Worried about the coming NSA intrusions into Dropbox and iCloud? Setup your own PRIVATE cloud.

[Overmind One]

I discussed this elsewhere on this site, but cloud services like Dropbox and any cloud storage "on the map" like Carbonite and iCloud is going to be a candidate for NSA scrutiny. They went after the obvious sources like Facebook and MySpace and Twitter and all the services that "everybody" is supposedly using. But I consider myself an IT survivalist on a personal level. I DO NOT WANT the government snooping in my personal files or reading my email. I dont have anything to hide, but I think I would feel uncomfortable having a Federal Agent living in my home 24/7 with his own private phone and Administrator access to my private files.

So what to do? I looked at a few solutions and have settled on OwnCloud.

http://lifehacker.com/5993596/how-t...storage-service-in-five-minutes-with-owncloud

You need access to a webspace. This can even be a website purchased on Hostgator or you can run the server from home. I chose to use a webspace that I already own to do this.

What You'll Need

You don't really need much to get started with ownCloud. Just gather up:

• A web host that supports PHP5 and MySQL (or SQLite): This might sound a little jargony, but all it means is that you need to sign up for a service like Dreamhost (if you haven't already). If you already have a domain name likehttp://www.yourname.comthrough a web host (and you should), you can probably install ownCloud in a couple minutes. It sounds complicated, but you don't actually need to deal with things like PHP and MySQL for the simple installation of ownCloud. It does it all for you automatically. Just make sure your hosting service supports them.
• A copy of ownCloud Server 5: You can install ownCloud in a variety of ways, but for our purposes we'll stick the simplest method: the web installer. If you know how to put a file onto your web site, you can install this. You'll just need to upload one file to your web host.
• A URL for remote access: Since you'll likely want to tap into ownCloud from anywhere, you'll need a URL for doing so. If you don't already have a domain name, you can buy one, but if you do it's incredibly easy to set up ownCloud in a subdirectory of your site.

After you have it installed, you can download desktop software as well as the Android app here:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.owncloud.android&hl=en

The overall cost is the cost for a webhost (none if you have a home web server), and .99c for the Android app, The OwnCloud iPhone app costs the same .99c and you can get it here:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/owncloud/id543672169?mt=8

Once set up, I can move everything to OwnCloud and stop using the measly 50GB I have in Dropbox. I will let you know when I have set it up.

 

[Overmind One]

Desktop clients for all operating systems are here: https://owncloud.org/sync-clients/#windows

Keep in mind, besides the website/webhost (if you install externally), this software and its features are FREE. The phone apps cost .99c for iPhone and Android.

 

[Overmind One]

I have just installed OwnCloud on a webspace I own on Hostgator. I am setting up sync clients on my windows machine and then I will go to the Play Store and get the app for my phone and tablets.

 

[Overmind One]

A couple of snags, I had to make sure PHP 5.3.2 was installed, and I had to apply an SSL certificate to my webspace for the desktop client to authenticate (I like this ). The desktop client works exactly like Dropbox, and installs a web-connected folder to sync your stuff. You can import a .vcf file (the format your phone uses) and sync your contacts. You can also sync your music and files and do everything you can do with Dropbox. I will let you know how the phone app works out. It needs to be able to auto-upload my camera stuff.

 

[Overmind One]

SUCCESS!

Not only does OwnCloud have the instant camera upload feature on Android, but it is faster than Dropbox because there is no queuing other users. I have control of my storage space, I can sync my contacts and files and pictures and music. I do not have a limitation on how much storage I have, but the Open Source development and FREE distribution leaves no excuse...especially if you are paying for iCloud, Dropbox, Carbonite or SkyDrive. And I love Google Drive, but I do not like the fact that I do not have control over it like I can get with OwnCloud.

Please watch!

 

[Overmind One]

OMG...what a cool software setup! You can even change the logo to be whatever you want. My phone is already automatically uploading to my OwnCloud as well as DropBox. I plan to uninstall DropBox as soon as I move all the shit I have on it out of there. You can do EVERYTHING with this OwnCloud software. Send share links to people, create new folders, and it has a web based media player, PDF viewer, pictures viewer, and unlike Dropbox, you can add more apps like card managers and readers...OR, write your own if you are good at coding. This is Open Source.

 

[Bluce Ree]

I like this entire thread! Thanks for sharing this very interesting piece of software, bro!

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Overmind One]

I like this entire thread! Thanks for sharing this very interesting piece of software, bro!

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

You are going to want to take a look at it bro...even the enterprise version is free! And this is not slackware. It is full featured and does everything the other software packages do, but is FREE. Granted, you need some basic skill in setting up a website and such, but with this software, you can even set up your own commercial cloud storage service. Im using it because I want control over my data and I dont want anybody snooping on my shit. Also, I dont care to have storage quotas imposed upon me by Dropbox or SkyDrive or Google Drive or any of those suckers. It means that it is still preferable to have a server at the core of even a home network setup. Even if just to allow the management of your own files. Stream to your home devices, maintain your own video libraries. Use the internet to collect information and download files without depending on them later. I may decide to go with a static IP at home again...I miss that.

 

[Gatefan1976]

What is the cost in hardware and the knowledge base required to do this kind of thing dude?

 

[Overmind One]

The best of everything is always free.

http://owncloud.org/features/

--- merged: Jul 21, 2013 at 4:53 PM ---

What is the cost in hardware and the knowledge base required to do this kind of thing dude?

Cost of hardware = ZERO if you just get a website. That would be approximately $3.96/mo paid at 36months http://www.hostgator.com/shared

Knowledge level = EASY. You just upload one file to your webspace and then run the script and you are up and running in less than 5 minutes.

Cost of domain = $12.00/yr (www.yoursite.com). It should use a shared site certificate if you want to have a secured connection. http://www.godaddy.com/domains/search.aspx?ci=78118

Cost of phone app (Android and iPhone both have same price at .99c)

Cost of desktop clients = FREE

Cost of software = FREE

Cost of additional apps to install = FREE

 

[Gatefan1976]

If you use a third party website provider, are you not just as vunerable as your website provider? I mean, if they are forced to turn over all files, are you not just as rooted?

 

[Overmind One]

If you use a third party website provider, are you not just as vunerable as your website provider? I mean, if they are forced to turn over all files, are you not just as rooted?

YES. But the NSA wont go after little webhost providers. They are looking for huge repositories of data like DropBox and SkyDrive and iCloud. They would have to know that you are running your cloud, then have a reason to monitor it, make the request and then go for it. Im just looking for higher than average security. I am not looking to go invisible and all 007 on them. . I just know I wont be on the ROUTINE circuit.

Red bolded, NO. Because I am not sharing my whole computer in the cloud. Just certain documents I access a lot, software programs I install a lot, and my music favorites. My pictures and videos from the phone go there and then when I get home I move them to my archives. I am only eliminating DropBox from the mix. The NSA will go for DropBox and its tens of millions of users, not my individual OwnCloud installation.

 

[Gatefan1976]

YES. But the NSA wont go after little webhost providers. They are looking for huge repositories of data like DropBox and SkyDrive and iCloud. They would have to know that you are running your cloud, then have a reason to monitor it, make the request and then go for it. Im just looking for higher than average security. I am not looking to go invisible and all 007 on them. . I just know I wont be on the ROUTINE circuit.

For sure, but I followed some breadcrumbs here:
http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=37449553

Relevant part:
The company provides application hosting, domain names, and Windows hosting services. HostGator.com, LLC was founded in 2002 and is based in Houston, Texas. As of July 15, 2012, HostGator.com, LLC operates as a subsidiary of The Endurance International Group, Inc.

Some more breadcrumbs:
http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=112165

Relevant part:
The company has strategic partnerships with Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, Joomla!, Constant contact, CM4all, PayPal, and Akamai

All I am pointing out is it's not *that* far off the beaten track ya know

Red bolded, NO. Because I am not sharing my whole computer in the cloud. Just certain documents I access a lot, software programs I install a lot, and my music favorites. My pictures and videos from the phone go there and then when I get home I move them to my archives. I am only eliminating DropBox from the mix. The NSA will go for DropBox and its tens of millions of users, not my individual OwnCloud installation.

Cool beans

 

[Overmind One]

For sure, but I followed some breadcrumbs here:
http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=37449553

Relevant part:
The company provides application hosting, domain names, and Windows hosting services. HostGator.com, LLC was founded in 2002 and is based in Houston, Texas. As of July 15, 2012, HostGator.com, LLC operates as a subsidiary of The Endurance International Group, Inc.

Some more breadcrumbs:
http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=112165

Relevant part:
The company has strategic partnerships with Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, Joomla!, Constant contact, CM4all, PayPal, and Akamai

All I am pointing out is it's not *that* far off the beaten track ya know



Cool beans

Ah, thanks for that! There is always Verio in the EU. The point is, I will not be on "the circuit" or in the "corral" which is the honeypot they are wanting to mine. I am not on any criminal lists or activists group participation lists. I kinda know how they think...like I said, I am not trying to go completely "off the grid".