Nextcloud on Flatcar Container Linux

This repository contains Butane configurations to deploy Nextcloud and MariaDB on Flatcar Container Linux. The configuration sets up:

1. A data storage location for Nextcloud data
2. Secure environment configuration for credentials
3. Systemd units for running MariaDB and Nextcloud containers

Configuration Options

This repository provides three different Butane configuration files to accommodate different deployment scenarios:

1. Simple Configuration (nextcloud-simple.yaml)

The simplest setup that uses directories on the root filesystem. Best for:

• Testing environments
• Systems with limited disk options
• Quick deployments where data persistence isn't critical

Features:

• Uses a directory on the root filesystem for data
• No additional disk partitioning required
• Easiest to set up and use

2. Dedicated Partition (nextcloud-dedicated.yaml)

Uses a dedicated labeled partition for data storage. Best for:

• Production environments
• Systems with multiple disks
• Deployments where data persistence is important

Features:

• Stores all data on a separate partition labeled NC_DATA
• Better isolation between OS and data
• Easier backup and recovery options

3. Cloud-Optimized (nextcloud-cloud.yaml)

Automatically detects and configures additional disks in cloud environments. Best for:

• Deployments in AWS, GCP, Azure, or other cloud providers
• Systems where disk configuration happens after boot

Features:

• Auto-detects additional attached disks
• Automatically formats and mounts disks as needed
• Falls back to root filesystem if no additional disk is found
• Works well with cloud-provider volume attachments

Architecture Overview

graph TD
    subgraph "Flatcar Container Linux Host"
        docker["Docker Service"]
        ncdata["Data Storage\n/var/lib/nextcloud_data"]
        envfile["/etc/nextcloud.env\nCredentials File"]
        
        subgraph "Docker Containers"
            maria["MariaDB Container\nmariadb:10.7"]
            nextcloud["Nextcloud Container\nnextcloud:latest"]
        end
        
        subgraph "Persistent Storage"
            db["/var/lib/nextcloud_data/db"]
            config["/var/lib/nextcloud_data/config"]
            data["/var/lib/nextcloud_data/data"]
        end
        
        systemd["Systemd Services"]
    end
    
    user["User Browser"]
    
    systemd -->|manages| docker
    systemd -->|manages| ncdata
    systemd -->|starts| maria
    systemd -->|starts after MariaDB| nextcloud
    
    docker -->|runs| maria
    docker -->|runs| nextcloud
    
    maria -->|stores data in| db
    nextcloud -->|reads/writes| config
    nextcloud -->|reads/writes| data
    nextcloud -->|connects to| maria
    
    envfile -->|provides credentials to| maria
    envfile -->|provides credentials to| nextcloud
    
    user -->|HTTP/HTTPS| nextcloud
    
    classDef container fill:#b3e0ff,stroke:#0066cc,stroke-width:2px;
    classDef storage fill:#ffcc99,stroke:#ff8000,stroke-width:2px;
    classDef config fill:#d9f2d9,stroke:#5cd65c,stroke-width:2px;
    classDef system fill:#f2d9e6,stroke:#d147a3,stroke-width:2px;
    classDef external fill:#ffffff,stroke:#666666,stroke-width:2px,stroke-dasharray: 5 5;
    
    class maria,nextcloud container;
    class db,config,data storage;
    class envfile config;
    class docker,systemd,ncdata system;
    class user external;

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Usage Instructions

1. Choose your Configuration

Select the appropriate configuration file based on your needs:

• nextcloud-simple.yaml: Simplest setup using the root filesystem
• nextcloud-dedicated.yaml: Using a dedicated partition
• nextcloud-cloud.yaml: Auto-detecting disks in cloud environments

2. Prepare Storage (for dedicated partition only)

If using the dedicated partition configuration, ensure you have a partition labeled as NC_DATA:

sudo mkfs.ext4 -L NC_DATA /dev/sdX

where /dev/sdX is the device name of your additional volume.

3. Convert Butane to Ignition

Ignition is the configuration system used by Flatcar Container Linux. Convert your chosen Butane YAML to Ignition JSON:

1. Install the Butane tool:

   wget https://github.com/coreos/butane/releases/download/v0.17.0/butane-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
   mv butane-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu butane
   chmod +x butane
   

2. Convert the configuration (replace with your chosen config file):

   ./butane --pretty --strict nextcloud-simple.yaml > nextcloud.ign
   

4. Boot Flatcar with Ignition Config

For Local/Physical Hardware

If deploying to physical hardware or a local VM:

1. Download the Flatcar ISO
2. Boot with the ISO and pass the Ignition config:

   flatcar.first_boot=1 flatcar.oem.id=qemu ignition.config.url=http://example.com/nextcloud.ign
   

For Cloud Providers

For cloud environments (AWS, GCP, Azure, etc.), consult the provider-specific documentation for passing Ignition configs. For example:

• AWS: Use user-data to pass the Ignition JSON
• GCP: Use custom metadata to provide the Ignition config

5. Access Nextcloud

Once your system is up and running:

1. Access Nextcloud via http://YOUR_SERVER_IP
2. Log in with the admin credentials set in /etc/nextcloud.env:
   • Username: admin
   • Password: changeme_nextcloud_admin_password (you should have changed this in the config)

5. Further Configuration

Add SSL/TLS

For production use, add SSL/TLS using either:

1. Caddy or Traefik: Deploy an additional container with automatic Let's Encrypt certificate management
2. Manual configuration: Set up a reverse proxy with SSL termination

Example Caddy container service that you could add to your Butane configuration:

- name: caddy-container.service
  enabled: true
  contents: |
    [Unit]
    Description=Caddy Reverse Proxy with Automatic HTTPS
    After=nextcloud-container.service
    Requires=nextcloud-container.service
    
    [Service]
    TimeoutStartSec=0
    Restart=always
    ExecStartPre=-/usr/bin/docker stop %n
    ExecStartPre=-/usr/bin/docker rm %n
    ExecStartPre=/usr/bin/docker pull caddy:2
    ExecStart=/usr/bin/docker run --rm --name %n \
      --volume /var/lib/nextcloud_data/caddy_data:/data \
      --volume /var/lib/nextcloud_data/caddy_config:/config \
      --volume /var/lib/nextcloud_data/Caddyfile:/etc/caddy/Caddyfile:ro \
      --publish 80:80 \
      --publish 443:443 \
      caddy:2
    
    [Install]
    WantedBy=multi-user.target

Create a Caddyfile at /var/lib/nextcloud_data/Caddyfile:

your.domain.com {
  reverse_proxy localhost:80
}

Change Database Configuration

To use a different database or update the configuration:

1. Edit /etc/nextcloud.env with new database settings
2. Restart the containers:

   sudo systemctl restart mariadb-container.service nextcloud-container.service
   

External Database

To use an external database instead of the container:

1. Modify /etc/nextcloud.env to point to the external database
2. Disable the MariaDB container:

   sudo systemctl disable --now mariadb-container.service
   

3. Edit nextcloud-container.service to remove the dependency on mariadb-container.service

Security Considerations

1. Change all default passwords in /etc/nextcloud.env
2. Implement SSL/TLS for secure connections
3. Consider network isolation for the database container
4. Regularly back up the /var/lib/nextcloud_data directory

Maintenance

Updates

To update the containers:

sudo systemctl restart mariadb-container.service nextcloud-container.service

The restart process will pull the latest images if available.

Backups

Regularly back up the /var/lib/nextcloud_data directory to ensure data persistence.

Example backup script:

#!/bin/bash
BACKUP_DATE=$(date +%Y%m%d)
BACKUP_DIR=/backups
mkdir -p $BACKUP_DIR
tar -czf $BACKUP_DIR/nextcloud_backup_$BACKUP_DATE.tar.gz /var/lib/nextcloud_data