# Nextcloud: your first steps

> What is set up for you, adding users and clients, and updating one version at a time.

Source: https://veldhost.eu/docs/nextcloud-getting-started

Picked Nextcloud? Your site came with Nextcloud installed and configured on your own EU server.

## What gets installed

- **Nextcloud** (latest stable release, verified against Nextcloud's published checksum and PGP signature) with its own MariaDB database in your container.
- Your data folder **outside the web root**, APCu and Valkey (Redis-compatible) caching and file locking, a real cron job every 5 minutes, HTTPS enforced, and nginx rules from Nextcloud's own documentation (CalDAV/CardDAV discovery included).
- One admin account; no users, groups or extra apps yet.

## First login

1. Your site page in the portal shows the sign-in address, the `admin` username and a generated password — we display it for 7 days, so save it now.
2. Log in, then set your own password under **Settings → Security**. Add users under **Settings → Users**.
3. Install Calendar, Contacts, Talk or Office from the **Apps** menu, and connect the desktop and mobile clients with your site address.
4. To send invitations and password resets, configure an outgoing mail server under **Settings → Basic settings** (a veldhost mailbox works).

## Updating

- Update from **Settings → Administration → Overview** with the built-in updater, one major version at a time. Press **Back up now** on the Files tab first — the backup covers files, data folder and database.
- Nextcloud checks its own security and configuration under Administration → Overview; the warnings you see there are yours to act on.

## Limits

- Nextcloud needs 1 GB of memory, so it is offered on the Pro plan and up. Storage counts against your plan's disk; large photo libraries want the Business plan.
- Uploads up to 512 MB per file through the browser; the desktop client chunks larger files.