Using Rclone to pull down OneDrive contents to local Linux machine.

Rclone Setup for OneDrive on Linux

Overview

This guide documents the complete setup process for using rclone to access Microsoft OneDrive from Linux Mint. Rclone is a command-line tool that syncs files and directories to and from cloud storage services using their native APIs.

Important: Customize for Your System

This guide was created for a specific setup. You will need to adjust these paths for your own system:

• Username: Replace /home/mark/ with /home/YOUR_USERNAME/
• External drive: Replace /media/mark/Ext_T7_lpthp/ with your own drive mount point
  • Find yours with: lsblk or check /media/YOUR_USERNAME/
• Remote name: “OneDrive” is used throughout - you can use any name you want
• Drive selection: When configuring, your OneDrive options may be numbered differently

The core process (install → configure → authenticate → copy) is universal and works for everyone.

Initial Installation

sudo apt install rclone

Configuration Process

Step 1: Start Configuration

rclone config

You’ll see:

No remotes found, make a new one?
n) New remote
s) Set configuration password
q) Quit config
n/s/q>

Choose: n (New remote)

Step 2: Name Your Remote

name> onedrive

You can use any name you want - this is just the label rclone will use in commands.

Step 3: Select Storage Type

From the numbered list of storage providers, choose:

Storage> 30

(Option 30 is “Microsoft OneDrive”)

Step 4: OAuth Client Settings

client_id> [press Enter - leave blank]
client_secret> [press Enter - leave blank]

You don’t need custom OAuth credentials for personal OneDrive access.

Step 5: Choose Region

region> [press Enter for default "global"]

Unless you’re using a government or special regional OneDrive account, use the default global option.

Step 6: Advanced Config

Edit advanced config?
y/n> n

No advanced configuration needed for basic usage.

Step 7: Auto Configuration

Use auto config?
y/n> y

This will open a browser window for Microsoft authentication. Log in with your Microsoft account and authorize rclone.

Step 8: Select Drive Type

config_type> [press Enter for default "onedrive"]

Choose “OneDrive Personal or Business”

Step 9: Select Your Drive

You’ll see a list of available drives:

config_driveid> 2

Choose option 2 (your main “OneDrive (personal)”)

Step 10: Confirm Configuration

Drive OK?
y/n> y

Keep this "onedrive" remote?
y/e/d> y

Step 11: Exit Configuration

e/n/d/r/c/s/q> q

Configuration is now complete!

Essential Workflow: The Two-Step Process

This is the core of how you’ll use rclone. Follow these two steps every time:

STEP 1: Dry Run (Always Do This First!)

See what would be copied WITHOUT actually copying anything:

rclone copy onedrive:/ /media/mark/Ext_T7_lpthp/OneDrive --dry-run -P --exclude "Personal Vault/**"

This shows you:

• What files would be copied
• How much data would transfer
• If there are any errors

Look at the output carefully before proceeding!

STEP 2: Actual Copy (Only After Dry Run Looks Good)

Once you’re satisfied with what the dry run showed, run the real copy:

rclone copy onedrive:/ /media/mark/Ext_T7_lpthp/OneDrive -P --exclude "Personal Vault/**"

What each flag means:

• onedrive:/ - source (your OneDrive root)
• /media/mark/Ext_T7_lpthp/OneDrive - destination on external drive
• --dry-run - (dry run only) don’t actually copy, just show what would happen
• -P - show progress during transfer
• --exclude "Personal Vault/**" - skip Personal Vault folder (prevents errors)

About Personal Vault

Personal Vault requires special authentication that rclone can’t handle. We exclude it to avoid error messages cluttering the output. If you need those files, download them manually from OneDrive.live.com.

How Rclone Works Going Forward

Key Concept: Rclone Does NOT Auto-Sync

Important: Rclone is NOT like Dropbox or OneDrive’s native clients. It does not automatically sync in the background. You must manually run rclone commands whenever you want to sync.

Copy vs Sync Commands

rclone copy (what we used)

• Copies files from source to destination
• Does NOT delete files at destination that don’t exist at source
• Safe for one-way transfers
• Use when: You want to pull down files without risking deletion

rclone sync

• Makes destination exactly match source
• WILL DELETE files at destination that don’t exist at source
• Use with caution!
• Use when: You want exact mirror of OneDrive

Example: Update Your Local Copy

To pull down any new or changed files from OneDrive:

rclone copy onedrive:/ /media/mark/Ext_T7_lpthp/OneDrive -P --exclude "Personal Vault/**"

Example: Upload Local Changes to OneDrive

rclone copy /media/mark/Ext_T7_lpthp/OneDrive onedrive:/ -P

Note: source and destination are reversed.

Example: Two-Way Sync (Advanced)

For true two-way sync where changes go both directions:

rclone sync /media/mark/Ext_T7_lpthp/OneDrive onedrive:/ -P --interactive

The --interactive flag will ask before making destructive changes.

Useful Rclone Features

Check What’s Different

See what would be copied without actually copying:

rclone check /media/mark/Ext_T7_lpthp/OneDrive onedrive:/

List Remote Files

Browse your OneDrive without downloading:

rclone ls onedrive:/

For a tree-style view:

rclone tree onedrive:/

List only directories:

rclone lsd onedrive:/

Download Specific Folder

Instead of everything, download just one folder:

rclone copy onedrive:/Documents /media/mark/Ext_T7_lpthp/OneDrive/Documents -P

Bandwidth Limiting

Limit upload/download speed if you don’t want rclone hogging bandwidth:

rclone copy onedrive:/ /media/mark/Ext_T7_lpthp/OneDrive -P --bwlimit 5M

This limits to 5 MB/s.

Show Transfer Stats

Get detailed statistics after transfer:

rclone copy onedrive:/ /media/mark/Ext_T7_lpthp/OneDrive -P --stats-one-line

Mount OneDrive as File system (Advanced)

You can mount OneDrive like a regular directory:

mkdir ~/OneDrive
rclone mount onedrive:/ ~/OneDrive --daemon

Files are downloaded on-demand when you access them. To unmount:

fusermount -u ~/OneDrive

Warning: Mounting can be slow over the internet and has some quirks. Best for occasional access, not primary workflow.

Ongoing Usage Strategy

Recommended Workflow

Since rclone doesn’t auto-sync, here’s a practical approach:

1. For backups: Run rclone copy manually whenever you want to back up OneDrive locally
2. Schedule it (optional): Set up a cron job or systemd timer if you want automatic backups
3. Before major changes: Always do a dry run first with --dry-run
4. Keep it simple: Use copy instead of sync unless you’re certain you want exact mirroring

Setting Up Automatic Backups (Optional)

If you want daily backups from OneDrive to your external drive:

1. Create a script: /home/mark/scripts/backup-onedrive.sh

   #!/bin/bash
   # Check if external drive is mounted
   if [ -d "/media/mark/Ext_T7_lpthp" ]; then
    rclone copy onedrive:/ /media/mark/Ext_T7_lpthp/OneDrive \
      --log-file=/home/mark/logs/rclone-backup.log \
      --exclude "Personal Vault/**"
   else
    echo "External drive not mounted" >> /home/mark/logs/rclone-backup.log
   fi
   

2. Make it executable:

   chmod +x /home/mark/scripts/backup-onedrive.sh
   

3. Add to crontab for daily 2 AM backups:

   crontab -e
   

Add line:

0 2 * * * /home/mark/scripts/backup-onedrive.sh

Note: Only useful if your external drive stays connected.

Why Rclone Over Other Methods

vs rsync

• rsync: Only works with filesystems you can already access (local, SSH, etc.)
• rclone: Speaks cloud provider APIs directly (OneDrive, Google Drive, S3, etc.)
• You cannot use rsync with OneDrive unless you first mount it as a filesystem

vs abraunegg/onedrive

• abraunegg: Full bidirectional sync daemon (like native OneDrive client)
• rclone: Simple, command-line driven, no daemon required
• For one-time or manual syncs, rclone is simpler
• For always-on sync like Dropbox, abraunegg is better

vs Web Interface

• Web: Manual downloads only, no automation
• rclone: Scriptable, can handle large transfers, resume capability

Common Commands Reference

# List configured remotes
rclone listremotes

# Get info about OneDrive quota/usage
rclone about onedrive:

# Download everything (excluding Personal Vault)
rclone copy onedrive:/ /path/to/local -P --exclude "Personal Vault/**"

# Upload everything
rclone copy /path/to/local onedrive:/ -P

# Sync local to match OneDrive exactly (DELETES local files not in OneDrive)
rclone sync onedrive:/ /path/to/local -P --interactive --exclude "Personal Vault/**"

# Check differences without copying
rclone check /path/to/local onedrive:/

# Browse remote files
rclone ls onedrive:/
rclone tree onedrive:/Documents

# Download specific folder
rclone copy onedrive:/Photos /path/to/local/Photos -P

# Delete old remote configuration
rclone config delete onedrive

# Re-authorize (if token expires)
rclone config reconnect onedrive:

Troubleshooting

Token Expired

If you get authentication errors after months of not using rclone:

rclone config reconnect onedrive:

This will refresh your OAuth token.

Can’t Access Personal Vault

This is expected. Personal Vault requires special authentication. Either:

• Download those files manually from onedrive.live.com
• Use --exclude "Personal Vault/**" to skip it

Transfer Speed Issues

If transfers are slow:

• Check your internet connection
• Try --transfers 4 to increase parallel transfers (default is 4)
• Use --bwlimit if you’re saturating your connection and need to limit speed

Verifying File Integrity

After large transfers, verify everything copied correctly:

rclone check /media/mark/Ext_T7_lpthp/OneDrive onedrive:/ --one-way

Additional Resources

• Official rclone docs: https://rclone.org/
• OneDrive-specific docs: https://rclone.org/onedrive/
• rclone forum: https://forum.rclone.org/

Summary

• Rclone is installed and configured to access your OneDrive
• Use rclone copy for safe one-way transfers
• Use rclone sync with caution (can delete files)
• Rclone does NOT auto-sync - you must run it manually
• Your initial download to external drive is complete (125 files, ~150 MB)
• Personal Vault cannot be accessed via rclone (expected limitation)

For your use case (one-time bulk download), rclone is perfect. If you later need continuous sync like Dropbox, consider the abraunegg/onedrive client instead.