Create your own Linux ecosystem with Nextcloud, DavX5 and KDE Connect

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Recently, I've created a video about how I think Linux lacks a strong software ecosystem. There were positive reactions, as well as negative ones, but in the end, I stand by it, and as such, I've created my own, Linux-based ecosystem. Let's see what I've used.

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Nextcloud

The main building block to get me started was Nextcloud. It's an amazing hub for almost everything you might need: Notes, Tasks, Contacts, Files and Calendar, and it can be extended with other applications to really use it as your digital centerpiece.

I installed Nextcloud on a Linode server, using the base Nanode at 5€ per month, and installed Nextcloud in one command line, through SNAP. I know, I know, but it was just super convenient. I went with version 18, since it come with OnlyOffice pre-configured, I'll talk about that a little bit later.

Where Nextcloud shines, is in its integration with almost anything you might want to use. It uses open protocols like Webdav or caldav, and this means a lot of applications can sync to Nextcloud. As a matter of fact, if you're using GNOME, you can just login with your Nextcloud account and server, directly from the "Online Accounts" settings panel, and everything will be automatically synced to the default GNOME applications, which is pretty nice.

Computers

Syncing with a computer is pretty easy: either you use GNOME, and you just log into your account, and get auto sync right off the bat, or you sync individually to the apps you want to use.

File syncing can be done through the Nextcloud application, available through an appimage, or through Flatpak. I set it up in a bit of a weird way, since I don't want all my stuff located inside a single Nextcloud folder, so I've set up what they call folder sync connections, which basically map the content of a local folder on your hard drive, to a folder on Nextcloud. This means that my documents, for example, are not inside the Nextcloud folder, but inside the Documents folder in my /home/ directory.

I also sync my Notes to the Nextcloud/Notes folder. Little side "note" here as well, these notes are stored as individual files, so you can edit them manually without go ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGYppxV-kFE