[GRLUG] WebDAV/Alfresco confusion

Tue May 24 21:18:18 EDT 2011

On Tue, 2011-05-24 at 20:56 -0400, Eric Beversluis wrote:
> When I look at the Wikipedia article on WebDAV, the first thing it notes
> about WebDAV is "The most important features of the WebDAV protocol
> include: locking ("overwrite prevention")"

Correct.  Locking is inherent in WebDAV level 2.

> Yet when we use Alfresco with WebDAV clients rather than from the web
> browser interface, there seems to be no locking or overwrite prevention
> at all.

Are you sure?

> Are we using the wrong WebDAV client. Win 7 seems to have removed its
> built in WebDAV client, so I've been using CyberDuck from Windows boxes
> and the Nautilis WebDAV client from Ubuntu. The absence of locks also
> seems to exist when using Quickr connectors from a Mac.

No, this is incorrect.  I'm a developer of OpenGroupware Coils
<http://sourceforge.net/projects/coils/> which is a
WebDAV/GroupDAV/CalDAV server; WebDAV mounting works in Windows XP,
Vista, and 7.  This includes locking - Microsoft Office makes extensive
use of LOCK-NULL resources.

> Or is this a flaw in Alfresco that doesn't happen with a different
> WebDAV server?

What syntax are you attempting to use when to mount the WebDAV share?

Regardless of the WebDAV server you are using take a look through the
OpenGroupware WebDAV notes
<http://coils.hg.sourceforge.net/hgweb/coils/coils/file/efb7ab7aac83/src/coils/protocol/dav/NOTES.txt> - it has quite a bit of information regarding WebDAV with various platforms and clients.

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