Blog 10-23-25

1 ownCloud Infinite Scale (oCIS)

Here are the key characteristics that set it apart:

Microservices Architecture: Unlike the monolithic LAMP-stack of ownCloud 10, oCIS is built from the ground up using microservices written in the Go programming language. This makes it more scalable, resilient, and easier to maintain.

Single Binary: The entire server is a single, self-contained binary file. This dramatically simplifies installation and updates—you just replace the binary.

Built-in Services: oCIS bundles its own services that you previously needed to set up separately:

Web Server: No need for a separate Apache or Nginx (though a reverse proxy is still recommended for production).

Database: Uses a built-in NATS JetStream database for metadata and settings, eliminating the need for MySQL/MariaDB.

Performance & Scalability: Designed to handle a much larger number of users and files efficiently. The name “Infinite Scale” reflects its goal to scale horizontally with ease.

Simplified Setup: The single binary and lack of external database dependencies make the initial setup much faster and less error-prone.

In short, oCIS is the modern, fast, and scalable future of ownCloud, while ownCloud 10 remains the stable, feature-rich legacy version.

2 How to Run ownCloud Infinite Scale on a VPS with Ubuntu 24.04

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

sudo adduser --system --group --home /var/lib/owncloud --shell /bin/false owncloud

# Download the binary for AMD64 (standard for most VPS)
wget https://github.com/owncloud/ocis/releases/download/vX.Y.Z/ocis-X.Y.Z-linux-amd64 -O ocis

sudo chmod +x ocis
sudo mv ocis /usr/local/bin/

sudo systemctl enable ocis

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/ocis.service

[Unit]
Description=ownCloud Infinite Scale
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=owncloud
Group=owncloud
Environment=OCIS_URL=https://cloud.yourdomain.com
Environment=OCIS_HTTP_ADDR=127.0.0.1:9200
Environment=OCIS_BASE_DATA_PATH=/var/lib/owncloud/data
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/ocis server
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=5

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Save and close the file (Ctrl+O, then Ctrl+X, then Enter).

Because I’m also using Wordops to install wordpress and other stacks so my site is located at: /var/www/pquan.info#

I will use this command to create a new site with subdomain cloud.yourdomain.com and secure with –letsencrypt

sudo wo site create cloud.yourdomain.com --letsencrypt

Edit the WordOps Nginx config:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/cloud.yourdomain.com

# HTTP -> HTTPS redirect
server {
    listen 80;
    server_name cloud.yourdomain.com www.cloud.yourdomain.com;
    return 301 https://cloud.yourdomain.com$request_uri;
}

# Main oCIS vhost

server {
    listen 443 ssl;
    http2 on;
    server_name cloud.yourdomain.com;

    ssl_certificate     /etc/letsencrypt/live/cloud.yourdomain.com/fullchain.pem;
    ssl_certificate_key /etc/letsencrypt/live/cloud.yourdomain.com/key.pem;

    access_log /var/log/nginx/cloud.yourdomain.com.access.log;
    error_log  /var/log/nginx/cloud.yourdomain.com.error.log;

    client_max_body_size 0;

    location / {
        # If oCIS listens with TLS on 127.0.0.1:9200, use https upstream:
        proxy_pass https://127.0.0.1:9200;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;

        proxy_set_header Host              $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Host  $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto https;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For   $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;

        proxy_set_header Upgrade           $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection        "upgrade";

        proxy_read_timeout 3600s;
        proxy_send_timeout 3600s;

        # Upstream TLS to self-signed oCIS
        proxy_ssl_server_name on;
        proxy_ssl_verify     off;
    }
}

Test and reload Nginx:

sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx

Fix permissions:

# Stop the service
sudo systemctl stop ocis
sudo chown -R owncloud:owncloud /var/lib/owncloud
sudo chmod 755 /var/lib/owncloud

Generate a default configuration file and create a secure JWT secret automatically:

sudo -u owncloud /usr/local/bin/ocis init

Do you want to configure Infinite Scale with certificate checking disabled?
 This is not recommended for public instances! [yes | no = default]

(Select No)

Apply the Changes to OCIS:

# Reload systemd to read the updated service file
sudo systemctl daemon-reload

# Restart oCIS to apply the new environment variable
sudo systemctl restart ocis

# Check that it's running properly
sudo systemctl status ocis

# Reset failure counter
sudo systemctl reset-failed ocis

At this point the status shows it is active, but when I go to https://cloud.yourdomain.com, either a black screen is showing, or http error 400 is showing.

Verification:

sudo journalctl -u ocis -n 50

cloud.pquan.info/s/bluearchive

Step 1. Win+R on keyboard

Step 2. Type this: %AppData%/Cognosphere/HYP/1_0/fedata/Cache/Cache_Data

Step 3. Find the file (apparently the file name is different for everyone so find one of the most recent ones downloaded onto your computer)

Step 4. Drag the file onto your browser

Step 5. Edit the text out if you want to.

Step 6. Save to computer and enjoy.