Install Nextcloud with OnlyOffice Using Docker Compose
This article is for those looking for a detailed and straightforward guide on installing Nextcloud with OnlyOffice using Docker Compose.
Nextcloud is an analogue of Dropbox, which you can install on your own server and make a cloud for storing files - photos, videos and any others. The application can be used for collaboration and confidential file sharing, setting access levels for each user. You can also make voice and video calls using the separate NextCloud Talk mobile app.
OnlyOffice offers a secure online office suite highly compatible with MS Office formats. Connect it to your web platform for document editing and collaboration or use as a part of OnlyOffice Workspace.
💾 You can find the repository used in this guide on GitHub.
We’ll use Traefik as our reverse proxy. It’ll handle obtaining cryptographic certificates from Let’s Encrypt for your domain names and route requests to the corresponding services based on those domains.
❗ Remember that without a secure connection, the services will not work.
❗ To obtain cryptographic certificates, you will need A-type records in the external DNS zone, which point to the IP address of your server where Traefik is installed. If you have created these records recently, you should wait before starting the installation of the services. Full replication of these records between DNS servers can take from a few minutes to 48 hours or even longer in rare cases.
In this guide, we will consider the case where you already have a server with Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS installed on it.
You can find detailed information on how to install Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS in my guide “Install Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS”.
Docker Engine and Docker Compose must also be installed on the server.
You can learn how to install Docker Engine on Ubuntu Server by reading Install Docker Engine and Docker Compose on Ubuntu Server”.
In addition, OpenSSH must be installed on the server, and port 22 must be open in order to be able to connect to the server using the SSH protocol.
To install OpenSSH on the server you can use the command:
sudo apt install openssh-serverIf you plan to connect to the server using the Windows operating system, you can use PuTTY or MobaXterm.
This guide covers connecting to the server using the terminal emulator iTerm2, installed on the macOS operating system.
💡 Please note, you will need to open the following TCP ports for access to the services:
- TCP port 80 - to obtain a free cryptographic certificate through the Let’s Encrypt certification center.
- TCP port 443 - to access the Nextcloud web interface.
We connect to the server on which Nextcloud is planned to be installed.
Now it is necessary to create networks for your services.
We create a network for Traefik using the command:
docker network create traefik-network
We create a network for Nextcloud using the command:
docker network create nextcloud-network
docker network create onlyoffice-network
Next, you need to clone the repository that contains the configuration files, which include all the necessary conditions for Nextcloud to work.
You can clone the repository using the command:
git clone https://github.com/heyValdemar/nextcloud-onlyoffice-traefik-letsencrypt-docker-compose.git
Navigate to the directory with the repository using the command:
cd nextcloud-onlyoffice-traefik-letsencrypt-docker-compose
Next, you need to change the variables in the .env file according to your requirements.
💡 Note that the .env file should be in the same directory as nextcloud-onlyoffice-traefik-letsencrypt-docker-compose.yml.
Now let’s start Nextcloud with the command:
docker compose -f nextcloud-onlyoffice-traefik-letsencrypt-docker-compose.yml -p nextcloud up -d
To access the Nextcloud management panel, go to https://nextcloud.heyvaldemar.net from your workstation, where nextcloud.heyvaldemar.net is the domain name of my service. Accordingly, you need to specify your domain name that points to the IP address of your server with the installed Traefik service, which will redirect the request to Nextcloud.
💡 Note that you need to specify the domain name of the service, previously defined in the .env file.
Enter the username and password that you previously set in the .env file, and click the “Log In” button.
Welcome to the Nextcloud control panel.
Click the profile picture in the top-right corner, then select the “Apps” button.
Select “Integration” on the left sidebar and search for ONLYOFFICE integration.
Click on “Download and Enable” to install the ONLYOFFICE integration.
Click the profile picture in the top-right corner, then select the “Administration Settings” button.
Select “ONLYOFFICE” on the left sidebar.
In the “ONLYOFFICE Docs address” field, enter the domain name of the ONLYOFFICE service.
In the “Secret Key” field, enter the Secret Key for the ONLYOFFICE service.
💡 Note that you need to specify the domain name of the service and Secret key, previously defined in the .env file.
❗ It is important to note that you will need cryptographic certificates for your domain names. In my configuration, certificates are requested automatically using Traefik and Let’s Encrypt. Remember that without a secure connection, the services will not work.
❗ To obtain cryptographic certificates, you will need A-type records in the external DNS zone, which point to the IP address of your server where Traefik is installed. If you have created these records recently, you should wait before starting the installation of the services. Full replication of these records between DNS servers can take from a few minutes to 48 hours or even longer in rare cases.
Click on the “Save” button.
Settings have been successfully updated.
Let’s try to create a document using OnlyOffice.
Click the folder icon in the left corner, then click the plus button and choose “New document” in OnlyOffice.
Enter the name for the new document and click the arrow button.
The document was successfully created.
Background Jobs Using Cron
To ensure your Nextcloud instance operates efficiently, it’s important to use the “Cron” method to execute background jobs. A dedicated Docker container has already been set up in your environment to handle these tasks.
Steps to Enable Cron
- Log in to Nextcloud as an Administrator.
- Go to Administration settings (click on your user profile in the top right corner and select “Administration settings”).
- In the Administration section on the left sidebar, select Basic settings.
- Scroll down to the Background jobs section.
- Select the “Cron (Recommended)” option.
Why Use Cron?
The “Cron” method ensures that background tasks, such as file indexing, notifications, and cleanup operations, run at regular intervals independently of user activity. This method is more reliable and efficient than AJAX or Webcron, particularly for larger or more active instances, as it does not depend on users accessing the site to trigger these tasks. With the dedicated container in your setup, this method keeps your Nextcloud instance responsive and in good health by running these jobs consistently.
To access the Traefik control panel, go to https://traefik.nextcloud.heyvaldemar.net from your workstation, where traefik.nextcloud.heyvaldemar.net is the domain name of my service. Accordingly, you need to specify your domain name that points to the IP address of your server with the installed Traefik.
💡 Note that you need to specify the domain name of the service, previously defined in the .env file.
Enter the username and password previously set in the .env file, and click the “OK” button.
Welcome to the Traefik control panel.
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