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Type of SupportSupport Options
I need help using DSpace (or have general questions)..

Ask your question on one of the following mailing lists:

  • If it's a general DSpace user / usage question, we recommend asking on the dspace-community mailing list
  • If it's an installation, configuration or technical question, we recommend asking on the dspace-tech (tech support) mailing list
Does DSpace provide [some feature]?

You may wish to check or search our Documentation for a quick answer, and search the dspace-community mailing list archives (to see if this has been asked before). You could also try searching Google (as all our documentation is well indexed there, as are our mailing lists).

If you cannot find the answer you are looking for, we recommend asking on the dspace-community Mailing List.

DSpace is reporting an error... [or]
I think I've found a bug.... [or]
Why isn't this working?

Start by following our Troubleshoot an error guide to locate the underlying error message (based on the version of DSpace you are using). The underlying error message is what is needed to identify or fix the problem.

Once you locate the underlying error, search the dspace-tech mailing list archives to see if anyone else has hit this same issue. If you've just installed DSpace 7, make sure to also check the Common Installation Issues listed at the bottom of the Installing DSpace guide.

If you need more help, please send a description of the problem to our dspace-tech (tech support) mailing list. Please be sure to include:

  • The version of DSpace you are running
  • The versions of Tomcat, PostgreSQL, Solr, Java and Maven you are running.
  • Any error messages you located in your log files (feel free to attach a snippet of your logs if needed) or in your browser's developer tools
  • What sort of actions you were How were you able to cause this error? What action were you performing in the system at the time of the error?
  • NOTE: screenshots or general descriptions like "this doesn't work" never help in diagnosing an issue. It's the underlying error message & information above that is and the steps you used to cause the error that are most important.

If you are unsure if the problem is in DSpace or in another system (e.g. Tomcat or PostgreSQL/Oracle), you may consider posting your question to StackOverflow, as that way experts in the other system may also have quick answers for you.

If you prefer a more "live" interactive Q&A, you are also welcome to ask your question on Slack. But, if you get no response, it's likely folks are busy (or stepped away), in which case emailing the dspace-tech mailing list may provide a quicker answer.

I've definitely found a bug (and possibly even a fix for it)Please immediately report it to our DSpace Issue Tracker (this ensures it is immediately logged and doesn't get forgotten or overlooked).  If you have a fix ready, you can either describe it in your ticket, or submit a GitHub Pull Request (please mention the associated Ticket's number).

When possible, if you know the fix, we prefer that you link us to the problematic code and/or provide a pull request.  It really helps us to resolve the bug quickly if we are provided the fix or enough details to replicate and locate the bug easily!

I've figured out a fix for an issue! [or]
We've built a feature locally that we'd like to give back. 

First off, thanks! We depend on community contributions like yours, and are glad you are considering giving back to improve DSpace! If you haven't see it already, please take a look at our Code Contribution Guidelines. Keep in mind that these are guidelines and not strict rules. That said, they should give you a good overview of how to interact within our developer community.

When possible, we prefer you provide us with a GitHub pull request. Pull Requests (PRs) are much easier to review and test. If you run into any problems, or need to ask us questions, you can find the developers on dspace-devel mailing list, Slack. We'll do our best to help you out quickly, but keep in mind we are volunteers. So, depending on the time of day, we may or may not be around to respond immediately. 
I'd like to request a new feature or improvement be added to DSpace.

All feature/improvement requests must be submitted to our DSpace Issue Tracker.  Please be sure to include use cases and/or details about how exactly you'd expect this feature to work. Please keep in mind that all DSpace core developers are volunteers. That means your feature may only be developed immediately if it is seen as high priority & we find an immediate volunteer to do so. 

We do also accept community contributions from anyone, so you are welcome to build the feature yourself and give it back to DSpace (this is how many past features have been added to DSpace). See our Code Contribution Guidelines.

You also are welcome to partner with or hire one of our trusted DSpace Registered Service Providers to build the feature on your behalf & give it back to the core DSpace. This happens frequently with our "Certified DSpace Partner" providers, and it may ensure your feature is built quickly & included immediately in future DSpace releases.

What versions of DSpace are currently under "support"?The current major version is supported for bug/security fixes and new features. The prior two (2) major versions are supported for security fixes ONLY (though exceptions may be made for severe bugs or similar). See our DSpace Software Support Policy.
Are there DSpace training/workshop opportunities available?

In person training is often held in conjunction with the international Open Repositories conference, and occasionally available at local User Group meetings. Online workshops are also held occasionally (and announced on dspace-community).

Many past training/workshops are made available for free at DSpace Training Archives.  Additional learning resources are available at DSpaceResources

I'd like to customize my DSpace to do [something]...could you provide any tips or tricks in doing so?

First, you may wish to see if this question has already been asked before. Try searching our dspace-tech mailing list, Google, or even StackOverflow to see if you can find the answer.

If you've started your customization work and have code snippets to share, you may wish to post your question to StackOverflow (As it is sometimes easier to review code there, plus the answer is easily searchable to others).

If you just want some general advice, usually asking on dspace-tech (tech support list) or dspace-devel (developers list) is the best option depending on how advanced of a customization you wish to make. But, be sure to provide:

  • Details on the type of customization (including which version of DSpace, which DSpace UI)
  • The use case you are trying to achieve (that way others may be able to point you in the direction of similar work, when applicable).
I'd like to hire someone to customize or upgrade or host my DSpacePlease consider contacting one of our DSpace Registered Service Providers. The service providers on this list all contribute back to DSpace in some way, and we recommend them for their services. The types of services they each provide (customization, add-ons, upgrades, hosting) is detailed on that page. 
I've found a likely security vulnerability in DSpace which I'd like to report for investigation.Email security at dspace dot org (which sends a private message to all DSpace Committers). The Committers will analyze the possible threat and send you a (private) report of our findings. If it is found to be a security vulnerability, we will resolve the issue in a new security release of the software, and then publicly announce the vulnerability to the community (crediting you with its discovery). See also the DSpace Software Support Policy.
(Other support questions)

When in doubt, we recommend asking the question on dspace-tech (tech support list). You may also wish to search the mailing list archives (of either dspace-tech or dspace-community) for similar questions .

You are also more than welcome to ask any of the above questions via Slack. But, if you get no response, it's likely folks are busy (or stepped away), in which case emailing the dspace-tech mailing list may provide a quicker answer.