Nextcloud is a powerful open-source software that allows you to create your self-hosted file storage and collaboration platform. With Nextcloud, you can have full control over your data and enjoy features similar to popular cloud storage services like Dropbox or Google Drive. In this tutorial, we will guide you through the process of setting up Nextcloud on a Debian 12 server, enabling you to leverage its capabilities for your business or personal needs.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have the following prerequisites in place:

1. A Debian 12 server with at least 4 GB of memory and 2 CPUs.
2. A non-root user with administrative privileges.
3. A domain name pointed to the server’s IP address.

Installing Apache2 Web Server

The first step in setting up Nextcloud is to install the Apache2 web server. Apache2 will serve as the foundation for running Nextcloud and handling HTTP requests. Let’s go through the installation process:

1. Update your Debian package index by running the following command:

sudo apt update

2. Install the Apache2 web server by executing the following command:

sudo apt install apache2

After the installation is complete, you can verify the status of the Apache2 service by running the following commands:

sudo systemctl is-enabled apache2
sudo systemctl status apache2

Installing UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall)

To enhance the security of your Nextcloud installation, we will install UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall) and open specific ports for OpenSSH, HTTP, and HTTPS. UFW will serve as the default firewall on your Debian server. Let’s proceed with the installation:

1. Install the UFW package by running the following command:

sudo apt install ufw

2. Allow the SSH service and enable UFW by executing the following commands:

sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
sudo ufw enable

3. Add HTTP and HTTPS ports to UFW by running the following commands:

sudo ufw allow "WWW Full"
sudo ufw reload

You can check the enabled rules in UFW by running the following command:

sudo ufw status

Installing PHP 8.2

Nextcloud recommends using PHP 8.2 for optimal performance and compatibility. Fortunately, the latest Debian 12 already includes PHP 8.2 packages by default. Let’s install PHP and configure it for Nextcloud:

1. Install the necessary PHP packages by running the following command:

sudo apt install -y php php-curl php-cli php-mysql php-gd php-common php-xml php-json php-intl php-pear php-imagick php-dev php-common php-mbstring php-zip php-soap php-bz2 php-bcmath php-gmp php-apcu libmagickcore-dev

2. Verify the installed PHP version and enabled extensions by running the following commands:

php --version
php -m

3. Open the PHP configuration file using the nano editor:

sudo nano /etc/php/8.2/apache2/php.ini

4. Make the following changes in the php.ini file:

• Uncomment the date.timezone parameter and set it to your desired timezone.
• Adjust the values for memory_limit,upload_max_filesize,post_max_size, and max_execution_time according to your requirements.
• Enable file_uploads and allow_url_fopen.
• Uncomment the zend_extension parameter and set its value to opcache.
• Add the recommended OPCache configuration settings in the [opcache] section.

Save the changes and exit the editor. Finally, restart the Apache2 service to apply the PHP configuration changes:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Installing MariaDB Server

Nextcloud requires a database server to store its data, and MariaDB is a popular choice for this purpose. Let’s install and secure the MariaDB server:

1. Install the MariaDB server by running the following command:

sudo apt install mariadb-server

2. Verify the status of the MariaDB service by executing the following commands:

sudo systemctl is-enabled mariadb
sudo systemctl status mariadb

3. Secure the MariaDB installation by running the following command:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

During the process, you will be prompted to set up the MariaDB root password, remove anonymous users, disallow remote root login, and remove the test database. Follow the prompts and secure your MariaDB installation.

Creating Database and User

After securing the MariaDB installation, we need to create a new database and user specifically for Nextcloud. Follow these steps to accomplish that:

1. Log in to the MariaDB server using the following command:

sudo mysql -u root -p

2. Enter the MariaDB root password when prompted.
3. Run the following queries to create a new database and user for Nextcloud:

CREATE DATABASE nextcloud_db;
CREATE USER nextclouduser@localhost IDENTIFIED BY 'StrongPassword';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON nextcloud_db.* TO nextclouduser@localhost;
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

4. Verify that the user has access to the database by running the following command:

SHOW GRANTS FOR nextclouduser@localhost;

If everything is successful, you should see the privileges granted to the user.

Downloading Nextcloud Source Code

With the necessary components in place, it’s time to download the latest version of Nextcloud and install it on your server. Follow these steps:

1. Install the curl and unzip packages by running the following command:

sudo apt install curl unzip

2. Navigate to the /var/www directory:

cd /var/www

3. Download the Nextcloud source code using the following command:

sudo curl -o nextcloud.zip https://download.nextcloud.com/server/releases/latest.zip

4. Extract the Nextcloud zip file and change the ownership of the Nextcloud directory to www-data:

sudo unzip nextcloud.zip
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data nextcloud

Configuring Apache2 Virtual Host

To make Nextcloud accessible via a web browser, we need to configure an Apache2 virtual host. Follow these steps:

1. Create a new virtual host configuration file using the following command:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/nextcloud.conf

2. Replace nextcloud.example.io with your domain name in the ServerName parameter and the log file paths.

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName nextcloud.example.io
    DocumentRoot /var/www/nextcloud/

    # log files
    ErrorLog /var/log/apache2/files.example.io-error.log
    CustomLog /var/log/apache2/files.example.io-access.log combined

    <Directory /var/www/nextcloud/>
        Options +FollowSymlinks
        AllowOverride All

        <IfModule mod_dav.c>
            Dav off
        </IfModule>

        SetEnv HOME /var/www/nextcloud
        SetEnv HTTP_HOME /var/www/nextcloud
    </Directory>
</VirtualHost>

Save the changes and exit the editor.

3. Enable the virtual host configuration and verify the overall Apache2 configuration:

sudo a2ensite nextcloud.conf
sudo apachectl configtest
If the output shows "Syntax OK," you can proceed.

4. Restart the Apache2 service to apply the virtual host configuration:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Securing Nextcloud with SSL/TLS Certificates

To ensure secure communication between clients and your Nextcloud instance, we will set up SSL/TLS certificates using Certbot and Let’s Encrypt. Follow these steps:

1. Install Certbot and the Certbot Apache plugin by running the following command:

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-apache

2. Generate SSL/TLS certificates and configure HTTPS for your Nextcloud domain name with the following command:

sudo certbot --apache2 --agree-tos --redirect --hsts --staple-ocsp --email user@example.io -d nextcloud.example.io

Replace test@example.io with your email address and example.io with your Nextcloud domain.

Once the process is complete, your Nextcloud installation will be accessible via a secure HTTPS connection managed by the Certbot Apache plugin. The SSL/TLS certificates will be located in the /etc/letsencrypt/live/exemple.io/ directory.

Installing Nextcloud

Now that everything is set up, it’s time to start the Nextcloud installation from your web browser. Follow these steps:

1. Open your web browser and visit your Nextcloud domain (e.g., http://example.com).
2. You will be automatically redirected to a secure HTTPS connection.
3. Create an administrator user for Nextcloud by providing a username and password.
4. Set up the database connection by entering the database name, user, and password.
5. Click “Finish Setup” to complete the installation.

After the installation is complete, you will be redirected to the Nextcloud user dashboard, where you can start managing your files and exploring the various features Nextcloud offers.

Basic Performance Tuning for Nextcloud

To optimize the performance of your Nextcloud installation, we can make a few additional configurations. Follow these steps:

1. Open the Nextcloud configuration file using the following command:

sudo nano /var/www/nextcloud/config/config.php

2. Add the following line within the $CONFIG array to enable memory caching via OPCache:

<?php
$CONFIG = array (
....
  # Additional configuration
  'memcache.local' => '\OC\Memcache\APCu',
);

Save the changes and exit the editor.

3. Create a new crontab for the Apache2 user ( www-data ) to run Nextcloud’s cron script:

sudo crontab -u www-data -e

Add the following line to the crontab file:

*/5**** php -f /var/www/nextcloud/cron.php

Save the changes and exit the editor.

Verify the crontab for the www-data user by running the following command:

crontab -u www-data -l

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully installed and configured Nextcloud on your Debian 12 server. By following this guide, you have set up Nextcloud with Apache2, PHP 8.2, and MariaDB. Additionally, you have secured your Nextcloud installation with UFW and SSL/TLS certificates from Certbot and Let’s Encrypt.

Nextcloud offers a wide range of features for secure file storage and collaboration, empowering you to take control of your data. Make the most of Nextcloud by exploring its various apps and customizing it to fit your specific needs.

If you are looking for reliable and scalable cloud hosting solutions, consider Shape.host’s Linux SSD VPS services. With Shape.host, you can enjoy top-notch performance and security for your Nextcloud instance, ensuring a seamless experience for your users.