[gollem] Dynamic SMB location in gollem backend

[Matthew]

On 07/01/14 11:54, Carlos Martinez wrote:
> I would tell you that I am also installing Gollem with smb backend and 
> have some basic problems with the implementation. I would want to know 
> if you had the same ones.
> The main problem is about the usage:
> *When my users have to edit a file other than txt or html (.doc, .xls, 
> etc), they have to download it, edit it and upload it again. That is a 
> undesired additional job for them*.
>
> I tried giving an alternative way to access their files: folders 
> network sharing throug smb. But this schema is not compatible with 
> file sharing of Gollem.
>
> I tested two backends: file and smb.
> Each have advantages and problems:
> *File* backend: due to www-data is the owner of folders, users can 
> share them because security is taken from Gollem tables. This is great.
> But if folders are accessed from other environment out of Horde, all 
> users can see all folders, because there is no security.
>
> *smb* backend: due to each user is owner of his folder, security is ok 
> when they access from other environment out of Horde.
> But users cannot share folders because security of Gollem tables 
> cannot override smb security.
>
> How did you solve the problem of downloading and uploading files when 
> users need to edit a file?

Hi Carlos - thanks for your reply and comments. I wish I had some good 
answers for you, but I think I can only agree with you!

As to editing files, I don't think theres anyway round downloading and 
uploading, when accessing through a web interface. The mechanism just 
isn't there to be able to do it - it's a browser limitation rather than 
a Horde one. I guess in theory if you go the all MS route, there may be 
some kind of ActiveX thing that could do it - but I'm really not up on 
it. For me it's not really a big issue as I'm using Horde for 
occasional/remote access to shares - when people are at the office, they 
mainly have shares mounted directly via SMB.

Which sort of leads to your next query about file vs smb - as far as I 
can tell, you are right, but I don't really have a workaround to hand - 
maybe somebody else does? I haven't really tried the folder sharing 
feature of gollem, so I've not figured how it works with various types 
of backend.

You may want to take a look at pydio (formerly Ajaxplorer) which is 
another online file manager which has some clever sharing stuff going on 
- I had been using it until now and it is good - but I'm switching to 
gollem since it allows my users access to everything via a single web 
interface. If that's not so important, then pydio is worth looking at.

Matthew