Not long ago, it was curious to provide users with an easy way to back up data on remote machines. Now, we have taken it for granted. Dropbox and other companies have simplified this task. Apple, Google and Microsoft each provide their own data backup method.
On Linux, the situation is a bit different. The distributions do not provide their own cloud services to manage your data (though Ubuntu used to own Ubuntu One). Some mainstream distributions do not offer Linux clients yet.
But you are not unlucky. Many popular services are indeed available under Linux. You still have a way to deploy your own solution to gain control over the data.
Proprietary services
Most commercial cloud storage services rely on closed source code. This allowed us to rely on the respective providers to release software packages or APIs that run on Linux. Even so, these are often the easiest to install and use services that do not require a lot of heavy work. Here are a few options worth considering.
Dropbox
Dropbox on Linux works just like any other platform. This service creates a folder in your home directory that synchronizes all the data you put in. An icon will appear in your notification area to show when the data is synchronized.
Dropbox only supports GNOME's default file manager, Files. However, there are ways to make this service available on other desktop environments.
2. Google Drive
You can not install the official Google Drive client software on Linux. But if you are using GNOME-based desktops, you can browse Drive files as if they were stored locally. This is due to the integration mechanism directly into the Files application. Just add your Google Account (Settings> Online Account) and you also have access to email, calendar events, and photos.
There is also a command-line tool developed by Google employee Burcu Dogan. This tool allows you to upload or download files to Drive, but you can not get background sync.
An easier tool may be Insync, but you have to spend money to enjoy the service.
SpiderOak
Some people are very concerned about ensuring privacy and SpiderOak may be the best choice for these people. Unlike most competitors, SpiderOak promises it can not access any of your data.
The company claims to use a zero-knowledge approach: Data is encrypted and decrypted on your device. SpiderOak employees do not know the key. This prevents maintenance server personnel from accessing the data stored on the server. Edward Snowden recommends using SpiderOak instead of Dropbox.
SpiderOak develops some open source technologies such as Crypton, but desktop client software is proprietary software. If you think this is OK, SpiderOak lets you back up any folder on your computer.
Mega
If you need a lot of storage space, do not want to spend a lot of money, Mega is a choice. Free account for you to provide 50GB. If you spend the same money, competing other services usually provide only 1TB of storage, which can provide about 4TB of storage space.
BitTorrent Sync
BitTorrent Sync is not strictly a cloud storage provider. You can not upload files to someone else's server. Instead, you synchronize files between your own devices. Because the files are stored in multiple places, you can rest assured that in the unlikely event of a computer crash, you will not lose all your data.
Services are available on major platforms. Linux client software is web-based, so after you unzip the installation file, run the server and open a browser to create the user and start copying the data.
Price: Free; For additional features, the cost is $ 39.99 per year.
Steam
Speaking of game saves, you probably do not know or care about where individual files are stored. It is important that you do not lose the effort involved in the game.
As a relatively new game supports Steam Cloud Save, you can switch from Windows to Linux and continue where it was last disconnected. As for unsupported games, especially old-fashioned games, you may have to dig in and find the same files you want to save, and transferring them may not work. However, in some cases, you can build a game preservation synchronization system.
Open source option
Many Linux users object to the use of proprietary software for practical or emotional reasons. Fortunately, there are many open source alternatives to choose from.
Seafile
Seafile gave you the choice. The monthly payment plan allows you to store up to 2TB of data in a remote data center in the United States or Germany. Alternatively, you can store the file on your own private server.
In addition to sharing files, you can also send messages to other users, manage permissions, and create user groups.
8. SparkleShare
SparkleShare client software may appear in your distribution's repository. This will create a folder in your home directory that will sync all the data you put into it, just like Dropbox does. The service is more suitable for documents, rather than bulky audio or video files. You can host your own server or rely on services like GitHub.