Nowadays every PC is connected to the web, we even work in the cloud with gmail, google docs and all kinds of social networks. Online file storage is some years old, but always held back by speed and internet connections. Sure, there were some nice services where you could upload large an many files and you could even email a (large) file as attachment with gmail. But some nice, simple and multi-platform file system integration was lacking. The cloud is the way to keep online file storage cheap and even free under the 2 gb. Ubuntu One, Dropbox and SpiderOak offers free file storage for Ubuntu.
Installation
This installtion has be done on Ubuntu Karmic (9.10) 64 bit.
Spideroak
- download deb and save the file
- open deb and install application
- open application (Applications -> Internet -> SpiderOak Backup) and follow the registration process
- sign up an subscribe to Ubuntu one
- Install the application by adding the PPA (Ubuntu) and the apt-url
- Start the client (Applications -> Internet -> Ubuntu One)
- Add your computer tot your account in the opened website
- A folder Ubuntu One is created in your home directory where you can put your files that will be saved in the cloud
Dropbox
- Download the deb file or add the PPA in your apt sources
- Open the deb file and install or use synaptic
- Log out and log back in, there should be a window asking you to download the proprietary deamon (if not: open Dropbox via Applications -> Internet -> Dropbox)
- After installation follow the registration process and choose your (free) storage plan
- Open the Dropbox application (Applications -> Internet -> Dropbox) and follow the registration process
- There should be a new folder in your home folder called Dropbox where you can put your files for online storage
Comparison
Pricing
| Name | free storage | extra | pricing | actual pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dropbox | 2 gb (3gb referals) | 50 gb | $ 10 | https://www.dropbox.com/pricing |
| SpiderOak | 2 gb | 100 gb (or more) | $10 per 100 gb p.m. | https://spideroak.com/pricing |
| Ubuntu One | 2 gb | 50 gb / 100 gb | $ 9.99 / $ 19.99 p.m. | https://one.ubuntu.com/plans/ |
Client software
| Name | Linux | Windows | Mac | Mobile | File-system Integration | Proxy support | Bandwidth limit | Auto update |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SpiderOak | yes | yes | yes | no | yes | only upload | yes | |
| Ubuntu One | yes | no | no | yes (nautilus) | no | yes | via repository | |
| Dropbox | yes | yes | yes | Iphone | yes (nautilus) | yes | yes | via repository |
Storage options
| name | sync | share | backup | undelete | previous versions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dropbox | yes | yes | no | yes | yes |
| Ubuntu One | yes | yes | no | no | no |
| SpiderOak | yes | yes | yes | no | no |
Website options
| name | sharing | image-gallery | overview |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu One | not very good | no | bad |
| Dropbox | good | yes | good |
| SpiderOak | complicated | no | mediocre |
Conclusion
| Pros | Cons | |
|---|---|---|
| Dropbox | + undelete and previous versions + good website: easy sharing | - static drop folder for syncing - does not preserve file-permissions |
| Ubuntu One | + open-source | - buggy - slow response website - static drop folder for syncing - not multi-platform |
| SpiderOak | + can select more directories, no need for symbolic links + backup function | - no integration - share option is complicated |
Overall Dropbox left the best impression. SpiderOak has the most extended function for selecting folders and files. That is one of the things you would expect for a backup tool, but you can’t undelete and go back to previous versions. Also I think most people would use online storage as a tool for syncing and sharing files through the internet, not as backup. In that case Dropbox would fit most to your needs so get it here.