Nova DSO Tracker v3.4.0 – Nova Sync released

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Release Date: September 21, 2025

I’m excited to announce the release of Nova DSO Tracker v3.4.0! This is a focused release that introduces a powerful and highly-requested feature: External User Management & Sync. This makes Nova ideal for astronomy clubs, shared observatories, and teams.

New Feature: External User Management & Sync

You can now manage all user accounts in an external system (like a WordPress site) and have Nova DSO Tracker automatically sync with it. This eliminates the need to create or maintain user accounts directly inside Nova.

Why It’s a Game-Changer:

  • Single Source of Truth: Manage your users in one place. If you already have a club website with memberships, Nova now integrates seamlessly.
  • No More Duplicate Admin: When a user registers, updates their profile, or is removed from your main system, Nova automatically stays in sync. No manual intervention is needed.
  • Effortless Onboarding: New users sign up on your main site and can immediately log into Nova. Their personal configs, rigs, and journals are created for them automatically on their first login.
  • Scalable for Groups: Perfect for organizations that need to provide separate, secure access to Nova for each member.

How to Get Started

Configuring the new multi-user mode is straightforward. The basic steps are:

  1. Set Up Your External System: Ensure you have a working login and registration flow on your website (e.g., a WordPress site with the User Registration plugin).
  2. Configure Nova: In your instance/ folder, edit the .env file and make sure the following line is set:
    SINGLE_USER_MODE=False
  3. Restart Nova: Once the setting is saved, restart the Nova application.

That’s it! Nova will now defer to your external system for authentication. When a recognized user accesses Nova, it will automatically load or create their personal config_<username>.yaml and journal_<username>.yaml files.

For a complete walkthrough, please refer to our Admin Setup Guide.

Other Improvements

  • This release also includes minor under-the-hood improvements for stability and performance in multi-user environments.

Thank you for your continued support and feedback. We’re thrilled to see how this new feature empowers clubs and teams in their astronomical pursuits.

Happy observing!

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