1.0 Welcome & Introduction
Seafile is a secure, faculty-hosted storage and collaboration platform available to faculty, students, and researchers at the Faculty of Information. It supports encrypted file storage, real-time file and document collaboration, and access from multiple devices – while remaining fully in line with institutional and legal data protection policies.
🔒Use only the Faculty-hosted Seafile instance: https://seafile.ischool.utoronto.ca
1.1 Usage Policy & FIPPA Compliance
All use of Seafile must comply with Freedom of Information and Protection Privacy Act (FIPPA) and the University of Toronto’s institutional privacy standards.
✅Permitted:
- Sharing and managing teaching materials
- Collaboration on student assignments
- Storing identifiable research participant data securely
- Using encrypted libraries for confidential academic related information
❌Not Permitted:
- Using commercial/public Seafile instances
- Uploading sensitive academic data to non-institutional environments
- Sharing encrypted library passwords insecurely
2.0 Getting Started
- Visit: https://seafile.ischool.utoronto.ca and click Single Sign-On.
🚩IMPORTANT: Your SSO credentials are NOT the same as your UTORID credentials. If the IT team has not set up your SSO account, or if you are unsure whether it is set up, please email techsupport@ischool.utoronto.ca before continuing.
- Once your SSO account is set up, login using your SSO credentials:
- You will arrive at your My Libraries dashboard:
3.0 Library Management, Sync & Collaboration
3.1 Creating a Library
- Click the + icon next to My Libraries and select New Library.
- Name your new library. (Optional) check the box beside ‘Encrypted’ and set a password to enable encryption. When you are finished, click ‘Submit.’
3.2 Uploading & Organizing Files
Click into the library you wish to upload and organize files. Use drag and drop or click the arrow beside the library name and choose the relevant action in the dropdown menu. You can also create files within Seafile by clicking the file type you would like.
💡When creating folders and files be sure to use clear naming conventions.
3.3 Sharing Standard (Unencrypted) Files
- To share standard (unencrypted) files, click into the library holding the files you want to share. Right click on the file in question or click the share icon when you hover over the file container.
- Choose from the menu which type of link works best for your purposes.
Share Link: a public link that you can password protect.
Internal Link: a link to a file or folder that can be accessed by users with read permission to the file or folder.
💡If you are sharing a folder, you will have another option to use an upload link: a special type of link that allows users to upload files to a specific folder.
3.4 File History
Use History to view/restore earlier file versions.
4.0 Working Securely With Encrypted Libraries
Encrypted libraries use client-side encryption. Files are encrypted before upload and can only be accessed after entering the correct password.
🔑Web Interface Access
- You will be prompted for the password the first time you open the library.
- If entered correctly, files can be viewed and edited in the browser.
- Seafile temporarily caches the key for your session only.
💻Desktop Client Access
- When syncing or opening an encrypted library, enter the password.
- Files are decrypted locally.
- Password can be optionally saved on trusted devices.
🚩Important Notes
- If the password is lost, the data cannot be recovered.
- File and folder names are not encrypted; they remain visible in plaintext to the backend system to support navigation and management, so avoid using sensitive information in names to reduce metadata exposure risk.
- Sharing must be done carefully and manually.
4.1 Sharing Encrypted Libraries
Encrypted libraries cannot be shared using direct Seafile links or internal permission settings. Instead, sharing is done manually and securely.
✅Recommended Workflow for Sharing Encrypted Libraries
- Create a New Group for your course or team project by clicking the arrows next to Files in the left-most navigation menu.
- Inside the new group, create multiple encrypted libraries, each with its own password and purpose. From this dropdown menu you will be able to add and manage group members, and perform other actions as well.
- Share passwords privately (not in Seafile).
Example:
Library | Who Has Access | How Shared |
TA_Feedback | Instructor + TA | Password emailed securely or in person |
Student_JohnSmith | John Smith only | Password shared in class or portal |
ResearchData_Team1 | Research assistants only | Password distributed in research meeting |
✅How to Enable Access
- After logging in, collaborators (or group members) will see the library name but not its content.
- They must click the library and enter the password.
- Once entered, they can view, sync, and (if permitted) edit the content.
🔐Best Practices for Sharing Encrypted Libraries
- Never store the password in the same group folder.
- Use external secure communication (e.g. encrypted email, 1password sharing, secure messaging, secure LMS notice)
- Use separate passwords per role or person.
- Label each encrypted library clearly for its intended audience.
4.2 Access Modes: Seafile Drive vs. Sync
Feature | Seafile Drive | Sync Client |
Local storage | No (on-demand only) | Yes (full local copy) |
Offline access | No | Yes |
Encrypted library access | Yes (with password) | Yes (with password) |
Suitable for personal device | ✅Yes | ❌No |
Suitable for lab/office secured and managed device | ✅Yes | ✅Yes |
Seafile Drive
- Mounts as a virtual drive.
- Files are downloaded only when opened.
- Ideal for shared computers, personal computers or labs.
- If on a shared computer, clear the cache file when done to ensure local files do not remain.
Sync Client
- Fully syncs a library to a local folder.
- Use only on securely managed FOI machines.
4.3 Configuring Clients and Encrypted Library Access
Setup Steps
- Download the client
- Choose Desktop Syncing Client or Desktop Drive Client.
- Log in using Faculty of Information SSO.
Encrypted Library Access
- Enter the password on first access.
- Files become available in your browser or sync folder.
- Do not share or expose your password in shared drives.
5.0 Role-Based Onboarding Options
👤Instructors (to enhance LMS tools if needed)
- Share reading and materials through unencrypted libraries.
- Use encrypted libraries for privileged academic information and feedback.
- Use for TA and personal marking (ensuring no information is stored on personal devices using Seafile Drive or Web access).
- Share assignments via upload links.
- Create per-student or personal encrypted libraries when needed.
🙋Students
- Submit work using upload-only links.
- Access shared libraries after password entry.
- Use encrypted folders for reflective journals.
- Avoid syncing on shared/public computers.
🔬Researchers
- Store participant data in encrypted libraries.
- Assign unique passwords to each sub-library if needed.
- Use upload links for survey intake.
- Organize content by phase: Data, Transcripts, Published.
6.0 Security, Limitations & Institutional Safeguards
✅Security Features
- End-to-end encryption available with encrypted libraries (E2EE).
- Faculty of Information SSO required.
- Admins cannot access encrypted content.
🚩Limitations
- Passwords cannot be recovered.
- File/folder names are visible even in encrypted libraries to the backend system.
- Sharing encrypted access requires secure external coordination.
- Encryption is only effective if passwords are distributed responsibly and stored responsibly using tools like 1password (free for UofT – https://utoronto.1password.ca/signin).
7.0 Quick Reference Sheet
Task | Action |
Log in | |
Create Library | Dashboard > New Library > Name > (Optional: Encrypt) |
Upload Files | Open Library > upload or drag/drop |
Share Files and Folders | Right click > share > Internal/Public/Upload Link |
File History | Right-click file > history |
Encrypted Access | Click Library > Enter password |
Share Encrypted Library | Share password manually (not within Seafile) |
Use Drive or Sync | Choose Seafile Drive or Sync during client setup |