Configure Joplin to work with ownCloud Infinite Scale (oCIS)

I love to use Joplin to organize my notes. To synchronize the notes between different devices I have so far used the WebDAV sync option together with ownCloud 10. Now oCIS (ownCloud Infinite Scale) is the new cool kid in the cloud storage space and I would like to use it for syncing of Joplin.

Similar to ownCloud 10, oCIS offers a WebDAV API, but it has disabled basic-auth by default and the docs discourage using it in production. Instead, oCIS implements the OIDC workflow for authentication. I tried to get the OIDC authentication into Joplin, but sadly my PR for that was refused.

The workaround is the "Share via link" function of oCIS. The generated links support basic-auth by default. (Don't fear your notes will still be very private).

1. create a folder in oCIS (I've called it joplin)
2. click on the "Add people" button of that folder, that will bring you to the sharing functions
3. you should see the "Share via link" function
4. create a new link
5. change the permissions to "Anyone with the link can edit"
6. additionally set a password
7. to configure Joplin, open its synchronisation settings and:
   1. select "WebDAV" as "Synchronisation target"
   2. copy the last bit of the link URL (everything after the last /), this is your "public-link-token"
   3. compose the "WebDAV URL" like <ocis-base-URL>/remote.php/dav/public-files/<public-link-token>
   4. use the "public-link-token" as "WebDAV username"
   5. add your password into the "WebDAV password" field

DONE!

To access your notes, one would need to know the random link AND your self selected password - so it should be pretty safe.
You could even have a different link, with a different password for every device you are using, so if you lose one device you would only have to delete that link to stop further syncing.

Comments

[Erik Thomsen]

Thanks for sharing! I think it's important to mention the path before the username needs to be /remote.php/dav/public-files/ (replacing the /s/) -- You showed this in your screenshots, but omitted it from the write-up.

[Artur Neumann]

@etho201 thank you for your comment, that is entirely true, I've updated the post accordingly. I hope that makes it now easier to understand