Uploading Files to Hetzner Object Storage with Rclone on Linux

📦 How to Upload Files to Hetzner Object Storage with Rclone on Linux

If you’ve ever tried uploading files to Hetzner Object Storage using tools like Cyberduck or the official duck CLI and faced connection issues — you’re not alone. The duck CLI sometimes struggles with Hetzner’s custom S3-compatible endpoint.

Luckily, rclone offers a reliable, flexible alternative that works smoothly on any Linux distribution, including Debian, Arch, Fedora, and others.

This guide will walk you through setting up rclone on your Linux system to upload files easily to your Hetzner bucket.

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🛠️ Step 1: Install Rclone

Depending on your Linux distro, use your package manager to install rclone:

• Debian/Ubuntu:

sudo apt install rclone

• Arch Linux:

sudo pacman -S rclone

• Fedora:

sudo dnf install rclone

• Or download the latest official binary from rclone.org.

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🗂️ Step 2: Obtain Your Hetzner Credentials

In the Hetzner Cloud Console, navigate to Projects → Object Storage and note:

• Bucket name (e.g., my-bucket)
• Access Key ID
• Secret Access Key
• Region (e.g., hel1)
• Endpoint URL (e.g., https://hel1.your-objectstorage.com)

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⚙️ Step 3: Configure Rclone for Hetzner

You can set this up interactively or by editing the config file.

Option A: Interactive Setup

Run:

rclone config

• Choose n for a new remote
• Name it (e.g., hetzner)
• Select s3 as the storage type
• Choose Other as the provider
• Enter the endpoint URL (e.g., https://hel1.your-objectstorage.com)
• Enter your Access Key and Secret Key
• Leave region blank or enter hel1
• Accept defaults for other options

Option B: Edit Config File

Edit or create ~/.config/rclone/rclone.conf with:

[hetzner]
type = s3
provider = Other
env_auth = false
access_key_id = YOUR_ACCESS_KEY
secret_access_key = YOUR_SECRET_KEY
endpoint = https://hel1.your-objectstorage.com
region = hel1
acl = private

Replace YOUR_ACCESS_KEY and YOUR_SECRET_KEY accordingly.

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📤 Step 4: Upload a File

Upload your file:

rclone copy ./yourfile.pdf hetzner:my-bucket

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📁 Step 5: List Files in Your Bucket

Check stored files with:

rclone ls hetzner:my-bucket

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🛡️ Pro Tips

• Security: Never expose keys in public scripts.
• Automation: Use cron jobs to automate backups.
• Progress: Add --progress to monitor uploads live.
• Cleanup: Revoke old keys promptly in Hetzner Console.

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✅ Summary

Rclone is a powerful, distro-agnostic tool for working with Hetzner Object Storage. Whether you’re on Debian, Arch, Fedora, or another Linux flavor, rclone ensures your file uploads are smooth, secure, and easily automated.