Download ownCloud Server 8.1.0

Version 8.1 of ownCloud server was released a few days ago. OwnCloud is an open source project that makes it possible to run cloud storage in-house. It’s easy to set up as all you need is a server running PHP and MySQL. In addition to storing and sharing files, it is also possible to stream music or keep a calendar and address book, for example. The server needs Windows or Linux, clients are available for Windows, Linux, OS X, Android and iOS. In version 8.1, various adjustments have been made that should make ownCloud faster and more stable. The complete release notes can be found below.

ownCloud 8.1 – Raising the Bar on Security and Performance
We’re proud to announce the availability of ownCloud 8.1, bringing you more control over your data. This release marks significant under the hood improvements, such as increasing scalability and performance of syncing and file operations while making ownCloud a better platform for developers to build upon. Security enhancements, integrated documentation links, more control in the admin panel over external storage, LDAP and encryption make ownCloud more secure and easier to use.

End User Improvements
End users will notice that their personal settings now prominently feature their Federated Cloud ID. Your Federated Cloud ID is an address users from other ownCloud servers can use to share files with you. You can even add other peoples’ Federated Cloud ID’s to your address book so their name will auto complete in the share dialog!

Another change you will see in the settings, not just for users but also for admins, is the integration of documentation links. Our documentation has improved tremendously over the last month, this way, we put it all at your fingertips.

Users of ownCloud Documents will be happy to hear that we have updated to the latest upstream version of WebODF, introducing some new features such as annotations support and new styling capabilities. We’ll publish a blog about these improvements later this week!

Admin Enhancements
This is not directly visible, but is very noticeable especially on large installations or when syncing many files, which are among the many performance improvements which have been integrated in this ownCloud release. We estimate that ownCloud servers can now handle up to 50% more users on the same hardware as an ownCloud 8.0 server could, while syncing large numbers of files and file operations, for example moving or deleting files is up to four times as fast.

To ensure slow external storage does not drag down these performance improvements, admins can now configure thumbnail support, file cache behavior, and encryption for each external storage mount.

Speaking of encryption, a modularization of the Encryption capabilities in ownCloud allows for external key management, provides improved reliability and management, and sets the foundation for future encryption enhancements. In other security news, there have been a raft of architectural improvements and changes made which harden ownCloud against security threats. Some of these are described further in this blog post.

This release also introduces Release Channels, an easy way of picking the ownCloud release that fits you best and allows you to stay up to date.

we have published a guide to upgrading your ownCloud 8.0 Server to the latest release.

Improvements for Developers
As ownCloud is meant to be a platform, much attention went into improving the ownCloud API. Over 190 new functions became available while 50 older ones were replaced. Details are to come in a blog post later this week.

If you’re interested in developing ownCloud apps, connecting your mobile or desktop application to ownCloud, or improving ownCloud itself, you are invited to join us at the ownCloud Contributor Conference 2015taking place from August 27 until September 3 in Berlin, Germany.

There have been many more changes and improvements in ownCloud Server 8.1 and you can find a more complete overview on the owncloud.org/eight-one page or see for yourself by grabbing your own copy!