[Bug]: Email notification for share, even when activity settings is disabled

[EngelPika32]

⚠️ This issue respects the following points: ⚠️

• This is a bug, not a question or a configuration/webserver/proxy issue.
• This issue is not already reported on Github (I've searched it).
• Nextcloud Server is up to date. See Maintenance and Release Schedule for supported versions.
• I agree to follow Nextcloud's Code of Conduct.

Bug description

Similar to what was described in this ancient issue: #11216

A friend shared a folder, and I received an email.
My settings under settings/user/activity for "A file or folder has been shared" are disabled for email (and push). Hence I shouldn't have received an email. – With a link to accept the share, although I've (under settings/user/sharing) "Allow shares by default" enabled. The share got accepted automatically (or at least, it appeared in my folders without me using the accept link from the mail).

Oh, and late on my friend added a note to the share, which caused a second mail; which is unwanted as well.

Steps to reproduce

1. Admin settings: EMail configured; Sharing via mail allowed.
2. User1 settings (activity): disable EMail for "A file or folder has been shared"
3. User2: share a folder (or file) by entering the Username, and selecting the user from the search results/suggestions
4. User1 receives an Email (with a link to accept the share)

Expected behavior

No EMail, if the user (receiving a share) doesn't want EMails about this. This can get quite spammy if you receive a lot of shares.

Installation method

Official Docker image

Operating system

Other

PHP engine version

PHP 8.1

Web server

Other

Database engine version

MariaDB

Is this bug present after an update or on a fresh install?

Fresh Nextcloud Server install

Are you using the Nextcloud Server Encryption module?

No response

What user-backends are you using?

• Default user-backend (database)
• LDAP/ Active Directory
• SSO - SAML
• Other

Configuration report

No response

List of activated Apps

Don't have access to that right now.

Nextcloud Signing status

No errors have been found.

Nextcloud Logs

No response

Additional info

Sharing via email was just recently enabled on our instance. Hence I do not know if this bug is new. But seeing the old issue with a relatively new comment about it, makes me confident, that this isn't new.

[Mer0me]

Bug is still present on v24.0.5.
There is no way to prevent sending of sharing emails.

[Ododo]

Ok so it seems this option of config.php can be set to false as workaround:

 * Set to false to stop sending a mail when users receive a share
 */
'sharing.enable_share_mail' => true,

It triggers an email from within the core Mailer.php, which seems redundant with the activity app own mailer.

Note that turning this option to false, does not prevent you to create links or to actually share a file to an email.
I think the option name is misleading.

also see: #26183

[datenangebot]

This bug is still present, tested with 24.0.9.
You even get mail if you deactivated to receive mails.

I see two approaches:

1. We should respect the activity settings for sending mails in general. (

   server/lib/private/Share20/Manager.php

   Line 837 in c0e84cb

   if ($this->config->getSystemValueBool('sharing.enable_share_mail', true)

   )
2. The description of the activities settings should make clear what it effects.

@szaimen You asked for feedback here (via label), do you need more information about that?

[crzp]

This bug is still present in 24.0.12 and very annoying.
Please make it toggleable!

Btw,
it also effects creating, deleting, changing files in a shared folder.
It creates so much spam for all users who a part of the shared folder.

[juliusknorr]

@nextcloud/designers We currently have two possible mails when a file is shared to a user

• A mail sent by the files_sharing app to the user which can only be disabled globally
• A mail sent by the activity app (might also be part of a grouped activity mail) which has a per user setting
  • the activity mail setting covers more cases like unshare, share to groups

I'd say it makes sense to check the setting of the activity app and not sending out any email notification then, would you agree?

Then we could just add a check for this in

server/lib/private/Share20/Manager.php

Line 837 in c0e84cb

if ($this->config->getSystemValueBool('sharing.enable_share_mail', true)

One thing worth to mention is that The activity option is disabled by default, so we may need to switch this?

Also cc @artonge and @miaulalala for the activity app

[jancborchardt]

A mail sent by the files_sharing app to the user which can only be disabled globally

@juliushaertl what info would this contain?

But generally yes, I would agree with your assessment to check the setting of the activity app. If people say no mail regarding that we should honor that.

One thing worth to mention is that The activity option is disabled by default, so we may need to switch this?

Yes, probably also makes sense if currently the de-facto default is getting an email anyway.

[juliusknorr]

• Make sure to also check for the activity setting before sending out a mail for sharing

  server/lib/private/Share20/Manager.php

  Line 837 in c0e84cb

  if ($this->config->getSystemValueBool('sharing.enable_share_mail', true)

• Switch the default of https://github.com/nextcloud/server/blob/master/apps/files_sharing/lib/Activity/Settings/Shared.php#L78-L84 to true to make sure that the activity mail setting reflects the expected default behaviour.

• Get screenshots of both mails to decide what we want to do

[juliusknorr]

@jancborchardt Those are the two mails:

1. Email by the files sharing app (may contain share note)

• Controlled by the config.php option sharing.enable_share_mail, enabled by default, one individual mail for each share
• 

2. Email by the activity app

• Controlled by admin defaults with user setting overwrite in activity settings UI, disabled by default
• List of activities that might contain other entries as well
• Might happen immediately or later depending on the user config
• 

Thinking more about it I'm not entirely sure we should couple those settings.

[miaulalala]

Thinking more about it I'm not entirely sure we should couple those settings.

I agree. But we could make the sharing app a per-user setting. That would work nicely and we can store that in oc_preferences.

[max-nextcloud]

I agree. But we could make the sharing app a per-user setting. That would work nicely and we can store that in oc_preferences.

@jancborchardt - What do you say? Would that be the way to go?

[jancborchardt]

@miaulalala @max-nextcloud yeah, that actually makes a lot of sense, that should be personal preference. :)