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ownCloud User Manual
Release 8.0
The ownCloud developers
February 06, 2015
CONTENTS
1 ownCloud 8.0 User Documentation 1
1.1 Web Interface ............................................... 1
1.2 Desktop Sync Client ........................................... 1
1.3 File Access and Management ...................................... 1
1.4 Contacts and Calendar .......................................... 2
1.5 Documents ................................................ 2
1.6 Bookmarks ................................................ 2
1.7 External storage ............................................. 2
2 What’s New for Users in ownCloud 8 3
2.1 Desktop Sync Client Shares From File Manager, Selective Sync .................... 3
2.2 Favorites ................................................. 3
2.3 Improved Server-to-Server Sharing ................................... 3
2.4 Improved Search ............................................. 3
2.5 Web Interface Enhancements ...................................... 3
2.6 Download Broker Improves Performance ................................ 4
3 The ownCloud Web Interface 5
3.1 Accessing the ownCloud Web Interface ................................. 5
3.2 Navigating the Main User Interface ................................... 6
4 Files & Synchronization 9
4.1 Accessing your Files Using the Web Interface .............................. 9
4.2 Accessing ownCloud Files Using WebDAV ............................... 14
4.3 Version Control .............................................. 22
4.4 Using Server-to-Server Sharing ..................................... 22
4.5 Managing Deleted Files ......................................... 24
4.6 Desktop Synchronization ......................................... 26
4.7 Encrypting Your ownCloud Files .................................... 26
4.8 Storage Quota .............................................. 29
4.9 Managing Big Files ........................................... 30
5 Contacts & Calendar 31
5.1 Using the Contacts App ......................................... 31
5.2 Using the Calendar App ......................................... 38
5.3 iOS - Synchronize iPhone/iPad ..................................... 48
5.4 Synchronizing with OS X ........................................ 49
5.5 Thunderbird - Synchronize Addressbook ................................ 49
5.6 Synchronizing with KDE SC ....................................... 51
i
5.7 Troubleshooting ............................................. 54
6 Collaborative Document Editing 57
6.1 The main interface ............................................ 57
7 Using the Bookmarks App 61
7.1 The main interface ............................................ 61
7.2 The Bookmarklet ............................................. 62
8 Setting Your Preferences 63
9 Configuring External Storage 67
ii
CHAPTER
ONE
OWNCLOUD 8.0 USER
DOCUMENTATION
Welcome to ownCloud: your self-hosted file sync and share solution.
ownCloud is open source file sync and share software for everyone from individuals operating the free ownCloud
Community Edition, to large enterprises and service providers operating the ownCloud Enterprise Edition. ownCloud
provides a safe, secure, and compliant file synchronization and sharing solution on servers that you control.
With ownCloud you can share one or more files and folders on your computer, and synchronize them with your
ownCloud server. Place files in your local shared directories, and those files are immediately synchronized to the
server and to other devices using the ownCloud Desktop Client. Not near a device running a desktop client? No
problem! Simply log in using the ownCloud web client and manage your files from there. The ownCloud Android and
iOS mobile applications enable you to browse, download, and upload photos and videos. On Android, you can also
create, download, edit, and upload any other files, as long as the correct software is installed.
Whether you are using a mobile device, a workstation, or a web client, ownCloud provides the ability to put the right
files in the right hands at the right time on any device with one simple-to-use, secure, private and controlled solution.
After all, with ownCloud, it’s Your Cloud, Your Data, Your Way.
1.1 Web Interface
How to access ownCloud from a Web browser.
•The ownCloud Web Interface
1.2 Desktop Sync Client
The ownCloud desktop sync client keeps your files synchronized between your PC and your ownCloud server. Down-
load the desktop sync client for Mac OS X, Linux, and Windows, and you may wish to refer to the ownCloud Desktop
Client Manual to learn how to set up your account, select which files or folders to synchronize or exclude, limit
bandwidth, and how to use other features.
1.3 File Access and Management
The following topics contain information about file access and management.
•Managing Big Files
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•Managing Deleted Files
•Encrypting Your ownCloud Files
•Accessing ownCloud Files Using WebDAV
•Accessing your Files Using the Web Interface
•Storage Quota
•Using Server-to-Server Sharing
•Desktop Synchronization
•Version Control
1.4 Contacts and Calendar
The following topics provide information about the Contacts and Calendar applications, including usage instructions
as well as how to export, import, and synchronization the ownCloud calendar application with different operating
system calendars:
•Using the Calendar App
•Using the Contacts App
•iOS - Synchronize iPhone/iPad
•Synchronizing with KDE SC
•Synchronizing with OS X
1.5 Documents
The following topic describes how to use the Documents application to enable multiple users to collaboratively edit
rich-text documents simultaneously.
•Collaborative Document Editing
1.6 Bookmarks
The following topic describes how to use the ownCloud Bookmarks application to manage your bookmarks:
•Using the Bookmarks App
1.7 External storage
Please see Configuring External Storage (GUI) in the ownCloud Administrator’s manual:
Configuring External Storage (GUI) .. TODO ON RELEASE: Update version number above on release
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CHAPTER
TWO
WHAT’S NEW FOR USERS IN
OWNCLOUD 8
2.1 Desktop Sync Client Shares From File Manager, Selective Sync
The Desktop Sync Client now allows you to share files directly from your file manager, and has a new graphical
selective sync file chooser. See the ownCloud Desktop Client Manual for more information.
2.2 Favorites
Users can now assign a favorite icon to files and folders. Look for improvements in this feature in future ownCloud
editions to make finding and managing files even easier.
2.3 Improved Server-to-Server Sharing
Server-to-Server Sharing, introduced in ownCloud 7, allows you to mount file shares from remote ownCloud servers,
and create a “cloud of ownClouds”. In ownCloud 8 the process for creating a new Server-to-Server link is easier and
more streamlined.
2.4 Improved Search
The search interface has been streamlined and simplified, with more features including enhanced result set reporting
and additional search parameters.
2.5 Web Interface Enhancements
The ownCloud Web interface has been improved to make it easier for all users to access, edit, sync and share their
files.
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2.6 Download Broker Improves Performance
When ownCloud delivers universal file access to end users, files from many different document sources are aggregated
into a single interface and served to end users. In some cases, passing all of the files aggregated in this interface
through a single server, ownCloud, slows down data access. ownCloud now supports direct downloads of files from
select storage back-ends, reducing the load on the ownCloud server without sacrificing control over the files that are
stored in the various back end systems.
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CHAPTER
THREE
THE OWNCLOUD WEB INTERFACE
You can connect to your ownCloud server using any web browser. To access the ownCloud server using a web browser,
specify the uniform resource link (URL) address of the server in the browser navigation bar. This can be the URL
address of your personal ownCloud setup or a URL address that you have received from your company or your service
provider.
Note: If you are administering the server yourself, we recommend that you read the ownCloud Administrators Guide.
3.1 Accessing the ownCloud Web Interface
To access the ownCloud web interface:
1. Enter the URL address of the ownCloud server into your browser navigation bar.
The ownCloud login window opens.
Figure 3.1: ownCloud login window
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2. Enter your valid username and password.
The username and password combination can be those that you set up yourself when creating your ownCloud
server setup or those provided by your company or your service provider.
If you have set up the server yourself or are administering the server, you can add additional users by configuring
a user backend (for example, LDAP).
3. Click the Log in button.
The ownCloud main interface opens.
Figure 3.2: ownCloud main user interface
3.2 Navigating the Main User Interface
Once you have accessed the ownCloud Server main web interface you can add files, remove files, and make changes
based on the access privileges set by you (if you are administering the server) or by your server administrator.
The ownCloud Main User Interface contains the following fields and functions:
•Apps Selection Menu: Located in the upper left corner of the user interface, this bar contains apps that are
configured on the ownCloud server. The icons in this bar enable you to launch the different apps available and
navigate between them within the ownCloud user interface.
Note: ownCloud supports a number of apps that can be installed and used for various features and functions. Not all
apps are installed and enabled by default. For example, the Apps button is visible only to administrators. This button
allows administrators to enable or disable installed applications.
•Apps Information field: Located in the left side bar, this field provides filters and tasks associated with the
chosen app. For example, using the Files app, you can use the filters in the apps information field to view only
files that have been shared with you, files that you have shared with others, files that you have shared through the
use of a link, or an option to delete files. Other app-specific information fields might provide tasks for creating
new documents or modifying calendar entries.
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Figure 3.3: Navigating the main user interface
•Application View: The main, central field in the ownCloud user interface. This field displays the contents
or user features of the app selected in the Navigation Bar. By default, this field shows the files and directory
(“Files” view) of your user account.
•Navigation Bar: Located over the main viewing window (the Application View), this bar provides a type of
breadcrumbs navigation that enables you to migrate to higher levels of the folder hierarchy up to the root level
(home) of your ownCloud instance.
•New button: Located in the Navigation Bar, the New button enables you to create new files, new folders, or
upload existing files from a specified link.
Note: You can also drag and drop files from your file manager (e.g. Windows Explorer or your Mac OS X Finder)
into the ownCloud Files Application View to upload them to ownCloud.
•Upload button: Located next to the New button in the Navigation Bar, the Upload button enables you to upload
files from your system to the ownCloud server. Clicking this button launches a file picker (e.g. Windows
Explorer or Mac OS X Finder) window with which you can choose files for uploading.
•Search field: Residing in the upper right hand corner of the Main User Interface window, the Search field
enables you to search for files and folders stored in ownCloud. The ownCloud search function provides a full
text search. However, for searching to function, administrators must enable the app in the search app settings.
•Personal Settings menu: Located to the right of the Search field, the Personal Settings dropdown menu provides
access to your personal settings page and the ability to log out of your ownCloud user session. The personal
settings page provides access to the following:
–Activity notifications
–Server usage and space availability
–Password management
–Name, email, and profile picture settings
–Interface language settings
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–WebDAV URL for receiving files using WebDAV (see next chapter).
–Mozilla Sync information for creating a synchronization to a Mozilla (Firefox) account.
–ownCloud Version information
You can see Setting Your Preferences section to learn more about those settings.
In addition to these standard settings, administrators have access to user management (Users), apps settings (Apps),
and administrative settings (Admin) including access to the ownCloud log files.
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CHAPTER
FOUR
FILES & SYNCHRONIZATION
4.1 Accessing your Files Using the Web Interface
You can access your ownCloud files with the ownCloud web interface and create, preview, edit, delete, share, and
re-share files. Your ownCloud administrator has the option to disable these features, so if any of them are missing on
your system ask your server administrator.
ownCloud version 7 can display thumbnail previews for image files, MP3 covers, and text files, if this enabled by your
server administrator. Hover your cursor over a file or folder to expose the controls for the following operations:
Pencil icon Rename a file or folder. This does not alter the filename on the original document.
Download Download the file to your computer.
Versions Displays older versions, if there are any, and you can revert to an older file version.
Edit The Edit button appears on files that are editable inside ownCloud, in the Documents app. Supported file formats
are .odt,.doc, and .docx.
Share Share the file or folder with a group or other users, and create public shares with hyperlinks.
Trash Delete the selected file or folder, or unshare a shared file or folder.
4.1.1 Previewing Files
You can display uncompressed text files, OpenDocument files, videos, and image files in the ownCloud embedded
viewers by clicking on the file name. There may be other file types you can preview if your ownCloud administrator
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has enabled them. If ownCloud cannot display a file, it starts a download process and downloads the file to your
computer.
Video streaming by the native ownCloud video player depends on your Web browser and the video format. If your
ownCloud administrator has enabled video streaming, and it doesn’t work in your Web browser, it may be a browser
issue.
4.1.2 Navigating Inside Your ownCloud
Navigating through folders in ownCloud is as simple as clicking on a folder to open it and using the back button on
your browser to move to a previous level. ownCloud also provides a navigation bar at the top of the Files field for
quick navigation.
Figure 4.1: Navigation bar
The navigation bar functions as a “breadcrumb” locator. It displays your current directory and enables you to migrate
back to one of the upper directories or, using the home icon, to navigate back into your root folder.
4.1.3 Overlay Icons Show Sharing Status
Any folder that has been shared is marked with the Shared overlay icon. Public link shares are marked with a chain
link. Un-shared folders are blank.
If your ownCloud server is the Enterprise edition, you may also have access to Sharepoint and Windows Network
Drive file shares. These also have special overlay icons, and a red plugin means you have to enter a login to get access
to the share.
4.1.4 Creating or Uploading Files and Directories
ownCloud enables you to create new files or folders directly in an ownCloud folder by clicking on the New button in
the Files app.
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Figure 4.2: New button options
The New button provides the following three options from which to choose:
Text file Creates a simple text file and adds the file to your current folder.
Folder Creates a new folder in the current folder.
From link Downloads a file from a URL that you type or copy into the form field, and places it into the current folder.
Up arrow The upward-point arrow is for uploading files from your computer into ownCloud.
You can also upload files by dragging and dropping them from your file manager.
4.1.5 Selecting Files or Folders
You can select one or more files or folders by clicking on the small thumbnails or icons that represent them. When
you select a file or folder, a small checkbox is populated with a check to indicate that it is selected. To select all files
in the current directory, you can click on the checkbox located at the top of the Files app field, above the first file or
folder on the list.
If you select multiple files, you can delete all of the selected files or download them as a ZIP file by using the Delete
or Download buttons at the top right side of the Files app field.
Note: If the Download button is not visible, the administrator has disabled this feature. Contact your administrator
for further guidance.
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4.1.6 Filtering the File Application View
ownCloud enables you to view files in the File Application View using filter options located in the Apps Information
Field. This feature enables you to quickly and easily view and manage files based on their share status.
You can click on any of the filter options to view the files as follows:
All files The default view; displays all files that you have access to.
Shared with you Displays all files shared with you by another user or group.
Shared with others Displays all files that you have shared with other users or groups.
Shared by link Displays all files that are shared by you via public link.
External Storage Files that you have access to on external storage devices and services such as Dropbox, Google,
and Amazon S3.
4.1.7 Moving Files
Using the ownCloud web interface, you can move files and folders by dragging and dropping them into any directory.
4.1.8 Sharing Files Locally
When enabled by your administrator, you can share files or folders on ownCloud with a local user, group, or any
person online with a public link. Shared files and folders are labeled with the triangular share icon, and the status
Shared in the file or folder row.
Note: The Shared folder has been removed from new installations of ownCloud 7. Shares now appear in the top
level of your file tree on your Files page. If you are upgrading from older ownCloud versions you will still have your
old Shared folder. Your server administrator has the option to change this in the server’s config.php file with the
’share_folder’ => directive.
To create a local share with other users or groups on your ownCloud server:
1. Hover your cursor over an item on the Files page
2. Click the Share icon
The Share dialog box opens to show the following options:
Type the name of the user or group that you want to share with. If you want to share with more than one, you have to
create each share separately. Check the permissions you want the user or group to have, and optionally send them an
email notification.
Note: Users must enter their email addresses on their Personal pages for email notifications to work
Your new share appears on user’s Files pages marked with a Share icon, and the name of the file owner.
When you want to revoke a share, simply click the Trashcan icon next to the name of the appropriate user or group in
the Shared dialog.
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Figure 4.3: Share dialog box
Figure 4.4: Shared file
Figure 4.5: Public share box
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4.1.9 Creating a Public Share
You can share files outside of your organization with people who are not users on your ownCloud server by creating a
public share link. Open the Share dialog and check Share Link.
This creates a public URL that anyone can use to access the share. You have the options to send an email notification,
protect it with a password, and put an expiration date on it. Your ownCloud administrator has the option to require
passwords and expiration dates.
4.1.10 Change in Share Expiration Date
In older versions of ownCloud, you could set an expiration date on both local and public shares. Now you can set
an expiration date only on public shares, and local shares do not expire when public shares expire. The only way to
“expire” a local share is to click the trash can icon to un-share your files.
4.2 Accessing ownCloud Files Using WebDAV
ownCloud fully supports the WebDAV protocol, and you can connect and synchronize with your ownCloud files over
WebDAV. In this chapter you will learn how to connect Linux, Mac OS X, Windows, and mobile devices to your
ownCloud server via WebDAV. Before we get into configuring WebDAV, let’s take a quick look at the recommended
way of connecting client devices to your ownCloud servers.
4.2.1 ownCloud Desktop and Mobile Clients
The recommended method for keeping your desktop PC synchronized with your ownCloud server is by using the
ownCloud Desktop Client. You can configure the ownCloud client to save files in any local directory you want, and
you choose which directories on the ownCloud server to sync with. The client displays the current connection status
and logs all activity, so you always know which remote files have been downloaded to your PC, and you can verify
that files created and updated on your local PC are properly synchronized with the server.
The recommended method for syncing your ownCloud server with Android and Apple iOS devices is by using the
ownCloud mobile apps.
To connect to your ownCloud server with the ownCloud mobile apps, use the base URL and folder only:
example.org/owncloud
In addition to the mobile apps provided by ownCloud, you can use other apps to connect to ownCloud from your
mobile device using WebDAV. WebDAV Navigator is a good (proprietary) app for Android devices,iPhones, and
BlackBerry devices. The URL to use on these is:
example.org/owncloud/remote.php/webdav
4.2.2 WebDAV Configuration
If you prefer, you may also connect your desktop PC to your ownCloud server by using the WebDAV protocol rather
than using a special client application. Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning (WebDAV) is a Hypertext Transfer
Protocol (HTTP) extension that makes it easy to create, read, and edit files on Web servers. With WebDAV you can
access your ownCloud shares on Linux, Mac OS X and Windows in the same way as any remote network share, and
stay synchronized.
Note: In the following examples, You must adjust example.org/ to the URL of your ownCloud server installation.
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4.2.3 Accessing Files Using Linux
You can access files in Linux operating systems using the following methods:
Accessing Files with GNOME and Nautilus File Manager
Use the davs:// protocol to connect the Nautilus file manager to your ownCloud share:
davs://example.org/owncloud/remote.php/webdav
Note: If your server connection is not HTTPS-secured, use dav:// instead of davs://.
Accessing Files with KDE and Dolphin File Manager
To access your ownCloud files using the Dolphin file manager in KDE, use the webdav:// protocol:
webdav://example.org/owncloud/remote.php/webdav
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You can create a permanent link to your ownCloud server:
1. Open Dolphin and click “Network” in the left hand “Places” column.
2. Click on the icon labeled Add a Network Folder. The resulting dialog should appear with WebDAV already
selected.
3. If WebDAV is not selected, select it.
4. Click Next.
5. Enter the following settings:
• Name: The name you want to see in the Places bookmark, for example ownCloud.
• User: The ownCloud username you used to log in, for example admin.
• Server: The ownCloud domain name, for example example.org (without http:// before or directories
afterwards).
• Folder – Enter the path owncloud/remote.php/webdav.
6. (Optional) Check the “Create icon checkbox” for a bookmark to appear in the Places column.
7. (Optional) Provide any special settings or an SSL certificate in the “Port & Encrypted” checkbox.
4.2.4 Creating WebDAV Mounts on the Linux Command Line
You can create WebDAV mounts from the Linux command line. This is useful if you prefer to access ownCloud the
same way as any other remote filesystem mount. The following example shows how to create a personal mount and
have it mounted automatically every time you log in to your Linux computer.
1. Install the davfs2 WebDAV filesystem driver, which allows you to mount WebDAV shares just like any other
remote filesystem. Use this command to install it on Debian/Ubuntu:
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# apt-get install davfs2
2. Use this command to install it on CentOS, Fedora, and openSUSE:
# yum install davfs2
3. Add yourself to the davfs2 group:
# usermod -aG davfs2 <username>
3. Then create an owncloud directory in your home directory for the mountpoint, and .davfs2/ for your
personal configuration file:
$ mkdir ~/owncloud
$ mkdir ~/.davfs2
4. Copy /etc/davfs2/secrets to ~/.davfs2
# cp /etc/davfs2/secrets ~/.davfs2/secrets
5. Set yourself as the owner and make the permissions read-write owner only:
# chown <username>:<username> ~/.davfs2/secrets
# chmod 600 ~/.davfs2/secrets
6. Add your ownCloud login credentials to the end of the secrets file, using your ownCloud server URL and
your ownCloud username and password:
example.org/owncloud/remote.php/webdav <username> <password>
7. Add the mount information to /etc/fstab:
example.org/owncloud/remote.php/webdav /home/<username>/owncloud
davfs user,rw,auto 0 0
8. Then test that it mounts and authenticates by running the following command. If you set it up correctly you
won’t need root permissions:
$ mount ~/owncloud
9. You should also be able to unmount it:
$ umount ~/owncloud
Now every time you login to your Linux system your ownCloud share should automatically mount via WebDAV in
your ~/owncloud directory. If you prefer to mount it manually, change auto to noauto in /etc/fstab.
Known Issues
Problem: Resource temporarily unavailable
Solution: If you experience trouble when you create a file in the directory, edit /etc/davfs2/davfs2.conf and
add:
use_locks 0
Problem: Certificate warnings
Solution: If you use a self-signed certificate, you will get a warning. To change this, you need to configure
davfs2 to recognize your certificate. Copy mycertificate.pem to /etc/davfs2/certs/. Then edit
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/etc/davfs2/davfs2.conf and uncomment the line servercert. Now add the path of your certificate as in
this example:
servercert /etc/davfs2/certs/mycertificate.pem
4.2.5 Accessing Files Using Mac OS X
Note: The Mac OS X Finder suffers from a series of implementation problems and should only be used if the
ownCloud server runs on Apache and mod_php.
To access files through the Mac OS X Finder:
1. Choose Go > Connect to Server.
The “Connect to Server” window opens.
2. Specify the address of the server in the Server Address field.
For example, the URL used to connect to the ownCloud server from the Mac OS X Finder is:
http://example.org/owncloud/remote.php/webdav
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3. Click Connect.
The device connects to the server.
For added details about how to connect to an external server using Mac OS X, check the vendor documentation
4.2.6 Accessing Files Using Microsoft Windows
It is best to use a suitable WebDAV client from the WebDAV Project page .
If you must use the native Windows implementation, you can map ownCloud to a new drive. Mapping to a drive
enables you to browse files stored on an ownCloud server the way you would files stored in a mapped network drive.
Using this feature requires network connectivity. If you want to store your files offline, use the ownCloud Desktop
Client to sync all files on your ownCloud to one or more directories of your local hard drive.
Note: Prior to mapping your drive, you must permit the use of Basic Authentication in the Windows Registry. The
procedure is documented in KB841215 and differs between Windows XP/Server 2003 and Windows Vista/7. Please
follow the Knowledge Base article before proceeding, and follow the Vista instructions if you run Windows 7.
Mapping Drives With the Command Line
The following example shows how to map a drive using the command line. To map the drive:
1. Open a command prompt in Windows.
2. Enter the following line in the command prompt to map to the computer Z drive:
net use Z: https://<drive_path>/remote.php/webdav /user:youruser
yourpassword
where <drive_path> is the URL to your ownCloud server.
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For example: net use Z: https://example.org/owncloud/remote.php/webdav
/user:youruser yourpassword
The computer maps the files of your ownCloud account to the drive letter Z.
Note: Though not recommended, you can also mount the ownCloud server using HTTP, leaving the connection
unencrypted. If you plan to use HTTP connections on devices while in public place, we strongly recommend using a
VPN tunnel to provide the necessary security.
An alternative command syntax is:
net use Z: \\example.org@ssl\owncloud\remote.php\webdav /user:youruser
yourpassword
You can also mount your ownCloud via HTTP, leaving the connection unencrypted.
Mapping Drives With Windows Explorer
To map a drive using the Microsoft Windows Explorer:
1. Migrate to your computer in Windows Explorer.
2. Right-click on Computer entry and select Map network drive... from the drop-down menu.
3. Choose a local network drive to which you want to map ownCloud.
4. Specify the address to your ownCloud instance, followed by /remote.php/webdav.
For example:
https://example.org/owncloud/remote.php/webdav
Note: For SSL protected servers, check Reconnect at logon to ensure that the mapping is persistent upon subsequent
reboots. If you want to connect to the ownCloud server as a different user, check Connect using different credentials.
5. Click the Finish button.
Windows Explorer maps the network drive, making your ownCloud instance available.
4.2.7 Accessing Files Using Cyberduck
Cyberduck is an open source FTP and SFTP, WebDAV, OpenStack Swift, and Amazon S3 browser designed for file
transfers on Mac OS X and Windows.
Note: This example uses Cyberduck version 4.2.1.
To use Cyberduck:
1. Specify a server without any leading protocol information. For example:
example.org
2. Specify the appropriate port. The port you choose depends on whether or not your ownCloud server supports SSL.
Cyberduck requires that you select a different connection type if you plan to use SSL. For example:
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Figure 4.6: Mapping WebDAV on Windows Explorer
80 (for WebDAV)
443 (for WebDAV (HTTPS/SSL))
3. Use the ‘More Options’ drop-down menu to add the rest of your WebDAV URL into the ‘Path’ field. For example:
remote.php/webdav
Now Cyberduck enables file access to the ownCloud server.
Known Problems
Problem Windows does not connect using HTTPS.
Solution The Windows WebDAV Client might not support Server Name Indication (SNI) on encrypted connections.
If you encounter an error mounting an SSL-encrypted ownCloud instance, contact your provider about assigning
a dedicated IP address for your SSL-based server.
Problem You receive the following error message: Error 0x800700DF: The file size exceeds the limit allowed and
cannot be saved.
Solution Windows limits the maximum size a file transferred from or to a Web-
DAV share may have. You can increase the value FileSizeLimitInBytes in
HKEY_LOCAL_MacHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesWebClientParameters by clicking
on Modify.
To increase the limit to the maximum value of 4GB, select Decimal, enter a value of 4294967295, and reboot
Windows or restart the WebClient service.
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4.3 Version Control
ownCloud supports simple version control for files. Versioning creates backups of files which are accessible via the
Versions link. This link contains the history of the file where you can roll back a file to any previous version. Changes
made at intervals greater than two minutes are saved in data/[user]/versions, and made accessible using the above
pages.
To restore a specific version of a file, hover your cursor on a file and click Versions link. If any version is available,
you should see a list like the image below:
Clicking on Restore next to any version will revert the file to that version back.
The versioning app expires old versions automatically to make sure that the user doesn’t run out of space. Following
pattern is used to delete old versions:
• For the first second we keep one version
• For the first 10 seconds ownCloud keeps one version every 2 seconds
• For the first minute ownCloud keeps one version every 10 seconds
• For the first hour ownCloud keeps one version every minute
• For the first 24 hours ownCloud keeps one version every hour
• For the first 30 days ownCloud keeps one version every day
• After the first 30 days ownCloud keeps one version every week
The versions are adjusted along this pattern every time a new version gets created.
Beside that the version app takes care to never use more that 50% of the users currently available free space. If the
stored versions exceed this limit, ownCloud deletes the oldest versions until it meets the disk space limit again.
4.4 Using Server-to-Server Sharing
ownCloud 7 introduces a powerful new feature, server-to-server sharing. With just a few clicks you can easily access
shares from other ownCloud 7 servers, link them to your account, and create your own shares. This feature enables
you to:
• Selectively share files or directories.
• Combine two private clouds into a single public cloud.
• Eliminate the need to create user accounts on multiple ownCloud servers.
• View files in a Web browser or ownCloud client.
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Note: Server-to-server sharing requires that both servers are running versions of ownCloud that support this feature;
currently this is ownCloud 7.
4.4.1 Creating a New Share
Server-to-server sharing is enabled on new or upgraded ownCloud 7 installations by default. (See “Configuring Server-
to-Server Sharing” in the Administrators Manual.) Follow these steps to create a new share:
1. Go to your Files page and hover your cursor over the file or directory you want to share to expose your adminis-
tration options. Check the Share Link checkbox to create the share, and to expose all of your sharing options.
2. Set any options that you want to apply to your new share: send an email notification, add password protection,
allow users to upload files to the share, or set an expiration date. If you check Allow Public Upload then other users
can overwrite, rename and delete files in the share.
And that’s all there is to it. Your new public share is labeled with a chain link. If you do not protect it with a password,
it is visible to anyone who has the URL. (ownCloud server admins have the option of requiring users to set passwords
on shares in Admin > Sharing.)
4.4.2 Connecting to a Remote Share
1. Open the share link in your Web browser.
2. Click the Add to your ownCloud button, and enter the URL of your ownCloud server. If you are not already
logged in you will get a login window.
3. After logging in you will see a dialogue asking you "Do you want to add the remote share
[share name] from [remote server name]?"
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4. Click the Add Remote Share button, and enjoy your new share. It is marked with a share icon, and the name
of the share’s owner and originating server.
Remove your linked share anytime by clicking the trash can icon. This only unlinks the share, and does not delete any
files.
4.5 Managing Deleted Files
ownCloud maintains a copy of deleted files in case you need them again. To ensure that individual users do not run
out of memory, the Files app manages the total memory size of deleted files for each user. When it comes to managing
deleted files, keep the following in mind:
• The total memory allocation for deleted files can never exceed more that 50% of the currently available free
space for each user.
• Once the 50% maximum is reached for deleted files, ownCloud begins to delete files, starting with the oldest
versions, until it reaches the memory usage limit again.
You can view all of the deleted files by clicking on the Deleted files button in Files app on the web interface.
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4.5.1 Restoring Files
To restore a deleted file:
1. In the Files app, click the Deleted files button.
The Files app shows all deleted files.
Figure 4.7: Deleted files
2. Hover the cursor over the file that you want to restore.
Task options appear for the file.
3. Click the Restore button.
The Files app restores the file to its original location on the server.
4.5.2 Deleting Files
To permanently delete a file:
1. In the Files app, click the Deleted files button.
See the Deleted files image above.
2. Hover the cursor over the file that you want to delete.
Task options appear for the file.
3. Click the Trash can button.
The Files app permanently removes the file from the server.
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4.5.3 Modifying the Deleted File Age-Out Value
Each time a file is added to the deleted files directory, ownCloud checks the age of the deleted files. By default, deleted
files remain in the deleted files directory for 180 days.
The administrator can adjust the age-out value in the config.php by setting the
trashbin_retention_obligation value. Files with ages that exceed this value are deleted permanently.
4.6 Desktop Synchronization
For synchronizing files with your desktop computer, we recommend using the ownCloud Client for Windows, Mac
OS X and Linux.
The ownCloud Desktop Client enables you to connect to your private ownCloud Server. You can create folders in your
home directory, and keep the contents of those folders synced with your ownCloud server. Simply copy a file into
the directory and the ownCloud desktop client does the rest. Make a change to the files on one computer, it will flow
across the others using these desktop sync clients. Always have your latest files with you wherever you are.
Its usage is documented separately in the ownCloud Desktop Client Manual.
Furthermore, it is possible to synchronize your ownCloud calendar and your address book with a variety of different
operating systems and devices. It is also possible to mount your ownCloud storage via WebDAV, which is also
documented in the next chapters.
4.7 Encrypting Your ownCloud Files
ownCloud includes an Encryption app, and when it is enabled by your ownCloud administrator all of your ownCloud
data files are automatically encrypted. Encryption is server-wide, so when it is enabled you cannot choose to keep
your files unencrypted. You don’t have to do anything special, as it uses your ownCloud login as the password for
your unique private encryption key. Just log in and out and manage and share your files as you normally do, and you
can still change your password whenever you want.
Its main purpose is to encrypt files on remote storage services that are connected to your ownCloud server, such as
Dropbox and Google Drive. This is an easy and seamless way to protect your files on remote storage. You can share
your remote files through ownCloud in the usual way, however you cannot share your encrypted files directly from
Dropbox, Google Drive, or whatever remote service you are using, because the encryption keys are stored on your
ownCloud server, and are never exposed to outside service providers.
If your ownCloud server is not connected to any remote storage services, then it is better to use some other form
of encryption such as file-level or whole disk encryption. Because the keys are kept on your ownCloud server, it is
possible for your ownCloud admin to snoop in your files, and if the server is compromised the intruder may get access
to your files. (Read How ownCloud uses encryption to protect your data to learn more.)
4.7.1 Using Encryption
ownCloud encryption is pretty much set it and forget it, but you have a few options you can use.
When your ownCloud admin enables encryption for the first time, you must log out and then log back in to create your
encryption keys and encrypt your files. When encryption has been enabled on your ownCloud server you will see a
yellow banner on your Files page warning you to log out and then log back in.
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When you log back it takes a few minutes to work, depending on how many files you have, and then you are returned
to your default ownCloud page.
Note: You must never lose your ownCloud password, because you will lose access to your files. Though there is
an optional recovery option that your ownCloud administrator may enable; see the Recovery Key Password section to
learn about this.
4.7.2 Sharing Encrypted Files
Only users who have private encryption keys have access to shared encrypted files and folders. Users who have not yet
created their private encryption keys will not have access to encrypted shared files; they will see folders and filenames,
but will not be able to open or download the files. They will see a yellow warning banner that says “Encryption App
is enabled but your keys are not initialized, please log-out and log-in again.”
Share owners may need to re-share files after encryption is enabled; users trying to access the share will see a message
advising them to ask the share owner to re-share the file with them. For individual shares, un-share and re-share the
file. For group shares, share with any individuals who can’t access the share. This updates the encryption, and then
the share owner can remove the individual shares.
Recovery Key Password
If your ownCloud administrator has enabled the recovery key feature, you can choose to use this feature for your
account. If you enable “Password recovery” the administrator can read your data with a special password. This feature
enables the administrator to recover your files in the event you lose your ownCloud password. If the recovery key is
not enabled, then there is no way to restore your files if you lose your login password.
4.7.3 Removing Encryption
If your ownCloud administrator elects to disable the Encryption app, you will be prompted to go to your Personal page
and enter your password on the Encryption form to decrypt your files.
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If your files decrypt successfully, you can click the Delete encryption keys button. There is no reason to save
them after disabling decryption, because if encryption is enabled again you’ll generate a new set of keys. Your keys
are preserved in case something goes wrong with the decryption and you need your keys to access your files. Which
is not likely to happen.
4.7.4 Files Not Encrypted
Only the data in your files is encrypted, and not the filenames or folder structures. These files are never encrypted:
• Old files in the trash bin.
• Image thumbnails from the Gallery app.
• Previews from the Files app.
• The search index from the full text search app.
• Third-party app data
There may be other files that are not encrypted; only files that are exposed to third-party storage providers are guaran-
teed to be encrypted.
Change Private Key Password
This option is only available if your log-in password, but not your encryption password, was changed by your admin-
istrator. This can occur if your ownCloud provider uses a external user back-end (for example, LDAP) and changed
your login password using that back-end configuration. In this case, you can set your encryption password to your new
login password by providing your old and new login password. The Encryption app works only if your login password
and your encryption password are identical.
4.8 Storage Quota
Your ownCloud admin has the option to set a storage quota on users. Look at the top of your Personal page to see
what your quota is, and how much you have used.
It may be helpful to understand how your quota is calculated.
Metadata (thumbnails, temporary files, cache, and encryption keys) takes up about 10% of disk space, but is not
counted against user quotas. Some apps store information in the database, such as the Calendar and Contacts apps.
This data is excluded from your quota.
Only files that originate with users count against their quotas, and not files shared with them that originate from other
users. For example, if you upload files to another user’s share, those files count against your quota. If you re-share a
file that another user shared with you, that file does not count against your quota, but the originating user’s.
Encrypted files are a little larger than unencrypted files; the unencrypted size is calculated against your quota.
Deleted files that are still in the trash bin do not count against quotas. The trash bin is set at 50% of quota. Deleted
file aging is set at 30 days. When deleted files exceed 50% of quota then the oldest files are removed until the total is
below 50%.
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When version control is enabled, the older file versions are not counted against quotas.
If you create a public share via URL, and allow uploads, any uploaded files count against your quota.
4.9 Managing Big Files
There are a few default configuration settings that you will want to change to enable ownCloud to operate more
effectively as a self-hosted file sync and share server.
When uploading through the web client, ownCloud is governed by PHP and Apache. By default, PHP is configured
for only 2 megabyte uploads. As this default upload limit is not entirely useful, we recommend that you increase the
ownCloud variables to the sizes you want to support on your server.
Modifying certain ownCloud variables requires administrative access. If you require larger upload limits than have
been provided by the default (or already set by your administrator):
• Contact your administrator to request an increase in these variables
• Refer to the section in the Admin Documentation that describes how to configure for big files.
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FIVE
CONTACTS & CALENDAR
5.1 Using the Contacts App
The ownCloud Contacts app is similar to other mobile contact applications, but with more functionality. When you
first access the Contacts app, a default address book becomes available.
Figure 5.1: Contacts app (empty)
In the Apps Information field for the Contacts app, you can choose to create a new contact or a new group. This field
also enables you to filter your contacts based on grouped or ungrouped contacts.
5.1.1 Adding Contacts
You can add contacts using one of the following methods:
• Import contacts using a Variant Call Format (VCF) file
• Add contacts manually
Importing Contacts
The fastest way to add contacts is through the use of a Variant Call Format (VCF) file.
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To import contacts using a VCF file:
1. At the bottom of the Contacts app information field, locate the gear button.
Figure 5.2: Contact settings gear button
2. Click the gear button. The Contacts app upload field opens.
Figure 5.3: Contacts app upload field
3. Choose an address book to which you want to import contacts by clicking the checkbox next to the address book.
4. Select one of the options from the Import pulldown menu. These options include the following:
• Automatic format – Any VCF file. ownCloud determines the file format and imports accordingly.
• Gmail CSV – The comma-separated values file from your Gmail account.
• Outlook CSV – The comma-separated values file from your Outlook account.
• Thunderbird CSV – The comma-separated values file from your Thunderbird account.
• Yahoo CSV – The comma-separated values file from your Yahoo account.
• PHPLdapAdmin Idif Export – The export record from your LDAP configuration.
• Gmail VCard – The VCard files from your Gmail account.
• Standard VCard – The VCard files from your Standard account.
• Yahoo VCard – The VCard files from your Yahoo account.
5. Click the upload arrow to the right of the import option that you select.
An Upload File window opens.
6. Navigate to the appropriate file on your system and select it for upload.
Note: You can upload files individually or, by selecting multiple files using the CTRL button and select-
ing them, you can upload multiple files at one time.
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7. Once you have selected the appropriate files, click the Open‘ button.
Figure 5.4: Selecting VCF files
The interface automatically places your contacts into ownCloud.
Creating Contacts Manually
The Contacts app enables you to create contacts manually.
To create a new contact:
1. Click the +New contact option in the Contacts information field.
An empty new contact configuration opens in the Application View field.
2. Specify the new contact information as follows:
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• Name – The name of the contact. This field provides the option of specifying added information for
the user by clicking the pen button to the right of the Name field.
• Organization – The organization for the contact.
• Email – The email address for the contact. This field defaults to the work email address for the
contact. However, you can specify a different email designation by clicking the Work designation
to the left of the email field.
• Phone – The phone number for the contact. This field defaults to the home phone number for the
contact. However, you can specify a different phone designation by clicking the Home designation
to the left of the phone field.
• Address – The address for the contact. This field defaults to the work address for the contact.
However, you can specify a different address designation by clicking the Work designation to the
left of the address field.
• Notes – Any notes you want to add about the contact.
Note: The Email, Phone, and Address fields provide the option of specifying a contact method as
“preferred.”
Editing Contact Information
The Contacts app enables you to edit or remove contact information.
To edit contact information:
1. Navigate to the specific contact that you want to modify.
2. Select the information in the field that you want to edit.
3. Make your modifications.
Changes that you make to any contact information are implemented immediately.
Removing Contact Information
The Contacts app enables you to remove contact information.
To remove contact information:
1. Navigate to the specific contact that you want to modify.
2. Locate the contact information field that you want to remove.
3. Click the trash bin to the right of the contact information.
Changes that you make to any contact information are implemented immediately.
Defining a Contact Avatar
By default, new contacts receive a letter avatar (picture) of “U” (for “User”).
When you specify the name of a contact, the avatar reflects the name by adopting the first letter of the name you
provide. For example, if you were to specify the name of “Frederick,” the avatar would dynamically change to “F” for
that contact. If you provide multiple contacts with the same name, or with names that start with the same first letter,
the avatar uses the same letter but changes color to indicate the difference.
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Figure 5.5: Contact picture (default)
Figure 5.6: Contact picture (dynamic change)
Customizing an Avatar
In addition to dynamically altering the avatar for each contact, the Contacts app enables you to customize the avatar.
You can specify an avatar in one of the two following ways:
• Upload new image – By selecting this option, ownCloud opens a File Upload window. You can choose a new
image by navigating to the image, selecting it, and clicking Open.
• Select image from Files – By selecting this option, ownCloud opens the Files dialog on the ownCloud server.
You can choose an image by navigating to the image in the ownCloud directory, selecting it, and clicking
Choose.
Cropping an Avatar Image
After you have selected an image for your contact, the Contacts app enables you to crop the picture.
To crop the image:
1. Move the image crop box to the desired location and resize the box any way you like.
2. Click Crop Picture in the crop image dialog box.
The Contacts app crops the image and replaces whatever image was originally used for the contact.
5.1.2 Managing Address Books
Clicking on the settings (gear) button at the bottom of the Apps Information field provides access to the Contact app
settings. This field shows all available address books, certain options for each address book, and enables you to create
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Figure 5.7: Cropping contact image
new address books.
Figure 5.8: Contacts settings
The Contacts settings enables you to share, export, edit, and delete address books.
Note: Hover your cursor over each icon to see a brief pop-up description.
5.1.3 Adding an Address Book
To add an address book:
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1. Click the + Add Address Book option in the Contacts settings field.
A field opens requesting you to enter a display name for the new address book.
Figure 5.9: Adding an address book
2. Specify a display name for the address book.
3. Click the checkbox icon to create the new address book.
5.1.4 Synchronizing Address Books
One of the most important features in any contact application is the ability to keep it in sync. The ownCloud Contacts
app enables you to sync your address books to external devices that use the Android or Apple iOS operating systems.
Synchronizing With Android
To synchronize with an Android device:
1. Install CardDAV- Sync free from the Google play store by visiting this link. This app supports auto-
configuration.
Note: Following the installing, visit carddavs://example.org/remote.php/carddav/ to auto-configure the
app.
3. Enter your login details.
4. After the app has checked your login details, select the Sync from server to phone only option.
Synchronizing With Apple iOS
To synchronize with an Apple iOS device:
1. Open the settings application.
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2. Select Mail > Contacts > Calendars.
3. Select Add Account.
4. Select other as the account type.
5. Select Add CardDAV account.
6. For server, enter http://example.org/remote.php/carddav/principals/username
7. Specify your username and password.
8. Select Next.
9. If your server does not support SSL, a warning is displayed. Select Continue.
10. If the iPhone is unable to verify the account information, perform the following:
1. Click OK.
2. Select advanced settings.
3. Make sure Use SSL is set to “OFF”.
4. Change the port to 80.
5. Return to “account information” and click Save.
Your contacts appear in the address book of your iPhone.
Using Other Synchronization Options
ownCloud provides the following alternative synchronization options:
• For Android devices, you can use an official Android app. You can find this app here.
• For iOS (iPhone and iPad) devices, you can use their official app. You can find this app here.
5.1.5 Troubleshooting
Are you having problems using the app? Have a look at the Troubleshooting guide.
5.2 Using the Calendar App
The ownCloud Calendar app enables you to create and edit events, synchronize to other calendars you might use, and
create new, personalized calendars.
By default, when you access the Calendar app for the first time, you get a “Personal” calendar that you can use or
modify as you like.
The Calendar app contains the following fields and controls:
• Calendar Date Field – Provides the current date or enables you to select a date that you want to view.
• Calendar View Options – Enables you to choose between a day, week, or month view for the main Calendar app
window. Also provides a quick jump button to access the current day (Today).
• Calendar Selection – Enables you to choose the calendar that you want to view.
• Calendar Controls – Provides controls for each individual calendar. These controls include sharing, obtaining
an external URL link to the calendar, an export function, an edit function, and a delete (trash) button.
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Figure 5.10: Calendar app (default)
• Calendar Settings – Provides access to the calendar-specific settings. These settings include the calendar time-
zone selection, time format selection, week start day, cache setting, primary CalDAV address, and iOS/OS X
CalDAV address settings.
5.2.1 Creating a New Calendar
The ownCloud Calendar app enables you to create new calendars for work or other activities that you want to keep
separated. You can manage each calendar separately.
To create a new calendar:
1. Access the Calendar app.
2. Click the + New Calendar field.
A dialog opens to enable you to create a new calendar.
3. Specify a name for the new calendar.
4. (Optional) Specify a color for the new calendar.
5. Click the blue checkbox.
The Calendar app creates a new calendar using the name and color specified.
5.2.2 Managing Calendar Settings
The Calendar app settings provides global configuration that applies to all calendars that you have created in the
Calendar app.
In the Calendar app settings, you can modify the following:
• Timezone – Provides an alphabetical listing of all available countries categorized by continent.
• Time format – Provides the option of using 24 hour or 12 hour time format.
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Figure 5.11: New calendar
Figure 5.12: Calendar app settings
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• Start day – Provides the option of starting the calendar week on Monday, Sunday, or Saturday.
• Primary CalDAV address – Provides the primary CalDAV link URL.
• iOS/OS X CalDAV address – Provides the iOS/OS X CalDAV link URL.
5.2.3 Synchronizing Calendars Using CalDAV
Calendaring Extensions to WebDAV, referred to as CalDAV, enables clients to access scheduling information on remote
servers. As an extension to WebDAV, CalDAV (defined by RFC 4791) uses the iCalendar format to manage calendar
data. CalDAV enables multiple clients to access the same information for use in cooperative planning and information
sharing.
The Calendar app provides both the Primary CalDAV address and the iOS/OSX CalDAV address. Using these ad-
dresses, you can use CalDAV-compatible programs (for example, Kontact, Evolution, or Thunderbird) using the ad-
dress provided.
To better understand the URL creation, consider the following examples:
Let’s assume you access your ownCloud web interface using the following address:
http://ADDRESS
To access your ownCloud calendars using CalDAV-compatible programs like Kontact, Evolution, or Thunderbird, you
would use the following URL:
http://ADDRESS/remote.php/caldav
To access your ownCloud calendars using Apple iCal you would use the following URL, making sure to include the
final slash:
http://ADDRESS/remote.php/caldav/principals/username/
To access your ownCloud calendars using Mozilla Lightning you would use the following URL:
https://ADDRESS/remote.php/caldav/calendars/USERNAME/CALENDARNAME
The following is an example showing the completed URL where the calendar name is defaultcalendar and the
username is test:
https://localhost/owncloud/remote.php/caldav/calendars/test/defaultcalendar
5.2.4 Creating Events
The Calendar app enables you to create new events.
To create a new event:
1. Click a date in the month view or a time in either the week or day views.
The Create a new event dialog box opens.
2. Specify a title for the event.
3. Specify a date and time duration for the event.
4. (Optional) Provide advanced option details. These details can include the event location, the event category, and
an event description.
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Figure 5.13: Create a new event dialog box
Figure 5.14: Create a new event dialog box
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Figure 5.15: Event Repeating tab
5. (Optional) Click the Repeating tab to define any repeat settings for the event.
The Repeating tab provides the option of not repeating the event(default) or repeating the event daily, weekly,
every weekday, biweekly, monthly, or yearly. In addition, by selecting the Advanced button in the Repeating
tab, each repeat option provides different levels of customization to better define your repeat requirements for
the event.
The following table helps to define the options for each repeat rule:
Repeat
Rule
Options
Does not
repeat
n/a
Daily Interval - Interval at which the event is repeated End - never, by occurrences, by date
Weekly Select weekdays - Weekday(s) on which the event is repeated Interval - Interval at which the
event is repeated End - never, by occurrences, by date
Every
Week-
day
Interval - Interval at which the event is repeated End - never, by occurrences, by date
Bi-
Weekly
Interval - Interval at which the event is repeated End - never, by occurrences, by date
Monthly Day choice – by monthday or by weekday Events week of month - Weekday selection only;
week of month on which event occurs Select weekdays - Weekday(s) on which the event is
repeated Interval - Interval at which the event is repeated End - never, by occurrences, by date
Yearly Date option - by event’s date, by year days, by week number, by day and month Interval -
Interval at which the event is repeated End - never, by occurrences, by date
Note: If you choose all days (Monday through Friday) in the weekview menu, the repeating option automatically
sets the repeat rule to “every weekday.” If you can divide the interval of the weekview by two, the repeating option
automatically sets the repeat rule to “Bi-Weekly”.
5.2.5 Sharing Events
Once an event has been saved, a new tab appears for the event that enables you to share it.
The options available in the Share tab include the following:
•Share with user or group field – Enables you to specify users or groups with whom you want to share
the event.
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Figure 5.16: Event Share tab
• Share visibility pulldown menu – Enables you to specify the level of information that is shared. The possible
levels include:
–Show full event – Displays full event details to those with whom the event is shared.
–Show only busy – Displays only that you are busy during this event; no event details are provided.
–Hide event – Hides the event from the users or groups specified.
To share an event:
1. Specify the users or groups with whom you want to share (or hide) the event.
2. Define the level of visibility that you want the users or groups to have.
3. (Optional) Click the Send Email button to share the event details using an email.
4. Click the Save event button to save your changes.
The Calendar app saves and closes the event window.
5.2.6 Exporting and Importing Events
The Calendar app enables you to export and import event or entire calendars to or from other calendars.
Exporting Events and Calendar
You can export either a single event or an entire calendar. If you want to export a single event, click on the event, select
“Advanced” and press the “Export Event” button in the bottom left corner. If you want to export an entire calendar,
use the icon next to the calendar name as shown in the figure below:
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Figure 5.17: Exporting an event
Figure 5.18: Exporting calendar
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Importing Events
Figure 5.19: Importing events
You can import your calendar as an iCal file using the Files app. The Calendar app enables you to import the calendar
into a new calendar or into an already existing calendar.
To import your calendar, click the calendar file to open the import dialog.
Note: If the progress bar does not work properly, the folder apps/calendar/import_tmp/ might not have
write permission.
5.2.7 Deleting an Event
The Calendar app enables you to delete any event that you create. To delete a calendar event:
1. Click the event in the Calendar app.
The Edit event dialog box opens.
2. Click the Delete event button.
The Calendar app deletes the event.
5.2.8 Calendar App FAQ
Question: Why does the Calendar app request my current location?
Answer: The calendar needs your current position to detect your timezone. Without the correct timezone, a time
offset exists between the events in the ownCloud calendar and the desktop calendar to which you are synchronizing.
You can also set the timezone manually in the personal settings.
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Figure 5.20: Edit event dialog box
Figure 5.21: Timezone set notification
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5.3 iOS - Synchronize iPhone/iPad
5.3.1 Calendar
1. Open the settings application.
2. Select Mail, Contacts, Calendars.
3. Select Add Account.
4. Select Other as account type.
5. Select Add CalDAV account.
6. For server, type ADDRESS/remote.php/caldav/principals/username
7. Enter your user name and password.
8. Select Next.
9. If your server does not support SSL, a warning will be displayed. Select Continue.
10. If the iPhone is unable to verify the account information perform the following steps:
• Select OK.
• Select advanced settings.
• Make sure Use SSL is set to OFF.
• Change port to 80.
• Go back to account information and hit Save.
Your calendar will now be visible in the Calendar application
5.3.2 Address book
1. Open the settings application.
2. Select Mail, Contacts, Calendars.
3. Select Add Account.
4. Select Other as account type.
5. Select Add CardDAV account.
6. For server, type ADDRESS/remote.php/carddav/principals/username
7. Enter your user name and password.
8. Select Next.
9. If your server does not support SSL, a warning will be displayed. Select Continue.
10. If the iPhone is unable to verify the account information perform the following:
• Select OK.
• Select advanced settings.
• Make sure Use SSL is set to OFF.
• Change port to 80.
• Go back to account information and hit Save.
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Now should now find your contacts in the address book of your iPhone. If it’s still not working, have a look at the
Troubleshooting guide.
5.4 Synchronizing with OS X
To use ownCloud with iCal you will need to use the following URL:
http://ADDRESS/remote.php/caldav/principals/username/
The setup is basically the same as with iOS using the path ADDRESS/remote.php/caldav/principals/username/ to
sync with ownCloud. For OS X 10.7 Lion and 10.8 Mountain Lion everything works fine, but OS X 10.6 (Snow
Leopard) and older needs some fiddling to work. A user contributed the following:
1. Make sure, addressbook is not running. If it is, select the windows and press Command + Q to terminate it.
2. Navigate to /Users/YOUR_USERNAME/Library/Application Support/AddressBook/Sources. If you have
all ready some kind of addressbook setup, it is likely you will see some folders named like this BEA92826-
FBF3-4E53-B5C6-ED7C2B454430. Note down what folders there are now and leave the window open.
3. Open addressbook and try to add a new CardDav addressbook. At this point, it does not matter what information
you enter. It will come up with the same error message you mentioned before when you click “Create”. Ignore
it and click “Create” again. A non-functional addressbook will be added.
4. Close addressbook again using Command + Q
5. Go back to the folder window from step 2. You will now see a newly created folder with another long string as
its name.
6. Navigate to the newly created folder and edit the Configuration.plist with your favorite text editor.
7. Search for a section looking like this:
<key>servername</key> <string>http://:0(null)</string> <key>username</key> <string>Whatever_you_entered_before</string>
8. Make it look like this. Please note that the :80 after YOUR_DOMAIN is important:
<key>servername</key <string>http://YOUR_DOMAIN:80/owncloud/remote.php/carddav/principals/username</string> <key>username</key <string>username</string>
9. Save the file and open addressbook again. It will not work yet.
10. Open the preferences for your ownCloud CardDAV-Account and enter your password.
11. You may have to restart addressbook once more. After this, it should work.
If it’s still not working, have a look at the Troubleshooting guide.
There is also an easy HOWTO in the forum.
5.5 Thunderbird - Synchronize Addressbook
5.5.1 Addressbook
As someone who is new to ownCloud, New to SoGo Connector, and new to Thunderbird Addressbook... here is what
you need in excruciating pithy detail you need to make this work (for all the other lost souls out there):
1. Thunderbird for your OS unless it comes with your OS distribution (Linux)
2. Sogo Connector (latest release)
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3. Lightning (a Thunderbird calendar add-on. At the time (Aug 14), syncing your contacts only works with this
add-on installed.)
With an installed Thunderbird mailtool, an installed SoGo Connector, and an installed Lightning add-on:
1. Thunderbird Addressbook is in the Thunderbird “Tools” Menu
2. In the Thunderbird Addressbook application:
• “File > New > Remote Addressbook” (SoGo Connector added this)
• “Name:” is the name you want to give your Addressbook in the Thunderbird addressbook bar area
• “URL:” is found in your ownCloud Contacts area, that little Gear symbol
in the -bottom left- of the Contacts View (same symbol as found in the -top right- in the Calendar view). Then look
for a little impeller symbol
which will display the URL you need for your installation to work.
Once installed, synchronize (right click on your newly made remote address book and select “Synchronize”). You’ll
see your address book populate from ownCloud! Don’t click “read only” above unless you don’t want to modify your
ownCloud server addressbook, like it contains a listing of corporate contacts and is shared with lots of people, and you
don’t want a new user dragging it somewhere unintended.
The rest of the details of dealing with Thunderbird addressbook are left to the reader... First thing I learned is dragging
a contact to a different addressbook is a “move” operation. If you are worried about losing the contact, save it
to a VCF file using ownCloud (Or LDIF using Thunderbird Addressbook) first! Like dragging from “ownCloud
Addressbook” to “Personal Address Book” removes the contact from ownCloud Server (deleting it from all the other
synchronized installations) and puts it in your Local Machine -only- Address Book. So be careful or you’ll have
unintended consequences where you might have intended a “copy” operation.
Contact Pictures are also sync’ed!
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5.6 Synchronizing with KDE SC
From KDE SC 4.8 and forward setting up ownCloud is very easy. From System Settings Personal Information/Akonadi
Resources Configuration select DAV Groupware resource.
Enter your ownCloud username and password and click “Next”.
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Select ownCloud in the drop down list and click “Next”.
Enter the host name and installation path. If you do not use SSL remember to de-select “Use secure connection”.
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Test the connection. If everything went well you should see a message like the one below.
Click “Finish” and you will be able to change the display name and refresh interval.
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Now you should see the Akonadi resource doing the first synchronization.
You can find the Contacts and Calendars in Kontact (or KOrganizer/KAddressbook if you run the programs separately.)
5.7 Troubleshooting
5.7.1 Debugging the issue
In a standard ownCloud installation the log level is set to “Normal”. to find any issues you need to raise the log level
to “All” from the Admin page. Some logging - for example JavaScript console logging - needs manually editing the
configuration file. Edit config/config.php and add define(’DEBUG’, true);:
<?php
define(’DEBUG’,true);
$CONFIG = array (
... configuration goes here ...
);
For JavaScript issues you will also need to view the javascript console. All major browsers have decent developer
tools for viewing the console, and you usually access them by pressing F-12. For Firefox it is recommended to install
the Firebug extension.
5.7.2 Service discovery
Some clients - especially iOS - have problems finding the proper sync URL, even when explicitly configured to use it.
There are several techniques to remedy this, which are described extensively at the Sabre DAV website.
Apple iOS
Below is what have proven to work with iOS including iOS 7.
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If your ownCloud instance is installed in a subfolder under the web server’s document root and the client has difficul-
ties finding the Cal- or CardDAV end-points, configure your web server to redirect from a “well-know” URL to the
one used by ownCloud. When using the Apache web server this is easily achieved using a .htaccess file in the
document root of your site.
Say your instance is located in the owncloud folder, so the URL to it is ADDRESS/owncloud, create or edit the
.htaccess file and add the following lines:
Redirect 301 /.well-known/carddav /owncloud/remote.php/carddav
Redirect 301 /.well-known/caldav /owncloud/remote.php/caldav
If you use lighttpd as web server, the setting looks something like:
url.redirect = (
"^/.well-known/carddav" => "/owncloud/remote.php/carddav",
"^/.well-known/caldav" => "/owncloud/remote.php/caldav",
)
Now change the URL in the client settings to just use ADDRESS instead of e.g.
ADDRESS/remote.php/carddav/principals/username.
This problem is being discussed in the forum.
BlackBerry OS 10.2
BlackBerry OS up to 10.2.2102 does not accept a URL with protocol https:// in front of the server address. It will
always tell you, that it cannot login on your server. So instead of writing
https://address/remote.php/carddav/principals/username
in the server address field, you have to write
address/remote.php/carddav/principals/username
5.7.3 Unable to update Contacts or Events
If you get an error like PATCH https://ADDRESS/some_url HTTP/1.0 501 Not Implemented it is
likely caused by one of the following reasons:
Outdated lighttpd web server lighttpd in debian wheezy (1.4.31) doesn’t support the PATCH HTTP verb. Upgrade
to lighttpd >= 1.4.33.
Using Pound reverse-proxy/load balancer As of writing this Pound doesn’t support the HTTP/1.1 verb. Pound is
easily patched to support HTTP/1.1.
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CHAPTER
SIX
COLLABORATIVE DOCUMENT EDITING
The Documents application supports editing documents within ownCloud, without the need to launch an external
application. The Documents app supports these features:
• Cooperative edit, with multiple users editing files simultaneously.
• Document creation within ownCloud.
• Document upload.
• Share and edit files in the browser, and then share them inside ownCloud or through a public link.
Supported file formats are .odt,.doc, and .docx.
6.1 The main interface
6.1.1 Create or Upload a Document
In the Documents application, you can upload an existing document or create a new one. The New document button
creates a document named “New document.odt”. The extension ODT is an OpenDocument format, which is supported
by most word processors including Microsoft Word, LibreOffice Writer, and OpenOffice Writer.
6.1.2 Edit a Document
To edit a document, access the Documents app from your Apps menu at the top left of your ownCloud window.
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1. Click on the file name to change it.
2. Share your document (See the Share a document section.)
3. Formatting toolbar.
4. Zoom in/out
5. Close and save.
6. Users currently editing this document.
Collaboratively Editing a Document
To edit a file collaboratively, it must be shared with everyone who needs editing permissions. Multiple users can edit
it at the same time, and changes appear as they are made. The cursor of each user is the same color as the border color
of their user picture.
If a user is not a local user (e.g accessing the file using public link), they will be shown as guest in the user list,
automatically named Guest 1, Guest 2, and so on. Guests can change their nicknames at any time by clicking on their
names or thumbnails in the user list.
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6.1.3 Delete a Document
You can’t delete a document from inside the Document app, but must go to your Files page and delete it from there.
You’ll find it in your default documents directory, which is configured on your ownCloud Personal page (see Setting
Your Preferences.)
6.1.4 Share a Document
Document sharing has the same options as when sharing other files. While editing a document, you can use the Share
button to enable other users to edit the document. This button will display all available options to share:
By default, you can enter local users or groups to share with. Checking Share link will enable sharing via a public link.
Shares can optionally have an expiration date and password. ownCloud will send the public link to users by email by
typing each email address into the email field. Separate multiple email addresses with a space.
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CHAPTER
SEVEN
USING THE BOOKMARKS APP
If you want to add a bookmark to the Bookmarks application, you can either use the main interface or the bookmarklet.
7.1 The main interface
7.1.1 Add a bookmark
In the bookmark application, enter a URL into the top-left area of the content section. After adding an address, click
on the pencil button to edit fields for the given address. The main ownCloud bookmark interface contains 3 fields at
the top where you can enter the website address (or URL), the title of your bookmark, and a set of tags separated from
each other by a space.
Figure 7.1: Adding a bookmark manually
In this example, we have added the page http://wikipedia.org with the title “Wikipedia” and some tags describing what
Wikipedia is for an easier search later on.
7.1.2 Edit/Delete a bookmark
You also have the possibility to edit or delete a bookmark.
To edit a bookmark, hover over the bookmark and click on the pencil icon. The bookmark details will then be filled
into the 3 fields at the top of the screen. Modify your bookmark to your needs then click the save button to persist the
change.
To delete a bookmark, hover over the bookmark and click the cross icon.
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7.1.3 Search
If you click on a tag, ownCloud will only display the bookmarks that are described with this tag.
You can also use the search bar of ownCloud in the top right of your screen.
Simply click on the “Bookmarks” menu in the sidebar to come back to the default view.
7.2 The Bookmarklet
Figure 7.2: Bookmarklet link
The creator of this app understands that people won’t want to open the ownCloud boorkmarks page to add a bookmark
every time they see a cool site. This is why they have made this cool “bookmarklet”.
A bookmarklet is small button that you can drag and drop in your bookmarks. The next time you see a cool new site,
click on this special bookmark to add the site to your ownCloud bookmarks.
To find this bookmark, click on the gear button at the bottom of the bookmarks app.
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CHAPTER
EIGHT
SETTING YOUR PREFERENCES
As a user, you can manage your personal settings.
To access your personal settings:
1. Clicking on your username in the top, right corner of your ownCloud instance.
The Personal Settings Menu opens.
Personal Settings Menu
2. Choose Personal from the drop down menu.
The Personal Settings Page opens in the main viewing window.
Note: If you are an administrator, you can also manage users and administer the server by using the related links in
the Personal Settings Menu. However, these links do not appear to a normal user.
The options listed in the Personal Settings Page depend on the applications that are enabled by the administrator.
However, some of the default settings for this page include the following:
• Usage and available quota – Appearing at the top of the page, this information provides the amount of space
used and available for the user (in Megabytes).
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• Password – Enables you to change your password. To change your password, you must provide your current
password along with your new password. When creating a new password, ownCloud provides a dynamic pass-
word strength indicator for your assistance.
Note: If you would like the ability to recover your password through e-mail, specify your email address in the
Email field (see below).
• Full Name – Enables you to specify your full name. This name appears at the top of the Personal Settings Menu.
• Email – Enables you to specify an email address for use by the ownCloud server and administrator in sending
you notifications. For information about setting email notifications, see “Notifications” below.
• Profile picture – Enables you to specify a new avatar (profile image) that identifies you on the ownCloud server.
By default, the profile picture is the first initial of your username. You can choose to keep the letter designation,
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upload a new image from an external source, or select an image from any existing images in your ownCloud
folders.
• Language – Enables you to change your web interface language, if you want to override the browser settings.
• Notifications – Enables you to specify what notifications you receive for activities on your ownCloud instance.
You can choose to receive messages through an email notification or online stream notification. In addition, the
Notifications settings enable you to exclude changes that you make yourself and obtain only changes made by
others on your account. You can obtain notifications hourly, daily, or weekly.
• Documents – Enables you to specify a location (folder) to which newly created documents are saved.
• Version – Specifies the ownCloud software version that you are using along with links to the ownCloud com-
munity, source code, and licensing information.
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CHAPTER
NINE
CONFIGURING EXTERNAL STORAGE
The External Storage application allows you to mount external storage services, such as Google Drive, Dropbox,
Amazon S3, SMB/CIFS fileservers, and FTP servers in ownCloud. Your ownCloud server administrator controls
which of these are available to you. Please see Configuring External Storage (GUI) in the ownCloud
Administrator’s manual for configuration howtos and example:
Configuring External Storage (GUI) .. TODO ON RELEASE: Update version number above on release
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