Merijn Schering
With the release of Group-Office 26.0, real-time document collaboration has never been easier. By integrating Collabora Online, users can create and edit Microsoft Word and OpenDocument documents directly within their browser. In this guide, we will walk through the process of setting up Group-Office and Collabora using Docker Compose.
Step 1: Docker Compose Configuration
To get started, can clone our docker-groupoffice repository:
git clone https://github.com/intermesh/docker-groupoffice.git
The compose configuration uses the official Group-Office 26.0 image alongside the Collabora Code image.
To start the container run the following command in a terminal from the groupoffice-docker directory:
docker compose -f compose.yaml -f compose.collabora.yml up -d
Step 2: Find your local network address
This setup is for local testing, but we can't use localhost as hostname, because the Collabora container has to connect back to the Group-Office container and it can't be done with localhost. It can however connect using your local network address. In my case this was 192.168.1.7.
On Linux you can run this command in aterminal to find your local network address:
ip a
On MacOS:
ifconfig
On Windows:
ipconfig
Step 3: Install Group-Office
Open the Group-Office installer by navigating your browser to the LAN address on port 9090 (http://192.168.1.7:9090). Complete the installer and login to Group-Office.
Step 3: Accessing the System Settings
Once you're logged in. Navigate to the top-right user menu and select System settings.
Step 4: Configuring the Office Online Module
In the System Settings sidebar, click on Office Online. Here, you will add a new service for Collabora Online. Click the "+" button and enter the URL of your Collabora container. In our example, using a local network IP, the URL is http://192.168.1.7:9980.
Ensure the service is saved and appears in your list as Collabora Online Development Edition:
Step 4: Creating Your First Document
Now that the integration is active, head over to the Files module. Click the "Add" (+) button, and you will see new options to create Microsoft Word documents or Open-Office Text documents.
Step 5: Editing in the Browser
Double-click your new document to open the Collabora Online editor. You can now type, format text, and collaborate with other users in real-time, all from the Group-Office collaboration platform.
Conclusion: This setup provides a powerful, self-hosted alternative to cloud office suites, keeping your data within your own infrastructure while providing modern collaborative features.