LinShare is a secure file-sharing solution developed by LINAGORA, specifically designed to handle the sharing of large volumes of files, making it a perfect choice for business and organizations. This Open Source software ensures privacy and control over your data while facilitating easy collaboration and efficient file management. True to LINAGORA's commitment to transparency and freedom, LinShare is released under the GNU AGPLv3 license, providing a flexible and customizable platform for enterprises. You can find all the details here

Let’s dive in with the new features:

Feature: Conversion of guest accounts to internal users

In previous versions of LinShare, a corporate user could easily create a guest account to invite external collaborators, granting them specific permissions and access levels to share files, upload large documents, or even edit content within the shared drive. However, there was no option to convert a guest account into a full corporate user account, which limited long-term collaboration and user management. With the new LinShare 6.3 release, administrators can now convert guest accounts to internal users, ensuring secure and flexible file-sharing within the organization.

LinShare’s latest feature that automates the transition of a guest user to a standard corporate account during a new authentication login

Feature: Synchronization of user information with OIDC provider

LinShare introduces synchronization of user information with OpenID Connect (OIDC) providers, significantly simplifying user management and enhancing security. With this feature, LinShare automatically updates user profiles by retrieving data directly from the OIDC provider during each authentication process. This ensures that user information—such as names, roles, and access permissions—remains current and consistent across platforms, reducing administrative overhead and minimizing the risk of outdated or incorrect data.

Feature: Support external ID as user identifier for OIDC user provider

LinShare now offers support for user identification through external IDs, in addition to email verification. With this new feature, organizations can enhance security and flexibility by setting up verification for an external user identifier (external_uid). Upon a user's first connection, LinShare captures and stores the 'external_uid' in their profile. During subsequent OIDC (OpenID Connect) authentication attempts, LinShare compares the stored identifier with the current value to confirm user identity. This ensures a consistent and secure user authentication process, reducing the risk of errors and improving overall user management efficiency.

Feature: Blacklist and Whitelist for File Extensions

We’ve introduced a new feature that allows you to create blacklists and whitelists for file extensions. With just a simple toggle, you can now block uploads for specific file types, such as .epub files.

Additional Updates:

• MIME Type Management: You can now create blacklists and whitelists to manage MIME types. You call allow or disallow sharing of certain file types directly from admin panel.

To use this feature, click the “+” button to create a new entry. Enter the name, choose the type as “Blacklist” or “Whitelist,” and then click the “Save” button.

• Root User Password Update: We've updated the process for modifying the root user’s password.

User Interface Enhancements:

• Activity Logs: Added logs to track changes to user information (First name, Last name, and Email) on the OIDC provider.

When a user logs into LinShare and their profile information is updated automatically by the system (for example, when a user is transformed from a guest account to a standard account), they can visit the “Activity Logs” page to view detailed records of these changes. This feature helps users stay informed about updates to their profile and ensures transparency in activity tracking.

• Guest Conversion Logs: Added logs to monitor guest user conversions.

The release notes for version 6.3 can be found here

Conclusion

LinShare 6.3 continues to upgrade in file-sharing and user management. With these new features, organizations now can achieve improved user management and greater flexibility in handling file-sharing needs. Whether it's converting guest accounts, synchronizing user data, or managing file types, LinShare remains a powerful and versatile solution for today’s demanding business environments. If you want to learn more about LinShare, you can access our website here.