Seadoc vs onlyoffice

SeaDoc
1

I’m on v11 and only now discovered SeaDoc exists. Looks like it was introduced in v11, but can’t find anything relevant in the notes. Why’s that?

Do I understand correctly that it’s an alternative to OnlyOffice, meaning we need to choose one or the other, not both?

2

SeaDoc and OnlyOffice are not mutually exclusive; they actually complement each other and can be used simultaneously on the same Seafile instance.

Here is a breakdown of the differences:

  • SeaDoc: Specifically designed for collaborative technical documentation, internal wikis, and knowledge bases. It uses its own internal format (.sdoc) and features a review/approval workflow and inter-document linking.
  • OnlyOffice: Primarily used for viewing and editing standard Microsoft Office formats like .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx.

You do not have to choose one over the other. If you have both enabled:

  1. Microsoft Office files will open in OnlyOffice.
  2. SeaDoc files (.sdoc) will open in the SeaDoc editor.

Regarding the upgrade notes: SeaDoc is considered an optional extension/component rather than a change to the core Seafile server architecture (like the LDAP or database changes described in the v11 notes). You can find detailed setup instructions in the SeaDoc Integration manual.

For more details on OnlyOffice integration, you can refer to the OnlyOffice Integration guide.

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3

If one starts using SeaDoc, is it easy to sunset it if it doesn’t work out? I.e. will db remain littered with now-unrelated records, or is clean decommissioning simple enough?

4

Since SeaDoc is designed as a lightweight extension, decommissioning it is a very clean process:

  • Database and Storage: SeaDoc does not have its own standalone database or storage system. It stores its operational data (like operation logs) within the existing Seafile database (specifically in the sdoc_operation_log table), and the .sdoc files themselves are stored directly in your Seafile libraries just like any other file.
  • Decommissioning: To stop using it, you simply need to disable the configuration in your settings and remove the SeaDoc service from your deployment (e.g., removing it from your docker-compose.yml).
  • Cleanliness: Once the service is disabled, the SeaDoc-specific UI elements will disappear. The system is designed so that disabling the extension doesn’t leave “litter” or unrelated records that would interfere with the core Seafile server’s performance or integrity.

In short, you can try SeaDoc without worrying about a messy cleanup later; it is easily “sunsetted” by simply turning off the service and the configuration flag.

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5

Is this completely true though? Note v12 notes on upgading to seadoc v1:

From version 1.0, SeaDoc is using seahub_db database to store its operation logs and no longer need an extra database sdoc_db. The database tables in seahub_db are created automatically when you upgrade Seafile server from v11.0 to v12.0. You can simply delete sdoc_db.

This implies stopping using seadoc will still leave now-defunct data littered over the seahub_db database.