Nextcloud is your own private Google Drive and Dropbox. It allows you to sync files across all your devices, share documents with family, and edit files right in the browser.
Overview
While Nextcloud is incredibly powerful (it even includes calendars and video calling), its primary function is file storage. When you drop a PDF into the Nextcloud folder on your laptop, it instantly syncs to your LocalNode, making it immediately available on your phone.
Step 1: Administrator Setup
The first time you launch Nextcloud, you need to create the master account.
Go to your LocalNode dashboard at http://localnode.local.
Click the Nextcloud app icon.
You will be greeted by an admin creation screen. Enter a secure username and password.
Click Install. (This may take 1-2 minutes as it configures the internal database).
Once finished, you will be taken to the Nextcloud dashboard, which features a few sample documents and photos.
Nextcloud documentation screenshot (nextcloud/documentation, AGPL / CC BY-SA depending on section).
Step 2: Creating family accounts
Just like Google Drive, everyone in your family should have their own private storage space.
Click your profile icon in the top right corner.
Select Users from the dropdown menu.
Click the New user button at the top left.
Enter a username and password for your family member.
(Optional) Set a Storage Quota (e.g., 50 GB) if you don't want them filling up the LocalNode hard drive.
Click the checkmark to save.
💡 Tip: You can create "Groups" (like "Family" or "Parents") in the Users menu. This makes it very easy to share a document with everyone at once.
Step 3: Installing the Desktop App
The best way to use Nextcloud is via the desktop sync client, which integrates directly into Windows Explorer or Mac Finder.
Enter your Server Address: http://localnode.local:8080 (Make sure to include the port if your LocalNode requires it, or just use the URL provided in your main dashboard).
Your browser will open and ask you to authorize the app. Click "Grant access".
Choose what you want to sync. By default, it will create a folder called "Nextcloud" in your user directory and download everything.
⚠️ Warning: If you are away from home, the desktop app will pause syncing unless you connect to your WireGuard VPN.
