How to Install ownCloud on Ubuntu 18.04

ownCloud is a self-hosted file sync and share platform that allows you to store and access data on your own server. It provides similar functionality to popular cloud storage services, but with the added benefit of complete control over your data. In this guide, we will walk you through the installation process of ownCloud on Ubuntu 18.04.

Prerequisites

Before installing ownCloud, make sure you have the following:

• A server running on Ubuntu 18.04 with root access
• A domain name pointed to your server's IP address
• A LAMP stack installed (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP)

Step 1: Update System Packages

First, make sure your Ubuntu system is up to date by running the following commands:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

Step 2: Install ownCloud Dependencies

ownCloud requires a few extra PHP modules to be installed. Install them using the command below:

sudo apt install -y php-{xml,curl,gd,mbstring,intl,zip}

Step 3: Download and Install ownCloud

Next, download the latest version of ownCloud from the official website:

wget https://download.owncloud.org/community/owncloud-complete-*.tar.bz2

Extract the downloaded archive:

tar -xjf owncloud-complete-*.tar.bz2

Move the ownCloud directory to the Apache web root directory:

sudo mv owncloud /var/www/html/

Step 4: Configure Apache for ownCloud

Create a new Apache virtual host configuration file for ownCloud:

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

Insert the following content into the file:

Alias /owncloud "/var/www/html/owncloud/"


  Options +FollowSymlinks
  AllowOverride All

 
  Dav off
 

 SetEnv HOME /var/www/html/owncloud
 SetEnv HTTP_HOME /var/www/html/owncloud

Save and close the file. Then, enable the ownCloud site by creating a symbolic link:

sudo a2ensite owncloud.conf

Enable the required Apache modules:

sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo a2enmod headers
sudo a2enmod env
sudo a2enmod dir
sudo a2enmod mime

Restart the Apache service to apply the changes:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Step 5: Configure MySQL Database for ownCloud

Login to your MySQL server using the command below. Replace 'root' with your MySQL username if necessary:

sudo mysql -u root -p

Create a new database and user for ownCloud:

CREATE DATABASE owncloud;
GRANT ALL ON owncloud.* TO 'ownclouduser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Step 6: Finish ownCloud Installation

Open your web browser and navigate to your ownCloud domain name or IP address. You will be presented with the ownCloud setup wizard.

Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process. When prompted, enter the following details:

• Storage & Database: Choose MySQL/MariaDB and enter the previously created database information
• Admin Account: Create a username and password for the ownCloud administrator account
• Data Folder: Specify the folder where ownCloud will store your data

Click on "Finish Setup" once you have entered all the required information.

That's it! You have successfully installed ownCloud on Ubuntu 18.04. You can now start using ownCloud to store and sync your data.