Workspaces? how to use?

[smokinjo]

I have NC 28.,0x, workspaces 3.20

I am trying to use work spaces.

My undstanding is that using a workspace, all things that you use(files, task lists, photos, calendars, etc…) will be available to those in the work space.

As an admin, when I create a test workspace. there seems to have been a group folder that was created for it.

AS admin, I am able to add users to the workspace. But, as a user, accessing the workspave app, I get the error:

Error 403

You aren’t allowed to access into this application !

[return to home]

I likely do not understand how it works.

But, besides configuring the group folder app as per instructions by the workspace app, I have not been able to find any documentation on how to use this workspace app.

Can some one point me to references of guides to learn how to use workspaces?

Thanks

[christianlupus]

@z4k I suspect, you might be able to help here or be at least interested in the topic, I guess. Just forwarding here.

[jvantslot]

The app adds a couple of new user groups to your Nextcloud instance.

• GeneralManager
• WorkspacesManagers

In the Users settings in Nextcloud, you’ll at least need to add your user to both of those groups.
Then in the Administration Settings in Nextcloud, you need to:

• Add GeneralManager to the Group folder admin delegation dropdown
• Add WorkspacesManagers to the Specify below the groups that will be allowed to manage group folders ... dropdown

Then you’ll be able to access the app from the menu icon.

More info here: workspace/README.md at main · arawa/workspace · GitHub

Hope this helps!

[smokinjo]

Thanks @jvantslot

I think that I learned a little more, thanks!

In order for a user to be able to access that group, I need to add them to the workspace, right?

OK, this is great. I have workspace, but besides the obvious of sharing folder, what else does it do? I watched a nextcloud video:

Nextcloud Files - Circles & The Collaborative Digital Workspace

This is for circles, but the idea of what intreged me.

Unless I misunderstood, for each work space, there seems to be a way to add things from next cloud to this page related to your project:
task list
files
calendar
other…

Is this what Workspaces does? The video seems to talk about circles, but workspace does this too?

Thanks

Joseph

[jvantslot]

I’m wondering the same thing. Not sure yet what the purpose of Workspaces is. It seems to be similar to regular Group Folders, unless I am missing something.

[smokinjo]

@jvantslot @z4k

The video that I showed seems to allow on to bring multiple pieces of NC used for a group to a workspace. But, this seemed to be for circles.

Beside allowing management tools which are clearing stated, what else can be done with it?

[z4k]

Hi @smokinjo and @jvantslot

Workspace is similar to an extension for GroupFolders.
The difference between both is that with workspace you can :

1. Manage groupfolders (Create, Read, Update and Delete)
2. Define quotas on groupfolders
3. Add and remove users in groupfolders
4. Create subgroups to a workspace and define finer ACLs from Files

All without admin rights, unlike the groupfolders application and through the workspace application interface.

Are my explanations clearer?

For the configuration point : To use the Workspace app, you must follow these steps :

1. Add the GeneralManager and WorkspacesManagers in group limitation from the app (Settings > apps > Workspace)

2. Go to the groupfolders app (Settings > Groupfolders) and define the GeneralManager in the first field and WorkspacesManagers in the second field. These fields authorize one or more user groups to use the Groupfolders API/Rest

3. Then, add your own or another user to the GeneralManager group. The GeneralManager can access to the workspace app and manage workspace (Create, Read, Update and Delete)

4. Finally, go to the workspace app (your-instance.com) and enjoy to use the workspace app

Same question : Is it clearer for you ?

Thanks @christianlupus for the ping

[smokinjo]

@z4k
Hello

Thanks for this.

It makes more sense.

Another quetsion came up.

When creating a new workspace, it creates two group names, not one.

Why is this?

Thanks

[z4k]

Hi @smokinjo

When you create a workspace, 2 groups are created : a user group (U-) and a Workspace Manager group (WM-).

The user group allows users in this group to access workspace/groupfolder from Files. The Workspace Manager group allows users in this group to access the workspace app and manage this workspace (define the quota, add/remove users in this workspace, define a user as Workspace Manager, and so on.).
One more, Workspace is just a groupfolder. So, as a workspace manager, you can set ACL on this workspace to different groups and customize your rights.

Example of use case : You create the “Space01” workspace. From the interface you have you workspace with these groups : U-Space01 (user group) and WM-Space01 (workspace manager group).
You are added to WM-Space01 group and add users to U-Space01 group.
From Files, you select your Space01 workspace/groupfolder and you add the WM-Space01 and U-Space01 in the ACL.
You set all rights for the WM-Space01 (write, read, delete, share) and specefic rights (read and share only) for the U-Space01 group.

You can create sub-groups from the workspace to futher refine rights in the ACL.

Do you get it?

[smokinjo]

Hello @z4k

Thanks for the explination. It makes total sense.

BUt, in my next cloud it doe snot quite work that way.

I create a new workspace: myspace

I get tw new groups:

myspace
myspace

I do not get the U or WM in front of mine. This is what is has been confusing.

Might you have a reason why the U or WM do not show up?

Thanks

[z4k]

Arf… It’s a random bug that doesn’t happen to all users…
I don’t know where is the problem in this case.

Could you execute this sql command, please?

MariaDB [nextcloud]> select * from oc_appconfig where appid = "workspace";
+-----------+------------------------------+-----------------------------------------+------+------+
| appid     | configkey                    | configvalue                             | type | lazy |
+-----------+------------------------------+-----------------------------------------+------+------+
| workspace | DISPLAY_PREFIX_MANAGER_GROUP | WM-                                     |    2 |    0 |
| workspace | DISPLAY_PREFIX_USER_GROUP    | U-                                      |    2 |    0 |
| workspace | controlMigrationV3           | 0                                       |    2 |    0 |
| workspace | enabled                      | ["GeneralManager","WorkspacesManagers"] |    2 |    0 |
| workspace | installed_version            | 4.0.0-dev                               |    2 |    0 |
| workspace | types                        |                                         |    2 |    0 |
+-----------+------------------------------+-----------------------------------------+------+------+
6 rows in set (0.002 sec)

Normally, you must have DISPLAY_PREFIX_USER_GROUP and DISPLAY_PREFIX_MANAGER_GROUP ?

[smokinjo]

Hello @z4k

I ran th eocmmand as requested, and her eis th e output:
MariaDB [nextcloud]> select * from oc_appconfig where appid = “workspace”;
±----------±------------------±------------±-----±-----+
| appid | configkey | configvalue | type | lazy |
±----------±------------------±------------±-----±-----+
| workspace | enabled | yes | 2 | 0 |
| workspace | installed_version | 3.2.0 | 2 | 0 |
| workspace | types | | 2 | 0 |
±----------±------------------±------------±-----±-----+
3 rows in set (0.001 sec)

MariaDB [nextcloud]>

I do not see the prefix things that you have on yours.

Thanks

Joseph

[smokinjo]

Hello @z4k

I just wanted to follow up with you about the DB issue that I am having.

Do you have any feedback, ideas?

Thanks

[z4k]

Hi @smokinjo

If you are in a dev environment, you could run these commands :

occ config:app:set Workspace DISPLAY_PREFIX_MANAGER_GROUP --value WM-

occ config:app:set Workspace DISPLAY_PREFIX_USER_GROUP --value U-

Then, you could create a workspace to test if the prefixes are present.

For your existing groups, I think you need to change the displayname manually

[Karl24]

Hello @z4k , could you please explain what the user group General managers are used for?
I just get a 403 when trying to access the workspace app with a user that is only a member of that group?
Seems like it should suffice with adding users that will manage the workspace to only the workspace managers group?

[dorianne]

Hi @Karl24

I think your problem will be solve if you follow the installation instructions available on the app page (https://apps.nextcloud.com/apps/workspace)

App configuration
Before using Workspace, you must configure the app, following these important steps:

• Limit the Workspace app to specific groups : in your “application management” administrator interface, limit the application to the following groups: “GeneralManager” and “WorkspacesManagers”.
• Configure Groupfolders for Workspace: in “Settings” > “Group folders” > “Group folder admin delegation” section, add the group “GeneralManager” to the first field, and the group “WorkspacesManagers” to the second field

The group “GeneralManager” contains users with this role (they are allow to see all workspaces of the platform). The groupe “WorkspacesManagers” contains users with this role (they see only the Workspaces they are allowed to manage).

You can have more informations in the documentation, in french, but you can easily translate it I think (Gestionnaire Général (GG) = General Manager (GM) and Getionnaire d’Espace (GE) = Workspace Manager (WM)) : workspace/docs/user-guide/from-3.X.X at main · arawa/workspace · GitHub

I hope this will help you