OwnCloud: Self-Hosted Dropbox

Dropbox is one of the most practical tools that help me in my daily work. Whether it’s just synchronizing data or even sharing it with others, it’s possible with just a few clicks.

Unfortunately, the whole thing has a serious drawback: My data is no longer with me! Although data in Dropbox is reportedly encrypted, you can NEVER be sure what might happen to your own data.

For this dilemma, there is now a solution: OwnCloud

OwnCloud is an Open Source PHP application to offer your own Dropbox-like service. With OwnCloud, it is easy to maintain full control over your data without much extra effort.

The installation is child’s play and doesn’t even necessarily require the installation of a MySQL server. By default, SQLite is used. The installation can be divided into two simple steps:

  1. Webserver Configuration: There are templates for many servers on the OwnCloud website.
  2. OwnCloud Setup: The setup of OwnCloud consists of ONE page. You only need to create an admin account and, if desired, specify a MySQL server.

Finished!

By now, there is also a sync client for almost every platform (Linux, Mac, Windows, Android, iOS).

However, OwnCloud wants to be more than just a simple Dropbox replacement. Here are some features:

  • Calendar
  • Music player for stored music
  • Contacts
  • Image gallery
  • Encryption of files on the server
  • Integration of Dropbox, GDrive, etc., into your own OwnCloud
  • Ampache/WebDAV/CalDAV/CardDAV server
  • Plugin interface
  • LDAP authentication

OwnCloud is definitely worth a look and has by now become a truly viable alternative to Dropbox and similar services.