ownCloud is a cloud drive on your own server. Your files sync to your computers and phones through ownCloud's own apps, and you can share them with a link. LibrePortal runs the classic ownCloud Server 10.
On this page
At a glance#
- What it is
- Cloud Storage Storage
- Where it opens
- Web Interface
On its own port at
http://your-server:port, orowncloud.your-domainonce you have a domain - Updates
- Automatic A backup is taken first, and it rolls back if the update fails
- Backups
- Included Part of the daily backup when that's switched on
- Copies
- As many as you like Run several copies, each with its own data
What it's good for#
ownCloud keeps your files on your server and in step across your devices, the way Dropbox or OneDrive do. Everyone gets their own account and space, you can share folders between accounts, and you can send a link to a file instead of attaching it to an email.
LibrePortal runs ownCloud Server 10, the long-standing PHP edition with its familiar web interface. It is not ownCloud Infinite Scale (oCIS), the newer rewrite. The two are different programs, and there's no upgrade path from one to the other inside LibrePortal.
ownCloud or Nextcloud?
For a new setup, Nextcloud is usually the better choice. It started as a fork of ownCloud and has moved much further since: more add-on apps, more frequent releases, and on LibrePortal a Tools tab for adding people and fixing problems. ownCloud makes sense if you already use its apps, or if you want the plainer, file-focused of the two.
Signing in#
LibrePortal hands ownCloud an admin account as it first starts, so there's no setup page for a stranger to reach before you. Both the username and the password are made up at random for your server; the username is twelve lower-case letters rather than a guessable admin. You'll find them in the Login Details shown when the install finished. Press Welcome on the app's page to see them again.
The first start takes a few minutes while ownCloud sets up its database, so if the page doesn't answer straight away, give it a moment.
If it says Access through untrusted domain
ownCloud only answers to addresses on its trusted domains list. LibrePortal sets that list for you: with a domain and Traefik, it includes cloud.<your domain> and your server's public address. If you open ownCloud by an address that isn't on the list, it shows this message instead of the sign-in page.
To check: check which address works for ownCloud on a LAN-only install: without a domain the trusted list is 127.0.0.1, localhost and the container's own address, so http://192.168.1.x:port may be refused; document the fix once there is one
Adding people#
LibrePortal has no Tools tab for ownCloud, so you manage accounts inside ownCloud itself. Sign in as the admin and open Users from the menu under your name in the top right. There you can create accounts, put people in groups, set how much space each one gets and reset passwords.
Give each person their own account rather than sharing the admin one. It keeps everyone's files apart, and it means you can remove one person's access without changing anyone else's password.
Syncing your computers and phones#
ownCloud has its own desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux, and its own apps for Android and iPhone, all on owncloud.com. Give them your ownCloud's address, exactly as you open it in the browser, and sign in. The desktop app keeps a folder on your computer in step with the server; the phone apps browse your files and can upload photos as you take them. To check: confirm the current ownCloud desktop and mobile apps still support ownCloud Server 10, and note any minimum version
Your ownCloud is Public to start with, which is what lets those apps reach it when you're away from home. If you only need it at home, you can make it private and use the LibrePortal VPN when you're out. Either way, set up your domain before you connect everyone's devices if you're going to have one, because the apps remember the address you gave them.
Good to know#
- Updates stay within version 10. LibrePortal follows ownCloud Server 10 and takes its patches automatically, with a backup first. It never moves to a different major version on its own, because ownCloud changes its database on the first start of a new version and can't go back.
- Backups include everything: the database and ownCloud's data folder, which holds everyone's files and its configuration. A busy ownCloud can get big, so see Storage if you want it on a larger disk.
- Several copies. You can run more than one, each with its own users and files.
- Changing the admin password. Do it inside ownCloud, in the admin's personal settings. LibrePortal has no tool for it, so the password in Login Details will then be out of date; keep the new one somewhere safe.
What the install asks#
When you install ownCloud, LibrePortal asks for a little more than usual before it starts:
- Shared folders. Turning a folder off later only takes it out of ownCloud. The files stay on this server. Change them under Tools.
- Who sees them. Only for the shared folders you tick. Someone who has not signed in to ownCloud yet sees them after their first sign-in. Change it later under Tools, Who sees the shared folders.
Addresses and ports#
ownCloud has one port. LibrePortal picks a free port number for each when you install, so yours will differ from anyone else's. The Config tab's Network section shows them, and the app's Open button uses the right one. "Anyone" means it's reachable from wherever your server is reachable; you can make it private later.
| What it is | Who can reach it | With a domain |
|---|---|---|
| Web Interface | Anyone | owncloud.your-domain |
Settings#
These are ownCloud's own settings on its Config tab. The settings every app shares, like backups, updates and where its data lives, are explained in App pages and settings.
| Setting | What it does | Starts as |
|---|---|---|
| OwnCloud Admin Username | Username for the OwnCloud administrator account | Empty |
| Database Name Advanced | MariaDB schema ownCloud uses (internal to the docker network) | Empty |
| Database User Advanced | MariaDB account ownCloud connects with (internal to the docker network) | Empty |
In its config file#
A few more aren't on the Config tab yet. They live in the app's config file, described here so you know they exist. How to change them.
| Setting | What it does | Starts as |
|---|---|---|
NameCFG_OWNCLOUD_DISPLAY_NAME |
What this app is called on your dashboards. Leave empty to use its usual name | Empty |
Show on the LibrePortal DashboardCFG_OWNCLOUD_SHOW_ON_DASHBOARD |
Whether this app gets a shortcut on the front page of the LibrePortal WebUI, separate from any Dashy dashboard Choices: true, false |
true |
Music Folder NameCFG_OWNCLOUD_MUSIC_NAME |
What the shared music folder is called in ownCloud; used when it is first made | SharedMusic |
Video Folder NameCFG_OWNCLOUD_VIDEO_NAME |
What the shared video folder is called in ownCloud; used when it is first made | SharedVideo |
Photos Folder NameCFG_OWNCLOUD_PHOTOS_NAME |
What the shared photos folder is called in ownCloud; used when it is first made | SharedPhotos |
Who Sees MusicCFG_OWNCLOUD_MUSIC_AUDIENCE |
admin, all, or ownCloud usernames separated by commas | admin |
Who Sees VideoCFG_OWNCLOUD_VIDEO_AUDIENCE |
admin, all, or ownCloud usernames separated by commas | admin |
Who Sees PhotosCFG_OWNCLOUD_PHOTOS_AUDIENCE |
admin, all, or ownCloud usernames separated by commas | admin |
Who Sees New Shared FoldersCFG_OWNCLOUD_SHARED_AUDIENCE |
admin or all; the install screen's pick for the shared folders it makes | admin |
Shared FoldersCFG_OWNCLOUD_EXTRAS |
Which shared folders are on (shared_music, shared_video, shared_photos); change them from the Tools tab | Empty |
Update checkCFG_OWNCLOUD_UPDATE_CHECK |
Whether ownCloud may ask updates.owncloud.com if a newer version exists Choices: true, false |
false |
Detailed logsCFG_OWNCLOUD_VERBOSE_LOGS |
Whether ownCloud writes its normal, chattier logs, including who connected, instead of only warnings and errors. Choices: true, false |
false |
Debug logging for 24 hoursCFG_OWNCLOUD_DEBUG_LOGS |
Turn on to see everything ownCloud is doing while you look for a problem; it turns itself off after 24 hours. Choices: true, false |
false |
Tools#
ownCloud's Tools tab has 4 buttons for jobs you'd otherwise need a terminal for. Each one runs as a task, so you can watch it on the Tasks page and read what it did. More about Tools.
A code to scan with LibreSync, LibrePortal's Android app, which puts the shared music and videos where every app on the phone can play them, and can copy camera photos up here.
Turn the shared Music, Video and Photos folders on or off in ownCloud. Turning one off only takes it out of ownCloud; its files stay on this server.
Makes ownCloud the home of your shared folders, when another app has them now. The files move here and every app that uses them follows. Nothing is deleted: on another disk the old copy is kept until you remove it.
Choose who sees a connected SharedMusic, SharedVideo or SharedPhotos folder in ownCloud: just the admin, everyone, or people you pick (from Authelia and from ownCloud's own accounts, or by typing a name). The admin always keeps it.
Works with#
These are the other apps ownCloud knows how to work with. Once it's installed, its page shows the same list with whether each one is connected. How this works.
- Email: Sends shares and password resets through your mail server, from an account of its own. Needs the mail server to have a real certificate. LibrePortal sets this up by itself when both are installed.
- Funkwhale: Plays the SharedMusic folder you fill from Nextcloud or ownCloud. Nothing is copied.
- Grafana: Shows dashboards for the apps that have one. works with every app
- Immich: Reads the SharedPhotos folder you fill from Nextcloud or ownCloud. Nothing is copied.
- Jellyfin: Reads the SharedVideo folder you fill from Nextcloud or ownCloud. Nothing is copied.
- Navidrome: Plays the SharedMusic folder you fill from Nextcloud or ownCloud. Nothing is copied.
- Prometheus: Collects metrics from the apps that can export them. works with every app
- Syncthing: Sees the shared folders under Shared, so you can keep any of them in step with your computers.
- Uptime Kuma: Watches your apps and shows when one goes down. works with every app
Privacy and security#
Worth knowing ownCloud is your own file storage. LibrePortal turns off its update check with ownCloud's servers; it still pings a Mozilla address to test connectivity, because its marketplace needs that.
What leaves this server#
- A connectivity check against a Mozilla server, which sees your server's address
- The ownCloud marketplace is contacted when LibrePortal installs sign-in support
- Federated shares talk to servers you connect
What LibrePortal turns off#
- Detailed logs and per-request access logging (switchable in Config)
- Update check with ownCloud's servers (switchable in Config)
Licence: AGPL-3.0 (core; Enterprise extras are proprietary). Audited: 21 October 2026. See the privacy of every app and the Promise.
Sources#
Under the hood#
- It runs these images:
owncloud/server:11.0.1@sha256:295fe598ccf3c0089e71f17d82df94db87245cf22ab2f25bb71ac5607305bf37,mariadb:10.6.28@sha256:f1c56f035ed268a0d7c2c2e06dc879f6319b997cb434cf822a4cfd72a7aa184d,redis:6.2.24@sha256:71075871d0c318a0a835648a954e32d2b88d7b2a75c89a034ad0aa404e0319c9. - It can sit behind Authelia's sign-in once Authelia is installed.
- Its own project and documentation: github.com/owncloud/core
Ports, settings, tools and connections on this page are read from LibrePortal v0.10.97's app catalogue each time the guide is built.
