Raspberry Pi ownCloud: Your Personal Cloud Storage

In this project, we are going to set up an ownCloud server on the Raspberry Pi. This server can act as your very own personal cloud storage.

As protecting your privacy becomes harder and harder, you may be considering moving your files to a private self-hosted cloud storage. If this is the case, then this tutorial is perfect for you.

The ownCloud web interface is very similar to the many cloud storage providers that are available, such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and more. This similarity will make changing over to the self-hosted software much easier.

It is important to remember that since your data will be stored on your home network, you will end up with using more bandwidth if you upload and download files from outside your network.

This tutorial will take you through everything you need to know to get ownCloud setup and accessible.

If you are curious and want to learn more about the ownCloud software, be sure to check out the ownCloud website.

Equipment

I made use of the following equipment for this personal cloud storage setup.

Optional

Raspberry Pi Case ( Amazon )
USB Keyboard ( Amazon )
USB Mouse ( Amazon )

Note: It is highly likely that the USB ports on the Raspberry Pi will be unable to power an external hard drive so you may need to invest in a powered USB hub.

We last tested this tutorial on the Raspberry Pi 5 running Raspberry Pi OS Bookworm. We highly recommend that you update the to the latest operating system for the best experience.

Video

If you are a visual person and would like to see our video on how to put this tutorial together, check out the video below.

It will take you through everything you need to know get your Raspberry Pi ownCloud server up and running.

Setting up The Raspberry Pi ownCloud Server

Firstly, you will need to have a Raspberry Pi with an OS installed. If you haven’t installed Raspberry Pi OS, then check out our guide on installing Raspberry Pi OS. We recommend using the latest version for the best performance and reliability.

There are quite a few ways you can install ownCloud onto your Raspberry Pi. In this tutorial, we will be using Docker to set up ownCloud.

In our previous version of this tutorial, we used Nginx, but this method is deprecated, and we now recommend using Docker, especially since ownCloud still relies on PHP7.4.

Installing Docker

The first thing we need to do is install Docker on our Raspberry Pi. We will need this software to run the ownCloud software.

1. Firstly, in the terminal or via SSH, we will need to update the Raspberry Pi and its packages. Do this by entering the following two commands.

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

2. You will need to ensure that you have Docker on your Raspberry Pi before proceeding to the next few steps. If you already have it installed, go to step 3.

If you need to install Docker, run through our tutorial on setting up Docker on the Raspberry Pi. It will take you through all the steps to set up the software correctly.

https://pimylifeup.com/raspberry-pi-docker/

Creating the Required Directories

3. We now need to create the directories for where we will store the compose file and environment variables.

You can do this by running the mkdir command. The “-p” option will create any missing directories.

sudo mkdir -p /opt/stacks/owncloud

4. Now change into the newly created directory by using the cd command.

cd /opt/stacks/owncloud

Setting up the Docker Compose File

5. Before we proceed, we will need to get the IP address of the Raspberry Pi. You will need to use the IP address in the environment file and to access the ownCloud web interface.

I recommend that you set your Raspberry Pi IP to static to avoid it changing in the future.

To get the IP address of the Raspberry Pi, enter the hostname command with the option “-I“.

hostname -I

6. It is time to write a compose file for our ownCloud setup. This file is a set of instructions Docker will run through to set up all the relevant services with the specified options. Alongside ownCloud, we will be setting up a MySQL and a Redis server.

Create and edit this file by running the following command. We will be using the nano text editor.

sudo nano compose.yaml

7. In this file, copy and paste the following text. Thankfully, we do not need to make any changes to this file, as any extra configurations will be stored in an environment file.

services:
  owncloud:
    image: owncloud/server:${OWNCLOUD_VERSION}
    container_name: owncloud_server
    restart: always
    ports:
      - ${HTTP_PORT}:8080
    depends_on:
      - mariadb
      - redis
    environment:
      - OWNCLOUD_DOMAIN=${OWNCLOUD_DOMAIN}
      - OWNCLOUD_TRUSTED_DOMAINS=${OWNCLOUD_TRUSTED_DOMAINS}
      - OWNCLOUD_DB_TYPE=mysql
      - OWNCLOUD_DB_NAME=owncloud
      - OWNCLOUD_DB_USERNAME=owncloud
      - OWNCLOUD_DB_PASSWORD=owncloud
      - OWNCLOUD_DB_HOST=mariadb
      - OWNCLOUD_ADMIN_USERNAME=${ADMIN_USERNAME}
      - OWNCLOUD_ADMIN_PASSWORD=${ADMIN_PASSWORD}
      - OWNCLOUD_MYSQL_UTF8MB4=true
      - OWNCLOUD_REDIS_ENABLED=true
      - OWNCLOUD_REDIS_HOST=redis
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD", "/usr/bin/healthcheck"]
      interval: 30s
      timeout: 10s
      retries: 5
    volumes:
      - ${OWNCLOUD_FILES_LOCATION}:/mnt/data

  mariadb:
    image: mariadb:10.11 # minimum required ownCloud version is 10.9
    container_name: owncloud_mariadb
    restart: always
    environment:
      - MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=owncloud
      - MYSQL_USER=owncloud
      - MYSQL_PASSWORD=owncloud
      - MYSQL_DATABASE=owncloud
      - MARIADB_AUTO_UPGRADE=1
    command: ["--max-allowed-packet=128M", "--innodb-log-file-size=64M"]
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD", "mysqladmin", "ping", "-u", "root", "--password=owncloud"]
      interval: 10s
      timeout: 5s
      retries: 5
    volumes:
      - ./mysql:/var/lib/mysql

  redis:
    image: redis:6
    container_name: owncloud_redis
    restart: always
    command: ["--databases", "1"]
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD", "redis-cli", "ping"]
      interval: 10s
      timeout: 5s
      retries: 5
    volumes:
      - ./redis:/data

Once you are done, save and exit by pressing CTRL + X, Y, and then ENTER.

8. It is time to write the environment file. This file will contain all the configurations we wish to set for the ownCloud software. For example, usernames, passwords, ports, and more. Docker automatically reads it and will match and replace the placeholders in the compose file with the relevant data from the environment file.

To create the environment file, enter the following command.

sudo nano .env

9. In this file, you will need to enter the following lines and replace each placeholder with the value you wish to use. We will explain each of these options below.

OWNCLOUD_VERSION=<VERSION>
OWNCLOUD_DOMAIN=<DOMAINORIP>:<HTTPPORT>
OWNCLOUD_TRUSTED_DOMAINS=<DOMAINORIP>
ADMIN_USERNAME=<ADMINUSERNAME>
ADMIN_PASSWORD=<ADMINPASSWORD>
HTTP_PORT=<HTTPPORT>
OWNCLOUD_FILES_LOCATION=<MOUNTPATH>

<VERSION> This placeholder represents the version of ownCloud you want to run on your Raspberry Pi. I recommend using the latest, but you can always specify an older version such as 10.
<DOMAINORIP> Use this option to specify the allowed address for accessing the ownCloud instance. For example, if I want to use it locally, I will use the local IP, such as 192.168.0.15.

If I want to access the software remotely, I can use an external IP address or domain name. You can add multiple domains and IPs by separating each of them with a comma. For example, 192.168.0.15,test.pimylifeup.com. Please note, that multiple IPs and domains only applies to the OWNCLOUD_TRUSTED_DOMAINS variable.
<HTTPPORT> This is the default port that ownCloud will listen on. I recommend using a port such as 8080 or similar to avoid conflicts with other software.
<ADMINUSERNAME> Replace this placeholder with the username you wish to use for your admin account. You will not be able to change this after the first setup.
<ADMINPASSWORD> Like the username, the admin password is only used for the first setup. Afterward, you will need to change the password in the web interface.
<MOUNTPATH> This is the path for storing the data of ownCloud. Using .data will store it within /opt/stacks/owncloud directory. You can change this directory to wherever suits you the best.

You could set it to a mounted drive by using something like /mnt/usb1/owncloud. A mounted drive is a good option as it allows you to gain access to a lot of storage space.

OWNCLOUD_VERSION=latest
OWNCLOUD_DOMAIN=192.168.0.15:8080
OWNCLOUD_TRUSTED_DOMAINS=192.168.0.15
ADMIN_USERNAME=pimylifeup
ADMIN_PASSWORD=pimylifeup
HTTP_PORT=8080
OWNCLOUD_FILES_LOCATION=./data

Once you are done, save and exit the file by pressing CTRL + X, Y, and then ENTER.

Starting the ownCloud Server with Docker

10. To start your ownCloud server, all you need to do is run the following command.

Once initiated, Docker will download all the required software and start up each of the service with the specified options. Using the -d option will run Docker in the background.

docker compose up -d

First Start of ownCloud on the Raspberry Pi

I will briefly go through the basics of ownCloud running on the Raspberry Pi. If you want more information, I highly recommend checkout out the manuals on their website. You can find them at the ownCloud manual site here.

11. In your favorite web browser, you need to go to your Raspberry Pi’s IP address.

If you don’t know your IP address, you can run the hostname command on the Raspberry Pi.

hostname -I

Below is an example of the address you will need to enter into the browser. Remember to update the IP address with the one you get from using the command above.

http://192.168.0.15:8080

12. You should now be greeted with a login page similar to the one below. Simply enter the username and password that we set in the environment file.

13. You will now see a page with a pop-up on how you can install the apps for desktop, Android, and iOS.

14. Lastly, test that you can upload files to your ownCloud installation by simply dragging and dropping a file into the web interface. It should upload without any issues.

15. You now have ownCloud installed and running on your Raspberry Pi. The next couple of sections cover the basics for remote access, updating software, and backing it up to somewhere secure.

Setting up Remote Access

If you want to access the server remotely, I highly recommend using a service like Cloudflare Tunnels or Tailscale. These services are relatively easy for most people to understand and setup. Alternatively, setting up a reverse proxy like Traefik, or Nginx proxy manger will also work.

Once you have chosen your method of exposing ownCloud to the internet you will simply need to specify the IP address and port of the software. Most of the software above will generate certificate for your domain name.

Updating ownCloud Docker

Using Docker makes updating your ownCloud software super easy, and only involves a few simple steps.

1. Before you update, we recommend that you backup any data in case something goes wrong with the update. Follow our backup section for more information.

2. You will need to first change to the location of your ownCloud compose file. If you followed this tutorial, use the command below.

cd /opt/stacks/owncloud

3. You can simply tell Docker to pull the latest versions of the software specified in the compose file.

docker compose pull

4. Once the latest software has been downloaded, you must issue the compose up command. This command ensures that the software running in docker is updated to the latest versions we downloaded earlier.

docker compose up -d

Backing up ownCloud Docker

Backing up your data is highly important as data drive failure, natural disasters, corruption, or accidental deletion can happen at any time and when you least expect it. Luckily, backing up data is relatively straightforward.

I recommend you can use rclone on the Raspberry Pi or something similar to copy and store the data in another location. You can also automate the following steps using a bash script and setting up cron.

1. You will need to first change into the location of the compose file.

cd /opt/stacks/owncloud

2. First, stop the docker container by running the following command

docker compose stop

3. The next couple of lines require you to have rclone installed, but they will simply sync the contents from the source location to the destination. For example, /opt/stacks/owncloud/data will sync to /backups/owncloud/data.

You can also setup rclone to sync to a remote location rather than local. This method is highly recommended for backing up important data.

sudo rclone sync /opt/stacks/owncloud/data /backups/owncloud/data --progress
sudo rclone sync /opt/stacks/owncloud/mysql /backups/owncloud/mysql --progress

4. Once the above two commands are finished, start the docker container by running the following command.

docker compose up -d

As I mentioned earlier, you can add the above commands into a bash script that you can then automate the backup sequence. I highly recommend that you schedule the backup to occur when the server is least likely to be in use.

Conclusion

I hope this tutorial has helped you set up your very own Raspberry Pi ownCloud. You should now be able to upload and store files within your own personal cloud.

If you are interested in other self-hosted projects, I also recommend taking a look at Immich on the Raspberry Pi. It is a great software for storing and viewing photos.

If you have any troubles, want to leave feedback or if I have missed anything feel free to drop us a comment below.

306 Comments

Thank you for this tutorial, best one I’ve come across during this process.

I ran into an error as I tried to restart nginx

~ $ sudo systemctl restart nginx
Job for nginx.service failed because the control process exited with error code.
See "systemctl status nginx.service" and "journalctl -xeu nginx.service" for details.

$ nginx -t
2023/12/29 09:36:48 [warn] 27619#27619: the "user" directive makes sense only if the master process runs with super-user privileges, ignored in /etc/nginx/nginx.conf:1
2023/12/29 09:36:48 [emerg] 27619#27619: cannot load certificate "/etc/nginx/cert.pem": BIO_new_file() failed (SSL: error:8000000D:system library::Permission denied:calling fopen(/etc/nginx/cert.pem, r) error:10080002:BIO routines::system lib)
nginx: configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf test failed

Any help is greatly appreciated, thank you!

Emmet on December 30, 2023 at 7:01 pm

Editor
Hi ken,

Having a quick look over the logs you have provided, NGINX is having issues accessing the certificate you generated for some reason.

Assuming NGINX is using the “www-data” user can you try taking ownership of the certificate.
```
sudo chown www-data: /etc/nginx/cert.pem
```
Alternatively, you can also use the command “journalctl -xeu nginx.service” to find out the error NGINX is throwing when the service starts up.

Please let me know if you continue to run into issues.

Kind regards,
Emmet

JImmy on October 15, 2023 at 2:21 am

Bookworm has already not supported php7.4. I hope the tutorial have would updated.

1. Emmet on October 15, 2023 at 2:13 pm
  
  Editor
  
  Hi Jimmy,
  
  At this time, Owncloud still only official supports PHP 7.4. We link to a guide within this tutorial that shows you how to add a third-party PHP repository that will give you access to this older version.
  
  Alternatively I would recommend moving to Nextcloud instead which seems to move to newer versions of PHP as they are released.
  
  Cheers,
  Emmet
  
Ike on May 27, 2023 at 12:30 pm

Is it okay to use a powered external drive with a usb and not use a powered usb hub?

1. Emmet on May 27, 2023 at 1:38 pm
  
  Editor
  
  Hi Ike,
  
  As long as you are using a drive that takes its power from a source other than the Raspberry Pi itself then you should be fine.
  
  The main issue with drives that power itself off the USB connection of the Pi is that it can put a fair bit of power draw on the Raspberry Pi.
  
  Cheers,
  Emmet
  
Bill Steiner on February 26, 2023 at 11:34 pm

Do all of these instructions apply if my Pi is running Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit) Debian Linux 11 or is there another set of instructions for 64-bit OS?

1. Emmet on February 27, 2023 at 9:13 am
  
  Editor
  
  Hi Bill,
  
  The steps should remain the same.
  
  Cheers,
  Emmet