Store and Share Files in your Domain’s OwnCloud

With your domain you can run your own service that does the same things as Dropbox, but all the files stay on your own server. With your web hosting account, you can easily install ownCloud:

ownCloud is a suite of client–server software for creating and using file hosting services. ownCloud is functionally very similar to the widely used Dropbox, with the primary functional difference being that the Server Edition of ownCloud is free and open-source, and thereby allowing anyone to install and operate it without charge on a private server. It also supports extensions that allow it to work like Google Drive, with online document editing, calendar and contact synchronization, and more. Its openness avoids enforced quotas on storage space or the number of connected clients, instead having hard limits (like on storage space or number of users) defined only by the physical capabilities of the server.
— from Wikipedia

Your files live in your own domain (not someone elses), and you can synchronize them from multiple devices, including computers and mobile ones. You can also choose to share individual files or folders with others, or make them public.

The Mad Scientists at Extend Labs decided to set up an OwnCloud to share media related to their experiments. While they could have placed it inside a subdomain on their domain like cloud.extendlabs.ca (you can do this easily), they opted to put their cloud site in a directory from their main domain at extendlabs.ca/cloud/.

From their Applications area in cpanel, the Mad Scientists opened All Applications and found what they wanted under Apps for Files and Photos.

You may notice there looks like another similar tool called NextCloud. You often have multiple options for these apps.

In the Location part of the install settings, you can see that they are setting up their cloud as a subdirectory install.

In the Administrator settings, like the scientists, you should save your username and password. The Installatron app does not provide an automatic login link for this tool.

When it is done, visit your new site, and log in. You will find pre made folders for Photos and Documents; you can create as much directory structure as needed. Try navigating to one of the folders and uploading a file by clicking the + button at the top

The Mad Scientists are planning a sound library, so they created a new folder for Sounds. From inside that folder, they uploaded an audio recording of a thunderstorm. Once the item appears in the folder, clicking it opens a window on the right. Under the Sharing tab select the option for Public Links and finally Create Public Link

You can create a public link or add a password to it:

The storm sound the Mad Scientists shared is available at the public link http://extendlabs.ca/cloud/index.php/s/aQf6HbMB2sLS8WQ (you might see here a reason to also have available a URL shortener tool on your domain!).

There is much you can do with OwnCloud; organize your content into a complex structure of files, share an entire older, tag content to find them. If you come across one person’s OwnCloud link, you can directly add it to your own.

What can you do with your cloud?

Example for "Store and Share Files in your Domain’s OwnCloud":
http://extendlabs.ca/cloud/index.php/s/hfRv3R9V8PONcGR