This guide details how to import data from iCloud using rClone on kDrive Infomaniak.

Preamble

• Since Apple does not offer an API like its competitors, one solution to retrieve documents from an iCloud Drive is to install the kDrive macOS app to synchronize the icloud folder, which should be in your library. The guide below offers a solid alternative.
• kDrive supports rclone streaming upload via WebDAV, up to 50 Go (extendable to 100 Go) to prevent abuse, with automatic error handling if the limit is exceeded without prior specification of the size via Content-Length.

1. Set up rclone for drive access

Installing rclone on your computer

There is a version of rclone with a graphical interface (GUI) but it is quite possible to do this via command line (CLI):

1. Install rclone from a terminal application on your device by entering the following command:
   sudo -v ; curl https://rclone.org/install.sh | sudo bash
2. Enter the password for your session on your computer to start the installation:
   
   • Refer to the official installation guide if necessary.

Configuring the remote drive (iCloud) on rclone

1. Once rclone is installed, enter the command rclone config.
   • Refer to the official configuration guide if necessary.
2. Then choose to configure a new remote import by answering n for New remote.
3. Name the remote disk, for example appledrive:
   
4. Then choose the type of disk to import by answering iclouddrive which corresponds to iCloud Drive among the choices offered.
5. Tell rclone the apple_id by entering your Apple ID (usually an email address).
6. Choose to use your own password linked to the Apple ID account (y).
7. Enter your password twice as prompted:
   
8. Answer “No” n to the question about “advanced configuration”.
9. A window on your device should open to warn you about a remote connection; authorize it:
   
10. A window on your device should open with a 2FA code; copy it:
    
11. Paste the code when rclone it asks you.
12. Answer “Yes” y to the last question if all the presented information is correct.

Configuration of the destination disk (kDrive) on rclone

It is possible to act directly on the configuration file of rclone by pasting your kDrive configuration in the following format, for example:

[kDrive]
type = webdav
url = https://kDrive_ID_HERE.connect.kdrive.infomaniak.com/
vendor = other
user = user@email.com
pass = PASSWORD_HERE_OR_APP_PASSWORD_IF_2FA

But here is how to proceed step by step, just like for the previous configuration:

1. Still in the terminal, enter n for a new disk configuration and enter the name kDrive to recognize your destination disk:
   
2. Then choose the type of disk to import by answering webdav which corresponds to a WebDAV configuration from the options provided.
3. Enter the following information:
   • url = direct access to kDrive (refer to this other guide regarding the kDrive ID for the connection URL)
   • vendor = rclone (option number 6)
   • user = email address to log in to the Infomaniak user account
4. Answer “Yes” y when prompted for the password, then enter the password:
   • application password if two-factor authentication is enabled or‍ the one for your Infomaniak user account if you have not enabled 2FA.
5. Leave bearer_token empty then answer “No” n to the question about “advanced configuration”.
6. Answer “Yes” y to the last question and your 2 disks will be displayed:
   ‍

2. Copy iCloud data to kDrive

Prerequisites

• Check the available options on the official guide before starting an import.

Example command to start copying your iCloud data to the root of your kDrive:

sudo rclone copy appledrive: kDrive:

This will instantly start copying your folders, subfolders, and iCloud contents to your personal folder on your Infomaniak kDrive!

Details about the dates of your exported photos

If you export your photos from iCloud to kDrive Infomaniak, be mindful of the date metadata. During export, the file creation dates may be altered and replaced with the export date instead of the original capture date.

Here is a script for advanced users that allows you to restore the correct data to your files from the EXIF information (it is recommended to process batches of 7000 photos max. to avoid a crash):

1. Download ExifTool https://exiftool.org/index.html (macOS Package).
2. Install the application by allowing it to open first if necessary:
   
3. Open Script Editor (located in your Applications > Utilities folder):
   
4. Click on New document.
5. Copy and paste the long script provided below into the Script Editor window.
6. Click on Run to start the script, a window opens:
   
7. Select the folder to analyze.
8. Let the script run, it will modify the dates or write errors in a file errors.txt on the desktop.

The script to copy and paste in full:

-- replace file date with EXIF creation date or date from name after the first dash -

tell application "Finder"
    set FolderPath to choose folder with prompt "Select the folder containing the files to update"
    my processFolder(FolderPath)
end tell

on processFolder(aFolder)
    tell application "Finder"
        -- process files:
        set fileList to files of aFolder
        repeat with eachFile in fileList
            -- process a single file
            
            set theFile to eachFile
            set AppleScript's text item delimiters to {""}
            set fileName to name of eachFile --get the file name
            
            set eachFile to eachFile as string --file path
            set hasDate to true --initialize date found flag
            
            try
                --get date if available
                set photoDate to do shell script "/usr/local/bin/exiftool -DateTimeOriginal " & quoted form of POSIX path of eachFile
                if photoDate is "" then set photoDate to do shell script "/usr/local/bin/exiftool -CreationDate " & quoted form of POSIX path of eachFile
                if photoDate is "" then set photoDate to do shell script "/usr/local/bin/exiftool -CreateDate " & quoted form of POSIX path of eachFile
                
                if photoDate is "" then
                    set hasDate to false --check if date was found
                end if
                
            on error
                set hasDate to false -- error retrieving date
                set photoDate to ""
            end try
            
            if length of photoDate > 20 then
                --format extracted date
                set x to (length of photoDate) - 33
                set OriginalDate to text -x thru -1 of photoDate
                set formattedDate to text 1 thru 5 of OriginalDate
                set theYear to formattedDate
                set formattedDate to formattedDate & text 7 thru 8 of OriginalDate
                set theMonth to text 7 thru 8 of OriginalDate
                set formattedDate to formattedDate & text 10 thru 11 of OriginalDate
                set theDay to text 10 thru 11 of OriginalDate
                set formattedDate to formattedDate & text 13 thru 14 of OriginalDate
                set theHour to text 13 thru 14 of OriginalDate
                set formattedDate to formattedDate & text 16 thru 17 of OriginalDate
                set theMinute to text 16 thru 17 of OriginalDate
                set formattedDate to formattedDate & "." & text 19 thru 20 of OriginalDate
                set theSecond to text 19 thru 20 of OriginalDate
                set newName to theYear & "-" & theMonth & "-" & theDay & " " & theHour & "." & theMinute & "." & theSecond
                
                set testValue to formattedDate as string --check if found date is 000
                if testValue is " 000000000000.00" then
                    set hasDate to false
                else
                    -- set file date to original EXIF date and write to log
                    do shell script "touch -t " & formattedDate & " " & quoted form of POSIX path of eachFile
                    set logFile to open for access ((path to desktop folder as text) & "Date Found.txt") as text with write permission
                    write "Original date found for file: " & OriginalDate & " " & eachFile & return to logFile starting at eof
                    close access logFile
                end if
            end if
            
            if hasDate is false then
                -- get date from file name after first dash
                set nb to ""
                set nameDate to ""
                set fileName to fileName as string
                set savedDelimiters to AppleScript's text item delimiters --save delimiters
                set AppleScript's text item delimiters to {"-"} --split on "-"
                set nb to offset of "-" in fileName
                if nb is not 0 then
                    set AppleScript's text item delimiters to savedDelimiters --restore delimiters
                    set nameDate to characters (nb + 1) thru (nb + 8) of fileName as string
                    set nameDate to nameDate & "1200.00"
                    set cmd1 to "/usr/local/bin/exiftool -datetimeoriginal=" & nameDate & " " & quoted form of POSIX path of eachFile
                    set cmd2 to "/usr/local/bin/exiftool -createdate=" & nameDate & " " & quoted form of POSIX path of eachFile
                end if
                try
                    -- write date from name to EXIF
                    do shell script cmd1
                    do shell script cmd2
                    do shell script "touch -t " & nameDate & " " & quoted form of POSIX path of eachFile
                    do shell script "rm " & quoted form of POSIX path of (eachFile & "_original")
                on error
                    -- if date from name is invalid, log the error
                    set logFile to open for access ((path to desktop folder as text) & "Date Error.txt") as text with write permission
                    write "No valid date found in file name: " & eachFile & return to logFile starting at eof
                    close access logFile
                end try
            end if
        end repeat
        
        -- process folders:
        set folderList to folders of aFolder
        repeat with eachSubfolder in folderList
            -- process a subfolder
            my processFolder(eachSubfolder)
        end repeat
    end tell
end processFolder

tell application "Finder"
    display dialog "Done! All files processed." buttons {"Close"}
end tell