gemini://dece.space/notes/20220106-leaving-nextcloud.gmi

I've hosted my own Nextcloud instance since… ??? I don't know, something like 6 years, even more if we count OwnCloud before that. On a VPS or a Raspberry Pi depending on where I lived and the connection quality. Nextcloud is a FOSS success story and I undeniably enjoyed using it for so long.

But I've had enough! The Linux desktop client just keeps crashing silently for whatever reason: some SQLite issue in stdout, and every time I have to clear some faulty shared folder in the config file and configure it again, and it happens both on the latest AppImage or the Debian stable package. There is also the long withstanding issue of files getting zero-ed on the server. WTF, this is the core software feature, how could such a terrible issue remain unfixed for so long? The answer is that it's probably an uncommon (but not rare) mix of configuration, hard to replicate. I tried to help resolving these issues but in the end my setup never got really stable.

For vengeful reasons, I'm also eager to get rid of the last PHP software on my VPS. But enough with Nextcloud, let's look at the alternative! I've been using Nextcloud for 3 things: file sharing, news feed and the calendar.

I need some files to be replicated between a few devices (Keepass database, PDF library, administrative bullshit, quick “dropbox”, etc). Why not using Git? Well some files are binaries and making commits about them make no sense. I do have repositories for other things though, namely configurations that do not change often and standalone scripts.

Moving the syncing to Syncthing has been both very easy and much more efficient than Nextcloud! Maybe something to do with the algorithm or network stack used or forsaken placebo, I don't know! The main UI is an embed Web client but there is a GTK frontend in case of. You don't even have to open firewall ports and can use a dynamic discovery system that worked out of the box for me.

It's good to keep in mind that even though file sharing is core functionality of both Nextcloud and Syncthing, the first has a multi-user oriented client/server architecture while the latter is a simple decentralized syncing tool, without a clear master node. As such, providing sync for other people than yourself can be a bit of an issue.

Fortunately only my girlfriend used my Nextcloud to backup her work, so configuring her computer to sync her shared folder with my VPS has not been an issue.

Nextcloud has a decent “News” app for RSS feeds that you can install on the server, and the corresponding, cleverly called “News” app for Android. Thinking of alternatives made me consider again how I was using it:

For blogs and news websites I've started using Comitium, which produces a Gemtext feed, mixed with my usual Gemini subscriptions (migrated from Spacewalk), and as it supports Gopher, watching some phlogs as well. I generate the feed only thrice per day so I know that once I've read it, it won't receive updates for some hours, which breaks the habit of opening my feeds mechanically. That is a relief!

For Youtube channels, first it's important to note that no way I'm using Youtube itself for channel subscription, what a piece of shit of a website. I do not have an OK replacement, so I've simply decided to stop “following” Youtube channels. The exceptions are a few channels such as Mediapart hosting shows I enjoy, that I stuffed into Newpipe's subscription system. Newpipe is great when it works 😄

As Nextcloud supports CalDAV I used it to sync my calendar, but let's be honest I never look at my calendar on any device other than my phone. Maybe there is a standalone CalDAV software somewhere that I can use but for now I'll just ignore the sync and keep the calendar offline.

So here we are, Nextcloud has been wiped from my computers and my VPS. I really hope they continue to thrive and improve but it feels good and *UNIXian* to switch from this pachyderm to multiple, single-purpose software.

Syncthing is so reliable that I do not even start the GTK interface to check that synchronisation is still going on. Nextcloud made me used to check regularly the systray icon because it would often vanish — because it crashed — or turn to a red mark — because it failed to solve trivial conflicts. Syncthing seems to never fail in comparison. It is less instantaneous than Nextcloud to see changes but I frankly don't mind, and I'm quite sure the delay could be shortened for more frequent checks if needed.

Migrating away from Nextcloud

Syncing my files with Syncthing

Syncing other users' files with Syncthing

Moving my RSS feeds elsewhere

Moving my calendar elsewhere

Updates

2022-03-29