Cannot prevent "My Library" creation for new users in Seafile 13.0.19

Seafile Server
1

Hi everyone,

I’m currently running Seafile Community Edition 13.0.19 and I’m having trouble preventing the automatic creation of the “My Library” for new users.

In previous versions, I was able to suppress the default library creation by using the following settings in seahub_settings.py:


USER_DEFAULT_LIBRARY_TYPE = None

However, since updating to version 13.0.19, these settings seem to be ignored. Every new user that logs in for the first time still gets a “My Library” automatically created.

What I’ve tried so far:

I have consulted an AI assistant to verify the standard configuration steps, and we tried the following based on its suggestions:

  • Setting DISABLE_DEFAULT_LIBRARY = True in seahub_settings.py.

  • Setting USER_DEFAULT_LIBRARY_TYPE = None in seahub_settings.py.

  • Adding disable_default_library = true to the [library] section in seafile.conf.

  • Clearing the Seahub cache and restarting the services/containers.

None of these steps prevented the library creation.

My question: Has the configuration parameter changed in version 13, or is this a known bug in the current CE build? Is there any other way (perhaps via the database or a different config flag) to ensure new users start with an empty dashboard?

I want to manage library access strictly via groups and shared folders, so the “My Library” is causing confusion for my users.

Any help or insights would be greatly appreciated!

2

The settings DISABLE_DEFAULT_LIBRARY and USER_DEFAULT_LIBRARY_TYPE in seahub_settings.py are not designed to serve as a permission control mechanism to prevent users from having personal libraries altogether. In the Community Edition (CE), the creation of a personal “My Library” is a core part of the user initialization process.

To achieve your goal of managing library access strictly via groups and shared folders while preventing users from having their own personal storage, you would need to use the Seafile Professional Edition.

The Professional Edition includes a Role Permissions feature that allows you to:

  1. Define User Roles: Create specific roles (e.g., “Guest” or “Member”) in the web admin interface.
  2. Disable Library Creation: For a specific role, you can disable the can_add_repo permission.
  3. Empty Dashboard: When a user with this restricted role logs in, they will not have a “My Library” created and will only see libraries that have been shared with them or their groups.

In the Community Edition, there is no supported configuration flag to completely suppress personal library functionality for new users. If this level of administrative control is a requirement for your workflow, migrating to the Pro edition (which is free for up to 3 users) is the recommended path.