Wiki Access Configurations
Reference
How open a wiki is comes down to two independent settings, both made in the "Rights" section of its administration: what a visitor who is not logged in may do, and who may create an account. Each configuration below says what the rights grid has to show, and Set the Rights of a Wiki describes how to tick it.
They are written as allowed rights rather than as denied ones because allowing a right to a group denies it to everyone the wiki does not mention, which Rights Resolution explains. Closing a wiki is a matter of granting a right to the people who should keep it.
What a visitor may do
A visitor is someone reading the wiki without being logged in. The check boxes of the last column are the two under the grid, which Restrict the Wiki to Registered Users describes.
| What a visitor may do | What the "Groups" tab shows | Check boxes | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| Read, but neither comment nor edit. This is the configuration XWiki installs. | "Comment" and "Edit" allowed to XWikiAllGroup | clear | nothing to do |
| Read and comment | the same, plus "Comment" allowed to "Unregistered Users" on the "Users" tab | clear | Open the Wiki to Unregistered Users |
| Read, comment and edit | the same, with "Edit" allowed to them as well | clear | Open the Wiki to Unregistered Users |
| Nothing, except on the pages that allow them | "View" allowed to XWikiAllGroup as well | clear | Set the Rights of a Wiki, then Set the Rights of a Page on each page that stays public |
| Nothing, on any page | whatever it shows | both selected | Restrict the Wiki to Registered Users |
| Nothing, and registered users read nothing either | "View", "Comment", "Edit", "Delete", "Admin" and "Register" allowed to XWikiAdminGroup, and nothing allowed to XWikiAllGroup | both selected | Restrict a Wiki to Administrators |
Who may create an account
| Who may create an account | What the "Groups" tab shows | How |
|---|---|---|
| Anyone, visitors included. This is the configuration XWiki installs. | "Register" allowed to no group | nothing to do |
| Any registered user, but not visitors | "Register" allowed to XWikiAllGroup | Set the Rights of a Wiki |
| An administrator only, who then creates the accounts | "Register" allowed to XWikiAdminGroup | Close the Registration of a Wiki |
The two settings do not interfere: any line of the first table holds with any line of the second.
FAQ
Can a page stay public on a wiki closed to visitors?
Yes, as long as the two check boxes are clear: allow "View" to the unregistered users on that page, and that rule overrides the one set on the wiki.
