can be challenging. This article explores the best cloud storage services that offer robust CLI tools compatible with OLPC OS, guiding you through installation, usage, comparisons, and troubleshooting.

Top Recommended Services

• pCloud (https://www.pcloud.com)
• MEGA (https://mega.nz)
• Proton Drive (https://proton.me/storage/drive)
• Filen (https://filen.io)
• Tresorit (https://tresorit.com)
• Icedrive (https://icedrive.net)
• Dropbox (https://www.dropbox.com) – via official CLI

Comparison Table

How to Choose the Right Service

• Storage Needs: For large free quotas, MEGA or Icedrive are top picks. pCloud and Filen also offer generous free tiers.
• Privacy: Proton Drive, Tresorit, and pCloud’s Crypto add-on provide zero-knowledge encryption.
• Ease of Use: Services with dedicated CLI apps (pCloud, MEGA, Tresorit) often install more cleanly on OLPC OS.
• Bandwidth Speed: MEGA is known for high transfer speeds, while Proton Drive via rclone depends on your configuration.

CLI Usage Examples

1. pCloud (pcloudcc)

Install and authorize pcloudcc:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install pcloudcc
pcloudcc -u your_email@example.com -p your_password -d /mnt/pcloud

Sync a local folder:

pcloudcc --synchronize /home/olpc/documents /pclouddrive/Documents

2. MEGA (megacmd)

Install Mega CMD and login:

sudo apt-get install megacmd
mega-login your_email@example.com your_password

Upload and download files:

mega-put report.pdf /Root/Reports
mega-get /Root/Photos ~/Pictures

3. Proton Drive via rclone

Configure rclone for Proton Drive:

sudo apt-get install rclone
rclone config  # choose new remote, select WebDAV, then Proton Drive settings

Sync directories:

rclone sync ~/olpc/notes proton:NotesBackup

4. Filen via rclone

Setup Filen remote:

rclone config  # new remote, choose Filen

Upload folder:

rclone copy ~/olpc/projects filen:MyProjects

5. Tresorit (tresorit-cli)

Install and authenticate:

wget https://platform.tresorit.com/download/linux/tresorit-cli-latest.deb
sudo dpkg -i tresorit-cli-latest.deb
tresorit-cli login

List and sync:

tresorit-cli list
tresorit-cli sync --local ~/olpc/tresor --remote Tresors/MyTresor

6. Icedrive (icedrive-cli)

Download and mount via CLI:

wget https://icedrive.net/downloads/icedrive-cli-linux.zip
unzip icedrive-cli-linux.zip  cd icedrive-cli
chmod  x icedrive
./icedrive auth
./icedrive mount ~/olpc/icedrive

7. Dropbox (dropbox-cli)

Install official Dropbox CLI:

sudo apt-get install python3-gpg dropbox
dropbox start -i

Sync status and commands:

dropbox status
dropbox upload ~/olpc/notes.txt /

Typical Problems and Troubleshooting

• Dependency Errors: Some CLI tools require FUSE or specific libraries. Ensure fuse and libcurl are installed.
• Authentication Failures: Two-factor auth may block CLI login. Use app-specific passwords or OAuth tokens.
• Mount Failures: Check FUSE permissions (sudo usermod -aG fuse USER) and remount.
• Slow Transfers: Bandwidth throttling or proxy settings can hamper speed. Use multi-threaded options (e.g., rclone -P --transfers 4).
• Storage Limits: Free tiers often expire or require referrals. Monitor quotas with rclone about or native status commands.

Conclusion

For OLPC OS users seeking CLI-based cloud storage, pCloud and MEGA stand out for ease of installation and generous free storage. Privacy-oriented users should consider Proton Drive or Tresorit via rclone. Testing a couple of options on your hardware will reveal the best balance of speed, security, and capacity. With the proper CLI tools and a bit of configuration, even low-powered education laptops can leverage world-class cloud storage seamlessly.