Seafile and Microsoft Office

Seafile Server
1

Hi,

i just setup a dockerized Seafile professional for testing, and up to now everything is almost well.

By starting some of our processes within Seafile, i found out that:

.xlsx files from Office 2013 are not being shown correct in preview (here i can only see one page of information, even if the file has got 728 rows.

.docx files: Layout and content is not being formatted correctly.

So i was looking into the Microsoft Office integration and this is where i fail.

I would have to setup a Office Online Server (see here: https://manual.seafile.com/deploy_pro/office_web_app.html), in order to be able to see correct MS Office files and to edit them in Browser.

But i also have an business Office 365 account, couldn’t i connect this one with Seafile and use the online versions of Office, which are being provided from Microsoft themselves?

And, how to achieve that? Unfortunately i haven’t found any setup for credentials with Microsoft. I found the documentation for Office Online Server, but nothing about connecting to Office 365.

Can you elaborate a bit more on that one? Perhaps i need a specific host to put in the config file and everything is just easy?

This is mission critical for us, to be able to run our processes and get away from Dropbox.

And by the way, are we the first ones asking for this? Seems like, because haven’t found anything on this topic in Forum, But i do admit, i might have used the wrong search terms. In terms of search, my google searh did not yield any information on that one too.

So you could say: Hey, if you don’t find anything on it, it is simply not available. But perhaps this would make life for some people easier? Then just handle it as a feature request.

Thanks and best
jM

2

Only Office works quiet well as MS Office replacement.
I don’t know about O365 integration as it does not make sense to me to use MS services together with private cloud storage.

3

Well,

the built-in preview does not work well, as i stated before and all our documents are based on Microsoft Office with usage of a lot of macros. So, if we want to edit them collaboratively, i don’t see any other option than going for Office Online, whereas i would need just one Office 365 user, for Seafile to connect as a centralized service.

Bottom end:

1 Office 365 User, so the functionality to share and edit in browser is given.

Everything else will run within Seafile, and we can have literally tons of projects organized with it.

Best

jM

PS: If we go for Pro, we want to use this feature…

4

Only Office works quiet well as MS Office replacement.

This one i don’t get. Which Office are you talking bout as MS Office replacement? Star Office? Libre Office, Open Office?

Thanks and best
jM

5

“OnlyOffice”

But hearing what your target it is I don’t think OnlyOffice is the right solution. But I’m not sure if Office 365 can be used with Seafile (https://manual.seafile.com/deploy_pro/office_web_app.html). I think “Office Online Server” is another offer than Office 365.

@daniel.pan

6

I know, but you would have to install it locally, which i wanted to avoid at this point just for evaluation.

If one knows a docker image for it i might give it a try, but i understood, from just reading the website information that it would work with office online, and dumb as i am, it was synonymous for Office 365 for me … :slight_smile:

Thanks and best
jM

7

Yes, “Office Online Server” is needed instead of Office 365.

8

Now, where do i get office online server if we don’t are in the Volume Licensing Program by Microsoft?

I will give it a try with a docker version from onlyoffice. Just saw the Documentation on this , but i am wondering, whether there are any caveats to check out before going ahead and pull the onlyoffice image.

It would be easier, if Seafile could connect to Office 365 instead of Office Online Server…
Best
jM

9

Why do you then not want to use OneDrive?

10

Because i also have customer Information to sort out and we have 20+ persons adding files and Folders, and i like the library Concept, so i can also share an upload or download link with customers etc.

Seafile is more flexible and in the end i just want to be able to be compatible to my tons of Office files…

Best

12

Has anyone had success setting this up?

How’s it working? Any commentary?

13

Seafile cannot interact with Office 365. This is NOT a deficit of Seafile. This is MS policy.

Yes, there are some cloud solutions that interface with O365, but this are BIG players. If - which is unlikely - Seafile Ltd. was granted O365 access by MS, their Seafile instance could interconnect with O365. All the other Seafile instances out there would not benefit a bit.

14

Thanks for your prompt reply.

Any suggestions on an alternative means of securely collaborating on word documents?

Was hoping my seafile install could do it; evidently not the case.

15

Oh, absolutely!

Use ONLYOFFICE or CODE. You find the instructions here: https://download.seafile.com/published/seafile-manual/deploy/only_office.md

16

Does WOPI (https://wopi.readthedocs.io/en/latest/index.html#) and the Seafile API (https://download.seafile.com/published/web-api/v2.1/office-web-app-integration.md) allow to build a custom implementation?

According to my understanding it is “only” required to become a Office Cloud Storage partner: https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/office/cloud-storage-partner-program

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