Nextcloud Regular Containerized Setup Guide

Introduction

This guide provides steps to set up a Nextcloud instance using a regular containerized setup. It is ideal if you require full control over the deployment or if you’ve migrated from Nextcloud AIO.

Recommended Pre-Setup

Before setting up Nextcloud, consider deploying the following containers first to simplify integration and avoid jumping between configuration steps:

• MariaDB (For selfhosting databases)

Prerequisites

• Docker and docker-compose installed
• NAS storage or a local directory for external storage
• Environment variables for modular configuration

Configuration Steps

Step 1: Prepare the Docker Environment

1. Create / Update the .env file to manage configurations:

   NEXTCLOUD_HOMES=/path/to/homes  # Avoid using symlinks; Nextcloud does not handle them well
   NEXTCLOUD_EXSTORAGE=/share
   

   Create a blank database in MariaDB for nextcloud to use

   docker exec -it mariadb.${HOST_NAME} /usr/bin/mariadb -u root -p
   CREATE DATABASE nextcloud CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_general_ci;
   CREATE USER 'nextclouduser'@'%' IDENTIFIED BY 'yourpassword';
   GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON nextcloud.* TO 'nextclouduser'@'%';
   FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
   EXIT;
   

   Run this command to test if the DB is setup correctly

   docker exec -it mariadb.${HOST_NAME} mysql -u nextclouduser -p --password={your password} -e "SHOW DATABASES;"
   

Step 2: First-Time Setup

1. Open your browser and navigate to http://<your-server-ip>:8080.
2. Select Storage & Database
3. Enter an New admin account name and specify the database connection:
   • Database account: contents of secrets/nextcloud_mysql_user
   • Database password: contents secrets/nextcloud_mysql_password
   • Database Name: nextcloud
   • Database Host: mariadb.${HOST_NAME}

Step 3: Install Apps (Optional)

1. Nextcloud asks you which apps if any you wish to install. I choose Calendar Contacts Office

Step 4: Configure Basic Settings

1. Set Up External Storage:
   • Enable the External Storage Support app under Settings > Apps. Enable, enter your password if required
   • Go to Settings > Administration > External storages and add your storage volumes (e.g., /homes).

2. Modify config.php:
   • Add or edit the following

     sudo docker run -it --rm --volume /path/to/GillisDockerDepot/appdata/nextcloud/var/www/html:/var/www/html:rw alpine sh -c "apk add --no-cache nano && nano /var/www/html/config/config.php"
     

     Add or adjust:

     'trusted_domains' => [
       'localhost',
       'your-domain.com',
       'your host ip example 192.168.1.100',
     ],
     'default_phone_region' => 'CA',
     'trusted_proxies' =>
      array (
        0 => '172.30.0.0/24', # container IP range, in case IP changes
        1 => '192.168.2.0/24',# domain IP range, in case IP changes
        2 => '127.0.0.1',
        3 => '::1',
     'memcache.local' => '\\OC\\Memcache\\APCu',
     'overwrite.cli.url' => 'https://nextcloud.gillisonline.com',
     'overwritehost' => 'nextcloud.gillisonline.com',
     'overwriteprotocol' => 'https',
     'overwritewebroot' => '/',
     'maintenance_window_start' => '03:00',
     'memcache.locking' => '\\OC\\Memcache\\APCu',
     
     

   • Save and restart the container:

     docker restart nextcloud.GillisNAS
     

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Step 4: Optimize Performance

2. Add Missing Indices:

   docker exec -it nextcloud.GillisNAS php occ db:add-missing-indices
   

3. Set Daily Background Jobs:

   docker exec -it nextcloud.GillisNAS sudo php occ background:cron
   

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Step 5: Maintenance and Logs

1. To clear logs:

   docker exec -it nextcloud.GillisNAS bash -c "echo '' > /var/www/html/data/nextcloud.log"
   

2. Monitor resource usage:

   docker stats
   

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Step 6: Setting Up Auto Backups

Follow the steps from Setting Up Phone for Auto Backups in the original guide.

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