Introduction

Nextcloud is a self-hosted file sharing and collaboration platform. It allows you to store, share, and synchronize files across devices. This tutorial will guide you through the process of installing Nextcloud on Debian 12.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

1. A Debian 12 server or desktop system
2. SSH access to the server (optional)
3. Root or sudo privileges

Step 1: Install LAMP Stack

Nextcloud requires a LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL/MariaDB, PHP) stack. Install the LAMP stack on Debian 12 by following this guide: How To Install Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP (LAMP) Stack on Debian 12.

Step 2: Install Required PHP Modules

Install the required PHP modules for Nextcloud:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y php-gd php-curl php-zip php-mbstring php-xml php-intl php-bz2 php-common php-apcu

Step 3: Download Nextcloud

Download the latest version of Nextcloud:

cd /tmp
wget https://download.nextcloud.com/server/releases/latest.tar.bz2

Extract the Nextcloud archive:

sudo tar -xvf latest.tar.bz2 -C /var/www/

Set the correct permissions:

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/nextcloud

Step 4: Configure Apache

Create a new Apache configuration file for Nextcloud:

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

Add the following configuration:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerAdmin webmaster@localhost
    DocumentRoot /var/www/nextcloud/

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined

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

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

Enable the Nextcloud site and rewrite module:

sudo a2ensite nextcloud.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite

Restart Apache:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Step 5: Complete the Installation

Open a web browser and navigate to:

http://your_server_ip_or_domain/nextcloud

Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation using the database credentials and admin account.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Nextcloud on Debian 12. You can now use Nextcloud to store, share, and synchronize files across devices.