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Etherpad

educationproductivitybeta
etherpadcollaborative-editingreal-timedocuments

Etherpad

Etherpad is a real-time collaborative document editor that lets multiple users write and edit text simultaneously in a web browser. Each participant's cursor is visible in a distinct color, making it easy to see who is contributing what. Etherpad is an education-specific Beta component in openDesk Edu.

Key Features

  • Real-time co-editing: See other users' cursors and changes as they type, with sub-second latency.
  • Color-coded authors: Each participant gets a unique color for their cursor and text contributions.
  • Plugin system: Extend functionality with plugins for formatting, export, and integration features.
  • Chat sidebar: Built-in side chat for discussion alongside the shared document.
  • Export options: Export pads to HTML, plain text, PDF, Word, and other formats.

Integration with openDesk Edu

Etherpad integrates with openDesk Edu through Keycloak-based SSO using SAML 2.0 and OIDC. Users create and join pads from the unified Nubus portal. It deploys as a modular Helm chart as an education-specific Beta component. Pad content can be backed up through k8up for persistent document recovery.