Best cloud storage services with CLI for Ubuntu DesktopPack: (Guide)

Best Cloud Storage with CLI for Ubuntu DesktopPack

Managing files in the cloud directly from your terminal can streamline backups, automation and daily workflows. Ubuntu DesktopPack users have a rich ecosystem of CLI clients for popular cloud storage services. This article covers top recommendations, an in-depth comparison table, guidelines to choose the right provider, step-by-step CLI usage for each service and common troubleshooting tips.

Top Recommendations for Ubuntu DesktopPack

Comparison Table

Provider	Free Tier	CLI Tool	Encryption	Link
pCloud	10 GB	pcloudcc	Client-side optional (pCloud Crypto)	pCloud CLI
MEGA	20 GB	megacmd	Client-side	MEGA CMD
Proton Drive	1 GB	via rclone	Zero-access end-to-end	Proton Drive
Filen	10 GB	filen-cli	Client-side optional	Filen CLI
Tresorit	3 GB	tresorit-cli	End-to-end	Tresorit CLI
Icedrive	10 GB	icedrive	Client-side optional	Icedrive CLI
Dropbox	2 GB	dropbox-cli	In-transit server-side	Dropbox Linux
AWS S3	5 GB (free tier)	aws	Server-side	AWS CLI
Google Drive	15 GB	gdrive (3rd-party) / rclone	Server-side	gdrive GitHub
Nextcloud	Self-hosted	nextcloudcmd / davfs2	Optional end-to-end	Nextcloud

Which One to Choose?

Security Privacy: Proton Drive, Tresorit, pCloud Crypto and Icedrive offer zero-knowledge encryption.
Generous Free Tier: MEGA (20 GB) and Google Drive (15 GB) lead for sheer free volume.
Enterprise S3-like: AWS S3 via AWS CLI is ideal for programmatic backups, while Nextcloud is great if you self-host.
Ease of Use: Dropbox CLI and pCloudcc install cleanly on Ubuntu. MEGA CMD also has straightforward commands.
Automation: Anything supported by rclone can be scripted across providers.

Using Each Service with CLI

1. pCloud (pcloudcc)

Install and mount your pCloud drive:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install pcloudcc
pcloudcc --auth  # follow browser login
mkdir -p ~/pcloud
pcloudcc --mountpoint ~/pcloud

Common issues: “Error loading libcurl” – install libcurl4. Mount not auto-starting – add to ~/.bash_profile.

2. MEGA (megacmd)

Setup MEGA CMD:

sudo snap install megacmd --classic
mega-login your@email.com
mega-mkdir /Root/backup
mega-put ~/Documents /Root/backup
mega-sync /Root/backup ~/backup_local

Common issues: “Sync stalled” – update to latest snap “EACCESS” – ensure folder permissions.

3. Proton Drive via rclone

Configure via rclone:

sudo apt install rclone
rclone config
# choose “New remote”, name proton, type ProtonDrive
# follow OAuth flow in browser
rclone ls proton:
rclone copy ~/photos proton:/Photos

Common issues: OAuth token expiry – rerun rclone config reconnect proton:.

4. Filen

Install Filen CLI:

wget https://repository.filen.io/filen-cli.deb
sudo dpkg -i filen-cli.deb
filen login
filen upload ~/myfile.txt /myfiles
filen sync /myfiles ~/local_mirror

Common issues: “404 Not Found” on login – check repository URL ensure you’re on latest version.

5. Tresorit

Activate Tresorit CLI:

wget https://linux.tresorit.com/apt/tresorit_amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i tresorit_amd64.deb
tresorit login
tresorit list
tresorit sync MyTresor ~/Tresorit

Common issues: Login timeouts – adjust system clock firewall blocking ports.

6. Icedrive

Using the official CLI:

sudo snap install icedrive --classic
icedrive login
icedrive mount ~/iDrive
icedrive upload ~/file.zip /backup

Common issues: Fuse errors – install fuse package run sudo modprobe fuse.

7. Dropbox

Official CLI setup:

sudo apt install python3-gpg dropbox
dropbox start -i
dropbox status
dropbox exclude add Public
dropbox download /Photos/image.jpg ~/Pictures

Common issues: “Python-GPG missing” – install python3-gpg “Daemon not starting” – run with dropbox start -d.

8. AWS S3 (AWS CLI)

Install and configure AWS CLI:

sudo apt install awscli
aws configure  # add Access Key, Secret, region
aws s3 ls s3://mybucket
aws s3 sync ~/backup s3://mybucket/backup

Common issues: “Invalid credentials” – verify ~/.aws/credentials IAM policy restrictions.

9. Google Drive (gdrive)

Use the gdrive tool:

sudo apt install golang-go
go install github.com/prasmussen/gdrive@latest
export PATH=PATH:HOME/go/bin
gdrive about
gdrive upload ~/doc.pdf --parent folderID
gdrive download fileID

Common issues: OAuth redirect error – use --no-browser and paste code manually.

10. Nextcloud (nextcloudcmd)

Sync with Nextcloud:

sudo apt install nextcloud-client
nextcloudcmd --user user --password pass ~/Nextcloud https://cloud.example.com/remote.php/webdav/

Common issues: SSL errors – install CA certificates “Conflict” – rename locally before sync.

Conclusion

Ubuntu DesktopPack users have powerful CLI options for nearly every major cloud provider. Your ideal choice depends on your priorities—whether it’s zero-knowledge encryption, maximum free storage, self-hosting or scripting power. Follow the installation and usage steps provided, leverage rclone for unified workflows, and consult each tool’s docs to resolve common issues. Happy syncing!