There are countless cloud storage platforms that provide safe and secure storage space for your files. Popular cloud storage apps available for installation on Linux include Dropbox, Nextcloud, and Google Drive which, sadly, doesn’t provide a Linux client to date.
Other self-hosted options include OwnCloud, Pydio Cells, Seafile, Resilio, and Syncthing. Another open-source cloud storage alternative worth trying is Internxt.
Domiciled in Spain, Internxt is a Valencia-based startup founded by Fran Villalba Segarra. It was initially conceived in 2017, and in 2020, released its first cloud-based file storage applications.
Internxt: A Secure and Private Cloud Storage Service
Like many reputable cloud storage providers, Internxt’s philosophy is built around privacy and security. At its core, Intenxt has implemented a stack of technologies and protocols to ensure the safety and privacy of users’ data.
All data stored on Internxt is encrypted with AES-256 end-to-end encryption. This is a 256-bit key length encryption algorithm that is virtually uncrackable even with the most advanced algorithms. This is the encryption technology used by governments and commercial entities to protect sensitive electronic data.
Like most EU countries, Internxt conforms with all the GDPR provisions which ensure individuals’ right to privacy and protection of personal data.
GDPR is a European Union law that governs how personal data is handled. It requires all organizations handling and processing personal information to adopt technological safeguards to protect the privacy, rights, and freedoms of individuals’ data.
In addition, it guarantees zero-knowledge technology. Simply put, this ensures that all your files including documents, photos, videos, and any kind of unencrypted raw data are not accessible to any unauthorized users or servers. Only you have control over who gets access to your data.
Internxt offers three key cloud services:
Internxt Drive
Internxt is a cloud storage service that is an alternative to Google Drive or DropBox. It’s built for absolute privacy and military-grade security with zero-knowledge file storage. You can rest assured that all your files including encryption keys and confidential information remain private.
The user-friendly UI lets you seamlessly organize files in folders, rename, sort, and list them to your preference. You can backup files on your PC using a desktop app to ensure you have the most recent changes in place.
Just as important, Internxt Drive allows you to seamlessly access your files across multiple devices including your PC, tablet, smartphone, or any internet-connected device.
Internxt Send
Internxt is a file-sharing app that lets you send and share files regardless of the file size. There’s no file limit. You can send Gigabytes of files in no time. Like other Internxt services, Internxt Send is open-source and the source code is publicly available on GitHub.
There are two ways of sharing files and photos. You can use a password-protected link or simply send an email to anyone: whether they have an Internxt account or not.
To achieve this, just drag and drop the files you want to share or send into the browser or click the [ + ] icon and manually select the files or photos you want to send.
From here, you can select to use a link for file sharing whereupon a unique link valid for 15 days will be generated. You can then send this link to your intended recipient(s). Alternatively, you can select the “Send email” option and provide the email addresses of recipients you wish to share your files with.
Internxt VPN
Internxt’s secure VPN lets you surf the internet in complete privacy and freedom away from prying eyes. It’s a free VPN service that leverages secure data encryption protocols to safeguard your web traffic and guarantee anonymity online.
From their website, Internxt guarantees a no-logs collection policy and in addition, it doesn’t track your browser history. Like any other VPN, you can bypass geo-restricted websites and enjoy your content: whether it’s video streaming or reading articles.
Installing Internxt Drive on Linux
Our primary focus is to install Internxt Drive, an open-source client from Internxt that is available for Linux. At the moment, it is only available in DEB or AppImage format.
Download the AppImage or DEB file from the Official Github repository page or you can use the wget command on the CLI to download the DEB file.
$ wget https://github.com/internxt/drive-desktop-linux/releases/download/v2.2.0/internxt-drive_2.2.0_amd64.deb
Once downloaded, run the command below to install the Internxt Drive client.
$ sudo apt install ./internxt-drive_2.2.0_amd64.deb
Once installed, launch the application using the search functionality.
Once launched, you will be required to log in. If you don’t have an account, click `Create account` to create one.
With the account at hand, be sure to log in. Upon doing so, you will notice the Internxt Drive mounted on the filesystem. By default, this has two folders: `Family` and `Personal`.
You will find the same folders on the web UI as shown below.
From here, you can start uploading your files by clicking `Upload files` and selecting the files you want to upload. Here is a screenshot showing some of the uploaded files and folders.
Alternatively, you can drag and drop the files and folders you want to upload in the Internxt mounted volume. During the upload of the files, the sync activity will be displayed on the widget.
Once successfully uploaded, you can view the contents of your directories including opening files in different formats including PDF, JPG, and MP4.
Backup Folders to Internxt Drive
The backup feature lets you sync any folder on your computer to the cloud. Any modifications or changes are automatically tracked and reflected online.
The advantage of this feature is that it eliminates the need for copying and pasting files in the Internxt folder to save them to the cloud.
To access the `Backup` feature, click the gear icon then select `Preferences`.
Select the `Backups` option. From here you can select the folders to backup and upload frequency. You can backup the entire home directory or select specific directories and files.
Internxt Web Dashboard
Let’s have a general view of Internet Drive on the web browser. I have to admit it looks simple, neat, and intuitive with a modern look.
The web UI, lets you perform a range of options. For example, as we saw earlier, you can upload your files by simply clicking the `Upload files` and selecting your preferred files. Also, you can upload folders by clicking the `upload folder` icon adjacent to the `Upload files` button.
In addition, you can also share files and folders with other recipients. People without an Internxt account will be sent a signup invitation link first.
You can also create new folders and upload your files into them. The left sidebar provides additional options for tasks such as viewing backups, shared lists, and the contents of the trash bin.
Internxt Billing
Internxt lets you get started with 1GB of free storage space. You can upgrade to a monthly, annual, or lifetime plan for additional storage space.
The monthly plan starts from €4.99 and gets billed €59.88 annually with a 30-day money-back guarantee, access to premium support, unlimited access and sync, and a host of other premium features.
The annual plan starts from €3.83 per month and gets billed €45.99 annually.
Recently, they’ve introduced a lifetime payment plan that starts from €900 for 2TB (One-time payment).
Is Internxt Worth It?
Internxt offers military-grade encryption with AES 256 algorithm ensuring your files stay private and secure. It’s completely open-source and you can access the project from their official GitHub page.
Upon signing up, you get 1GB of free cloud storage which you can stretch further by upgrading to a monthly, annual, or lifetime subscription.
The web dashboard is simple and easy to use. You can easily upload files and directories, seamlessly share data, and keep track of backups. Internxt makes storing, backing up, and sharing your files in total privacy a lot easier.
My only gripe is the slow speeds when backing up or uploading huge files which are 1 GB and greater. This can be quite slow and some patience will be required.