Identity

Process model: PHP web application — no single daemon. Runs under the web server's PHP-FPM worker pool. There is no nextcloud.service to restart.
CLI tool: occ (located at the Nextcloud app root, e.g. /var/www/nextcloud/occ). Must be run as the web server user.
- Docker: docker compose exec --user www-data nextcloud php occ <command>
- Bare-metal: sudo -u www-data php /var/www/nextcloud/occ <command>
Config: <nextcloud-root>/config/config.php — PHP array, not INI format
Data dir: Set via datadirectory in config.php. Default: <nextcloud-root>/data/
Logs: <data-dir>/nextcloud.log (JSON lines); also journalctl -u php-fpm and the web server error log
Recommended install method: Docker Compose (avoids PHP/extension version conflicts)
Dependencies: Web server (nginx or Apache) + PHP-FPM + MariaDB/PostgreSQL + Redis (required for file locking with multiple users)
Web server user: www-data (Debian/Ubuntu), apache (RHEL/Fedora), or the container's www-data

Key Operations

Operation	Command
Check system status	`occ status`
Check for upgrade	`occ update:check`