Zotero Standalone with own library and (private) server library

Foxxer

Thanks again for the best literature tool I know. :-)

I want to bring my university institute to use zotero and share our thoughts. I think especially comments on papers etc. which would be present are extremely valuable for following phd students. Our institute has around 50 users. We don't want to sync to your cloud because of privacy reasons. We assume that it is possible to use the WebDav syncing.

But I have the feeling that it is not wanted and supported by zotero. This is of course no problem. The cloud storage is not for free which is of course also no problem, but we can not use it due to privacy reasons. Nevertheless there would be money to pay, honestly I would also pay some amount of money to use such a time saving program.

Each phd student here needs to have zotero with two libraries. One personal and the other one is located at the server, which is used by all students/ pcs. This would be the perfect solution. If we start to try it with WebDaV server it will lead to frustration and wasted time I fear.
We want to use zotero and we can also pay for it. So will you offer a solution to this in the future? Or is the actual solution, using WebDav running well?

adamsmith

To clarify this a bit: which part of your data would you be concerned about syncing with Zotero: only the attachments or any data (including metadata&notes)? See the difference between data and file sync for why this matters: https://www.zotero.org/support/sync

Even with WebDAV, all data would still sync to the Zotero server.

Foxxer

Thanks for your answer.
It doesn't matter. File or data sync, if one of both is possible with our server would help us.
We want to have a zotero data library on our institute server which can be edited by around 50 users.
What I think of is that one user having installed zotero standalone has two Libraries in his zotero window. One private for himself which is only located on his PC, and the other which is the institutes library (IL). The IL (pdfs, metadata, comments..) is located on our private server.
If data sync or file sync is used to synchronize to the users pc is not that important. The best would be that the user could choose what he likes. But one of both solutions would help us. When WebDAV syncs also to Zotero, unfortunately it is no option for us.
I think at least all public institutes have the problem that they are not allowed to sync to cloud services, therefore a solution to this problem is of great interest.

Foxxer

Update: I invested some time now, but I think the only way to share files in zotero group libraries is to use the zotero server.
When using only data sync (which would be perhaps possible with our university), links to the pdf which can be added in the personal library are deleted when the item is dragged in the groups library.

As far as I see it zotero wants to prevent a group working without syncing to their server.

This is a pitty...

Foxxer

Now I found this thread, where it is decribed how to use your own server:

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/zotero-dev/p5Mlvnw3nXY

adamsmith

As far as I see it zotero wants to prevent a group working without syncing to their server.

that has nothing to do with "want" -- webDAV simply isn't very well suited for groups, starting with the fact that authentication wouldn't be easy to get right.

If you want all data on your own server that thread is the relevant solution. If you're in Germany -- there's also a recent thread on a librarian listserv by someone who has implemented a local solution.

Foxxer

Ok, I understand regarding webDAV, but why are links to files deleted when an item is copied to a group library? But anyway, I am totally thankful for such a great, free program.
I am not a server/programming specialist. We are in Germany. Why should we use something called librarian listserv? I searched now for 15 minutes and did not find this thread. Can you provide it?
Thank you very much!

adamsmith

No links in groups because those would typically break (since there's as of now no option for relative links in groups) and things that will break on most setups aren't allowed in Zotero (both because it makes for a bad user experience, but also because it creates support nightmares--the two are obviously related). If someone were to offer a patch allowing relative links in groups (which Dan has said they'd accept), group links would almost certainly be enabled.

The thread on inetbib is here:
http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.culture.libraries.inetbib/30462?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Foxxer

Thank you! We will try to get it workin in the next weeks and I will report our experience.
I agree, things that typically break are not useful.

Foxxer

So far we tried to get it running.

Now it seems that the actual version of zotero prevents the own server. Does somebody know sth about this?

Foxxer

here an update from our administrator:
The documentation http://git.27o.de/dataserver/about/Zotero-Client.md
seems to be not actual any more. The client is not configurable in the way that a local server can be adressed.

Does someone know more?

adamsmith

It was always the case that you needed to use a patched version of the Zotero client--you could never just "configure" Zotero to use a custom server.
Those instructions look right to me. Note the bit at the bottom about configure.js, where the relevant code now sits.
If you have more technical questions, best to follow up on the development google group, where you're more likely to get answers from folks who actually have this running locally.

Foxxer

Hello, just for information: we gave up the Zotero server installation. Nevertheless it is a great program!

archimedes06

Pardon reviving this painful subject, but does anyone know where the config.js is in client version 4.0.29.2 or later? I can't seem to find the chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/ or resource directories.

Thanks