How to Deploy ownCloud – File Sharing Platform

ownCloud is an open-source file-sharing platform that allows you to securely store, share, and access your files from anywhere. It serves as a private alternative to services like Dropbox or Google Drive, providing you with full control over your data.

This article demonstrates how to deploy ownCloud on Ubuntu 24.04 using Docker Compose.

Prerequisites

Before you begin:

• Access an Ubuntu 24.04 server as a non-root user with sudo privileges.
• Install Docker and Docker Compose.
• Configure a domain name, such as owncloud.example.com, pointing to your server’s public IP address.

Set Up the Directory Structure and Environment Variables

ownCloud requires persistent storage for user files and the database, as well as configuration for the domain and administrative credentials. This section prepares the necessary directory structure and sets the required environment variables.

1. Create the project folders.

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   $ mkdir -p ~/owncloud/{files,mysql,redis,letsencrypt}

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   • files - Stores the actual user data and uploaded files.
   • mysql - Persistent storage for the MariaDB database.
   • redis - Data persistence for Redis cache.
   • letsencrypt - Stores Traefik ACME certificates.

2. Navigate to the root ownCloud directory.

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   $ cd ~/owncloud

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3. Create an .env file to store your configuration.

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   $ nano .env

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4. Add the following values:

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   OWNCLOUD_DOMAIN=owncloud.example.com
   ADMIN_USERNAME=admin
   ADMIN_PASSWORD=STRONG_ADMIN_PASSWORD
   
   DB_PASSWORD=STRONG_DB_PASSWORD
   DB_ROOT_PASSWORD=STRONG_ROOT_PASSWORD
   
   LETSENCRYPT_EMAIL=admin@example.com

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   Replace the placeholders with your own values:

   • owncloud.example.com – Your actual domain name.
   • STRONG_ADMIN_PASSWORD – The password you will use to log in to the web interface.
   • STRONG_DB_PASSWORD – Secure password for the ownCloud database user.
   • admin@example.com – Your email for SSL certificate notifications.

   Save and close the file.

Deploy with Docker Compose

This section deploys the full ownCloud stack behind Traefik. The configuration includes services for the application, database, and cache.

1. Add your user account to the docker user group.

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   $ sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

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2. Apply the new group membership.

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   $ newgrp docker

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3. Create the Docker Compose manifest file.

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   $ nano docker-compose.yml

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4. Add the following contents:

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   services:
     traefik:
       image: traefik:latest
       container_name: traefik
       restart: unless-stopped
       environment:
         DOCKER_API_VERSION: "1.44"
       command:
         - "--providers.docker=true"
         - "--providers.docker.exposedbydefault=false"
         - "--entrypoints.web.address=:80"
         - "--entrypoints.websecure.address=:443"
         - "--entrypoints.web.http.redirections.entrypoint.to=websecure"
         - "--entrypoints.web.http.redirections.entrypoint.scheme=https"
         - "--certificatesresolvers.le.acme.httpchallenge=true"
         - "--certificatesresolvers.le.acme.httpchallenge.entrypoint=web"
         - "--certificatesresolvers.le.acme.email=${LETSENCRYPT_EMAIL}"
         - "--certificatesresolvers.le.acme.storage=/letsencrypt/acme.json"
       ports:
         - "80:80"
         - "443:443"
       volumes:
         - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:ro
         - ./letsencrypt:/letsencrypt
   
     mariadb:
       image: mariadb:10.11
       container_name: owncloud_db
       restart: unless-stopped
       environment:
         MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: ${DB_ROOT_PASSWORD}
         MYSQL_USER: owncloud
         MYSQL_PASSWORD: ${DB_PASSWORD}
         MYSQL_DATABASE: owncloud
       volumes:
         - ./mysql:/var/lib/mysql
       healthcheck:
         test: ["CMD", "healthcheck.sh", "--connect", "--innodb_initialized"]
         interval: 10s
         timeout: 5s
         retries: 3
   
     redis:
       image: redis:latest
       container_name: owncloud_redis
       restart: unless-stopped
       volumes:
         - ./redis:/data
       healthcheck:
         test: ["CMD", "redis-cli", "ping"]
         interval: 10s
         timeout: 5s
         retries: 3
   
     owncloud:
       image: owncloud/server:latest
       container_name: owncloud_server
       restart: unless-stopped
       depends_on:
         mariadb:
           condition: service_healthy
         redis:
           condition: service_healthy
       environment:
         OWNCLOUD_DOMAIN: ${OWNCLOUD_DOMAIN}
         OWNCLOUD_DB_TYPE: mysql
         OWNCLOUD_DB_NAME: owncloud
         OWNCLOUD_DB_USERNAME: owncloud
         OWNCLOUD_DB_PASSWORD: ${DB_PASSWORD}
         OWNCLOUD_DB_HOST: mariadb
         OWNCLOUD_ADMIN_USERNAME: ${ADMIN_USERNAME}
         OWNCLOUD_ADMIN_PASSWORD: ${ADMIN_PASSWORD}
         OWNCLOUD_REDIS_ENABLED: "true"
         OWNCLOUD_REDIS_HOST: redis
       volumes:
         - ./files:/mnt/data
       labels:
         - "traefik.enable=true"
         - "traefik.http.routers.owncloud.rule=Host(`${OWNCLOUD_DOMAIN}`)"
         - "traefik.http.routers.owncloud.entrypoints=websecure"
         - "traefik.http.routers.owncloud.tls=true"
         - "traefik.http.routers.owncloud.tls.certresolver=le"
         - "traefik.http.services.owncloud.loadbalancer.server.port=8080"

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   Save and close the file.

   This Docker Compose file deploys ownCloud behind Traefik, uses MariaDB for storage and Redis for caching. Each service has a specific purpose:

   owncloud service

   • Runs the official owncloud/server image.
   • Connects to the mariadb service for database storage and redis for caching session data and managing file locks.
   • Uses environment variables to automatically configure the database connection and create the initial administrator account.
   • Persists user files and configuration in the ./files directory (mounted to /mnt/data).
   • Exposes port 8080 internally, which Traefik routes to via the labels section.

   mariadb service

   • Runs MariaDB 10.11 as the database backend.
   • Initializes the owncloud database and user credentials defined in your .env file.
   • Stores database files in the ./mysql directory.
   • Includes a health check to ensure the database is ready before the ownCloud application starts.

   redis service

   • Runs a Redis server to handle caching, which significantly improves ownCloud's performance and responsiveness.
   • Stores cache data in the ./redis directory.

   traefik service

   • Listens on ports 80 and 443 to handle incoming web traffic.
   • Automatically requests and renews SSL certificates from Let’s Encrypt for your ${OWNCLOUD_DOMAIN}.
   • Redirects all insecure HTTP traffic to HTTPS.

5. Start all services in detached mode.

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   $ docker compose up -d

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6. Check the container status.

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   $ docker compose ps

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   Note

   For more information on managing a Docker Compose stack, see the How To Use Docker Compose article.

Access ownCloud

1. Open your web browser and visit your domain https://owncloud.example.com.

2. The login screen appears. Enter the ADMIN_USERNAME and ADMIN_PASSWORD you configured in your .env file.

3. Upon successful login, the ownCloud dashboard loads. You can now begin uploading files, creating users, and installing apps from the marketplace.

   

Conclusion

By following this article, you successfully deployed ownCloud on Ubuntu 24.04 using Docker Compose. Your file-sharing platform is now accessible over HTTPS and ready for use. For more information, refer to the ownCloud Documentation.