File system repository: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 15:23, 9 April 2013

The file system repository allows access to files which have been uploaded (e.g. via FTP) into designated folders on the server. (Note that these folders are not created inside the Moodle site, but on the server where Moodle is hosted.)

A file system repository may be available site wide for everyone; within an individual course or for an individual user.(However - see this tracker entry regarding course and individual repositories)

This must be done by a systems admin who has write permissions to the server directories.

New feature
in Moodle 2.3! When a file from the file system repository is re-used elsewhere on Moodle, the teacher has the option to make a copy (a new, unconnected version) or to create a shortcut or alias. See Working with files for more details.

Once a repository has been created and files uploaded to it, the files can be made available within the file picker for use within a course. There are several steps to take to implement this feature:-

These steps must be done by a systems admin who has write permissions to the server directories and admin permissions within Moodle.

Creating folders for your file system repositories

Find the moodledata folder on the server
Inside it, create a folder called "repository"
Inside that folder, create as many folders as you need, named appropriately.

Creating repositories on the server

Copy files into the appropriate folder, using FTP, SFTP, shared folder, etc. The folders may contain all types of files.

Enabling the File System repository plugin

Go to Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Repositories > Manage Repositories;
Select "Enabled and visible" from the File system drop-down menu.

Enabling the file system repository

Click the Settings link.

Setting up a site-wide file system repository

Having clicked the "Settings" link as above:

Scroll down to Repositories instances of the site
Click Create a repository instance
Give it a name and (if there are several folders on the server) choose from the dropdown the one you want. Click Save.
It will now be available in the file picker in all courses.

Creating a new file system repository

Selecting and naming the repository

NOTE: Just repeat the process to get more than one site wide file system repository

Setting up a repository inside a course

NOTE only Moodle admins can do this in version 2.3

Enable repositories as in the instructions above. On the Settings page:

Check the top box allowing users to add a repository instance to the course (1 below)
Go to the desired course and click on “repositories” in the administration block(2 below)
Scroll down and click "Create File System instance" (3 below)

1:Enable course repositories

2:Click "Repositories" in Course admin

3:Click to create an instance in the course

Follow the same process as here

Setting up an individual file system repository instance

NOTE: Only Moodle admins can do this in version 2.3)

Enable repositories as in the instructions above. On the Settings page:

Check the top box allowing users to add a repository instance to the user context (1 below)
In the navigation block, click on “my profile”
Click on “Repositories” (2 below)
Click “Create File System instance”
Follow the same process as here
This will create a personal file system repository connecting just you to a folder on the server (3 below)

1:Enable user repository instances

2:Click the Repositories link in profile

3:Adding files from individual repository

Upload any files required by course creators to the appropriate folders

Server permissions are needed here to add via FTP (or other method) the required files.

From this point on the check boxes need not be set - leaving them set just invites people to create a repository instance and then advises them that they do not have sufficient privilges.

Using a File System repository file

A user can now make use of the uploaded files by accessing the repository from within the file picker, creating a resource link to a document, for example. This process copies the uploaded file into Moodle and students may access the resource.

Adding a file from a file system repository

Note that file types are respected (based on file extensions), so if you are adding an image in the editor, then you won't see Office docs (for example) appear in the File Picker.

Repository capabilities

There is just one capability, View file system repository, which is allowed for the default authenticated user role. This means that if a student is required to upload a file - upload assignment, for example, then the repository files may be browsed. It may be more appropriate for this permission to be changed so that course creators have the capabilty, but not students.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-==How to use the filesystem as a repository==
+{{Repositories}}
+The file system repository allows access to files which have been uploaded (e.g. via FTP) into designated folders on the server. ''(Note that these folders are '''not''' created inside  the Moodle site, but on the server where Moodle is hosted.)''
-This module allows you to share any of the sub-directories found in $CFG->dataroot/repository as a browseable repository inside Moodle.
+A file system repository may be available site wide for everyone; within an individual course or for an individual user.(However - see this [http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-28656  tracker entry] regarding course and individual repositories)
-It needs to be configured by a system administrator, because it requires write access to the system disk.
+This must be done by a systems admin who  has write permissions to the server directories.
+{{New features}}When a file from the file system repository is re-used elsewhere on Moodle, the teacher has the option to make a copy (a new, unconnected version) or to create a shortcut or alias. See [[Working with files]] for more details.
-===1. Create some folders to be repositories===
-Inside your "Moodle data" directory (the one where all your data is stored), create one called "repository".
+Once a repository has been created and files uploaded to it, the files can be made available within the file picker for use within a course.  There are several steps to take to implement this feature:-
-Inside that, make one folder for each repository you want to create.  Short, simple, one-word names are best, I'm going to use "clipart" as my example.
-Inside your "clipart" folder put your files (in this example it could be hundreds of useful images that you got from [http://www.openclipart.org/ openclipart.org]).
+These steps must be done by a systems admin who  has write permissions to the server directories and admin permissions within Moodle.
-Note that these directories can be ANYTHING your operating system supports.  You could mount a whole hard drive there, or mount a shared Windows network drive via SAMBA.  You could have a symbolic link to a directory that allows FTP access.  The sky is the limit here for a creative Moodle admin!!
+==Creating  folders for your file system repositories==
+*Find the moodledata folder on the server
+*Inside it, create a folder  called "repository"
+*Inside that folder, create as many folders as you need, named appropriately.
-===2. Enable the File System repository plugin===
+{|
+| [[File:filesystemonserver.png|thumb|250px|Creating repositories on the server]]
+|}
-You do this in the Settings block, under Site Administration > Plugins > Repositories > Manage repositories.
+*Copy files into the appropriate folder, using FTP, SFTP, shared folder, etc. The folders may contain all types of files.
-Once enabled, click on the "Settings" link beside it.
+== Enabling the File System repository plugin==
+*Go to ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Repositories > Manage Repositories'';
+*Select "Enabled and visible" from the File system drop-down menu.
-===3. (Optional) Set up the personal repositories===
+{|
+| [[File:filesystemrepo23.png|thumb|350px|Enabling the file system repository]]
+|}
+*Click the '''Settings''' link.
-You can safely ignore the settings at the top.  These are for rare cases where you want to allow users to create their own virtual repositories from the filesystem, either for themselves or a course.
+==Setting up a site-wide file system repository==
+Having clicked the "Settings" link as above:
+*Scroll down to Repositories instances of the site
+*Click ''Create a repository instance''
+*Give it a name and (if there are several folders on the server) choose from the dropdown the one you want. Click '''Save.'''
+*It will now be available in the file picker in all courses.
-===4. Create some actual usable repositories (instances)===
+{|
+| [[File:createinstance23.png|thumb|Creating a new file system repository]]
+| [[File:setuprepo23.png|thumb|Selecting and naming the repository]]
+|}
-# Click on "Add a repository instance".
-# Give it a name.  This is how it will appear in the filepicker interface in the list on the left.
-# Choose the appropriate subdirectory from the list.
-===5. Check permissions===
+''NOTE: Just repeat the process to get more than one site wide file system repository''
-Although permissions should be on by default, you may have to check the roles and make sure that the "Authenticated User" role (or some other role, if you have set up a special one) has the "repository/filesystem:view" capability allowed.
+==Setting up a repository inside a course==
+''NOTE only Moodle admins can do this in version 2.3''
-(If you are using 2.0 Preview 1 then this was not on by default)
+Enable repositories as in the instructions above. On the Settings page:
+*Check the top box allowing users to add a repository instance to the course (1 below)
+*Go to the desired course and click on “repositories” in the administration block(2 below)
+*Scroll down and click "Create File System instance" (3 below)
-===6. Use it!===
-Everything should be working.  If you try to add a file in Moodle, then the File Picker should show you your new file system repository, and you should be able to browse it and select files to use.
+{|
+| [[File:courseinstancerepo.png|thumb|1:Enable course repositories]]
+| [[File:coursesettingsrepo1.png|thumb|2:Click "Repositories" in Course admin]]
+| [[File:createcourseinstance.png|thumb|3:Click to create an instance in the course]]
+|}
+*Follow the same process as [[#Setting_up_a_site-wide_file_system_repository|here]]
+==Setting up an individual file system repository instance==
+''NOTE: Only Moodle admins can do this in version 2.3)''
+Enable repositories as in the instructions above. On the Settings page:
+*Check the top box allowing users to add a repository instance to the user context (1 below)
+*In the navigation block, click on “my profile”
+*Click on “Repositories” (2 below)
+*Click “Create File System instance”
+*Follow the same process as [[#Setting_up_a_site-wide_file_system_repository|here]]
+*This will create a personal file system repository connecting just you to a folder on the server (3 below)
+{|
+| [[File:userinstancerepo.png|thumb|1:Enable user repository instances]]
+| [[File:profilerepolink.png|thumb|2:Click the Repositories link in profile]]
+| [[File:userprivaterepo.png|thumb|3:Adding files from individual repository]]
+|}
+*Upload any files required by course creators to the appropriate folders
+Server permissions  are needed here to add via FTP (or other method) the required files.
+From this point on the check boxes need not be set - leaving them set just invites people to create a repository instance and then advises them that they do not have sufficient privilges.
+===Using a File System repository file===
+* A user  can now make use of the uploaded files by accessing the repository from within the file picker, creating a resource link to a document, for example.  This process copies the uploaded file into Moodle and students may access the resource.
+{|
+| [[File:newfilerepodisplay1.png|thumb|350px|Adding a file from a file system repository]]
+|}
 Note that file types are respected (based on file extensions), so if you are adding an image in the editor, then you won't see Office docs (for example) appear in the File Picker.
-[[Image:Repository-filesystem-filepicker.png]]
+==Repository capabilities==
+There is just one capability, [[Capabilities/repository/filesystem:view|View file system repository]], which is allowed for the default authenticated user role.
+This means that if a student is required to upload a file - upload assignment, for example, then the repository files may be browsed.  It may be more appropriate for this permission to be changed so that course creators have the capabilty, but not students.
+==See also==
+*[[File_system_repository_FAQ|File system repository FAQ]]
+* Overview of [[Repositories|Repositories]]
+* [http://www.somerandomthoughts.com/blog/2010/06/15/ftp-files-into-moodle-2-0-with-the-repository-api/ FTP files into Moodle 2.0 with the repository API article from somerandomthoughts.com] including screencast
+[[Category:Site administration]]
+[[de:Dateisystem-Repository]]
+[[es:Repositorio_sistema_de_archivo]]

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