Tutorials

Install Nextcloud

Nextcloud is a self-hosted platform for file synchronization, calendars, contacts, and collaboration. This guide deploys Nextcloud with Docker Compose, including a MariaDB database and Nginx reverse proxy.

Requirements

  • A VPS running Ubuntu 20.04+ or Debian 11+
  • Docker installed
  • At least 2 GB RAM
  • At least 20 GB free disk space (more depending on storage needs)
  • A domain name pointing to your server (for SSL)

1. Connect to Your Server

ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP

Or use the web terminal in the Sitequest dashboard.

2. Create the Project Directory

mkdir -p /opt/nextcloud && cd /opt/nextcloud

3. Create the Docker Compose File

nano docker-compose.yml

services:
  db:
    image: mariadb:11
    restart: always
    volumes:
      - db_data:/var/lib/mysql
    environment:
      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: CHANGE_ROOT_PASSWORD
      MYSQL_DATABASE: nextcloud
      MYSQL_USER: nextcloud
      MYSQL_PASSWORD: CHANGE_DB_PASSWORD

  app:
    image: nextcloud:stable
    restart: always
    ports:
      - "8080:80"
    volumes:
      - nextcloud_data:/var/www/html
    environment:
      MYSQL_HOST: db
      MYSQL_DATABASE: nextcloud
      MYSQL_USER: nextcloud
      MYSQL_PASSWORD: CHANGE_DB_PASSWORD
      NEXTCLOUD_TRUSTED_DOMAINS: your-domain.com
    depends_on:
      - db

volumes:
  db_data:
  nextcloud_data:

Replace the passwords and domain with your own values. Use strong, unique passwords.

4. Start the Containers

docker compose up -d

Wait a minute for the database to initialize, then verify:

docker compose ps

Both containers should show as "running".

5. Set Up a Reverse Proxy with SSL

If you have Nginx installed, create a server block:

nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/nextcloud

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name your-domain.com;

    client_max_body_size 512M;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8080;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
    }
}

Enable and reload:

ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/nextcloud /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
nginx -t && systemctl reload nginx

Then obtain SSL with Let's Encrypt:

certbot --nginx -d your-domain.com

6. Complete the Setup

Open https://your-domain.com in your browser. Create an admin account and finish the web installer.

7. Recommended Post-Install Tweaks

Run these inside the container:

docker compose exec app php occ config:system:set overwriteprotocol --value="https"
docker compose exec app php occ config:system:set default_phone_region --value="DE"
docker compose exec app php occ background:cron

Add a cron job for background tasks:

echo "*/5 * * * * docker exec nextcloud-app-1 php -f /var/www/html/cron.php" >> /etc/crontab

Next Steps

  • Install the Nextcloud desktop and mobile apps for file sync
  • Enable server-side encryption for sensitive data
  • Set up external storage (S3, SMB) for additional backends
  • Configure email notifications via SMTP
  • Set up automatic backups of the nextcloud_data and db_data volumes