---
type: source
title: Nextcloud Group Folders (Gruppenordner)
tags: [nextcloud, collaboration, storage, urz, cloud-storage]
related: [nextcloud-group-folders, nextcloud, ums, resource-folder-lifecycle]
created: 2026-07-01
updated: 2026-07-01
authors: []
year: 2026
url: "https://rz.uni-greifswald.de/dienste/webdienste/nextcloud/gruppenordner"
venue: "Universitätsrechenzentrum (URZ)"
sources: ["output/rz_uni_greifswald_de_dienste_webdienste_nextcloud_gruppenordner.md"]
---

# Nextcloud Group Folders (Gruppenordner)

This source provides technical documentation, instructions, and administrative guidelines on the implementation and management of group folders within the university's Nextcloud instance at the Universität Greifswald. Unlike standard personal shares, group folders are managed as institutional resources to ensure data persistence and collaborative access regardless of individual staff turnover.

## Administrative Model
- **Resource-Based**: Group folders are not tied to a specific user account but are administered as IT resources.
- **Persistence**: Data remains available even if the original creator leaves the university, provided a new responsible person is assigned.
- **Request Process**: Users must request the resource through the [[ums]] account management system.

## Permission System
Permissions are managed via a manual system using text-based configuration files located within a folder named `Permission` (which must not be renamed).

### Permission Levels
- **RO (Read-Only)**: Users can only view and download files.
- **RW (Read-Write)**: Users can read, write, and delete files.
- **Share**: Users are permitted to share folders and files.

### Logic and Propagation
- **Precedence**: The highest assigned right takes precedence (e.g., RW overrides RO).
- **Propagation**: Changes to permission files take up to one hour to take effect.

### Critical Administrative Warnings
- **Admin Self-Entry**: Resource administrators must **not** add their own account names to the permission files; doing so results in the loss of rights to edit permissions.
- **Admin Shares**: Granting "Share" rights to an administrator via the permissions system disrupts Nextcloud's internal logic, causing the folder to appear twice and restricting the admin's rights.

## Technical Specifications
- **Quota**: The default storage limit is **100 GB**, though this is adjustable upon request.
- **Client Integration**: In the Nextcloud desktop client, group folders are classified as "**external storage**" and must be explicitly enabled in the settings to be synchronized.
- **Structure**: Group folders appear in the root directory and cannot be moved within a user's personal folder structure.

## Comparison: Group Folders vs. Shares

| Feature | Group Folder | Share |
|---|---|---|
| **Dependency** | Independent of any single account | Dependent on the creating account |
| **Persistence** | Survives account deactivation | Deleted if creating account is deactivated |
| **Placement** | Fixed in root directory | Can be placed anywhere in user structure |
| **Management** | Via [[ums]] and config files | Via Nextcloud WebGUI |