Nextcloud: Suppress Default User Folders

Status: archived. I don't run Nextcloud anymore. Leaving this here for reference.

To prevent the creation of default files in new user accounts in Nextcloud (such as the Files app's "Documents", "Photos", "Music" directories, etc.), you will need to disable or remove the default files that are generated when a new user is created.

Delete default files in the user-skeleton directory

New users in Nextcloud are typically provided with default folders/files from a user-skeleton directory.

• Locate the user-skeleton directory. The default path is usually:

  cd /var/www/nextcloud/core/skeleton
  

• Delete any files or directories in this folder to prevent them from being copied to new users' home directories:

Note: This will prevent any default files (such as Documents, Photos, etc.) from being copied to new user accounts.

Prevent "First run wizard" (optional)

The "First Run Wizard" in Nextcloud might also encourage the creation of default folders. If you want to remove this wizard for new users, follow these steps:

Disable the First Run Wizard:

• As an admin, you can disable the "First Run Wizard" by navigating to:
• Settings > Administration > General.
• Then, uncheck the option Enable first-run wizard.

Alternatively, you can do this via the config.php file:

'show_first_run_wizard' => false,