Modules

A makerspace only carries the parts it uses. Space Works ships 34 modules. Six are core and always on, one (backup) is on by default, and the rest are opt-in. Modules are switched per makerspace, so one deployment can run a tool library next door to an events-only space.

There are three levels of switch:

Level	Who changes it	What it means
Core module	Nobody	Always on. Handing hardware over needs a box QR scan and an issue photo, so the catalogue, request workflow, staff console, evidence, QR codes and scanner ship with every install
Module	Superadmin (console or command line)	A whole capability. Installing adds its screens; uninstalling hides them and keeps every row
Feature	Space Manager, in Settings → Feature settings	A narrower switch inside a module. Inert while its parent module is off

Every module

“Default” means the module is on in a makerspace created without choosing any modules. The guided installer turns on more than this; see Setup areas.

Inventory (always on)

Module	Default	What it adds
`public_inventory`	Core	The public catalogue and item pages at `/m/<slug>`
`request_workflow`	Core	Borrow requests, the staff review queue and the loan state machine
`staff_admin`	Core	The staff console’s inventory and request administration, and the audit explorer
`evidence_uploads`	Core	Issue and return photos, immutable once attached
`qr_management`	Core	Generating, revoking and printing QR codes
`scanner`	Core	The camera scanner and container lookup
`asset_units`	Off	Individually QR-tracked units (“drill #3”), selectable at issue time
`containers`	Off	The container hierarchy (boxes inside shelves inside rooms) and moves
`bulk_import`	Off	Spreadsheet import: upload, map columns, preview, apply
`stock_transfers`	Off	Moving stock between locations, including between makerspaces
`qr_print_batches`	Off	Batches of QR labels downloadable as a ZIP
`guest_handover`	Off	The narrow front-desk handover console and direct handouts at the counter
`procurement`	Off	The “to buy” list, receipts and moving purchases into stock

Other areas

Area	Module	Default	What it adds	Requires
Stocktake	`stocktake`	Off	Scan-first stock counts, variance review and ledger adjustments
Machines	`machines`	Off	The machine registry: operators, usage, documents, consumables, warranty
Machines	`machine_service`	Off	The service/job queue: requests, uploads, consumption and usage records
Machines	`printing`	Off	3D printing intake and the printer view of the queue	`machine_service`
Machines	`maintenance`	Off	Preventive maintenance schedules and immutable maintenance logs	`machines`
Events	`events`	Off	Events and series, registration, check-in, feedback, certificates, badges
Bookings	`bookings`	Off	Bookable spaces and public self-booking
Membership	`membership`	Off	Join requests, waivers, referrals, plans, maker profiles, directory, member cards
Membership	`member_accounts`	Off	Member self sign-up and member sign-in (password, Google, Apple, phone)
Notifications	`notifications`	Off	The in-app notification inbox
Notifications	`email`	Off	Outbound email for this makerspace
Notifications	`telegram`	Off	Telegram group alerts (outbound only)
Notifications	`slack`	Off	Slack incoming-webhook alerts
Notifications	`mattermost`	Off	Mattermost incoming-webhook alerts
Notifications	`discord`	Off	Discord incoming-webhook alerts
Notifications	`webhook`	Off	Signed JSON webhooks to your own systems
Reports	`reports`	Off	Analytics, the report catalogue, CSV/XLSX exports and scheduled reports
Payments	`payments`	Off	Online card payment through Stripe or Razorpay
Mobile apps	`mobile`	Off	Device sessions for the native apps, native push and the in-app payment sheet	`member_accounts`
Backup & custody	`backup`	On	Makerspace archive requests and downloads, archive-recipient keys, custody status
Connected devices	`devices`	Off	Printers and label printers enrolled with their own signing key

Installing a module also installs what it requires. A module that another installed module depends on cannot be uninstalled until the dependant goes first.

Notes on a few modules

membership decides who may borrow. With it on, only active members can submit borrow requests. With it off, anyone with an account can, or (if you opt in) people with no account at all.
membership does not require member_accounts. People can come from your own identity provider or from walk-in records staff create at the counter.
Bookings and events do not require membership. They accept signed-in accounts; an existing membership still has to be active with a current waiver.
payments is only the online rail. Money owed (deposits, late fees, booking and event prices, machine jobs, dues) is recorded and can be settled in person without it. See Payments.
Each notification channel is its own module. Installing one never makes it start sending: you still add the credential and choose which alerts it carries. Uninstalling stops delivery but keeps the stored credential.
Staff sign-in is never gated. Turning off member_accounts removes member sign-up and member sign-in methods, not staff logins.
backup covers the makerspace-facing half only. Deployment backups cover every makerspace whether or not it is on.

Setup areas

The installer does not ask about 34 modules. It asks yes or no about eight areas, each a bundle of modules and features.

Area (`--areas` key)	Default	Modules
Inventory & lending (`inventory`)	Yes	Core six, plus `guest_handover`, `asset_units`, `containers`, `bulk_import`, `stock_transfers`, `qr_print_batches`, `procurement`, `stocktake`, `devices`
Machines (`machines`)	Yes	`machines`, `machine_service`, `printing`, `maintenance`
Events (`events`)	No	`events`
Bookings (`bookings`)	No	`bookings`
Membership (`membership`)	No	`membership`, `mobile`
Online payments (`payments`)	No	`payments`
Reports (`reports`)	Yes	`reports`
Chat alerts (`chat`)	No	`telegram`, `slack`, `mattermost`, `discord`, `webhook`

Always on, whatever you answer: the six core modules, backup, notifications, email and member_accounts, plus charge tracking, receipt documents, payment reminders, staff invitations and the advisory presence geofence.

Saying yes to an area also switches on the features inside it that your selected modules support. Saying no to Inventory & lending keeps the core modules (they cannot be removed) but turns off the Hardware loans feature, which hides the catalogue, borrowing and loan consoles without touching any loan data. The setup questions are described in Setup questions.

To change areas later, rerun the installer and choose the module menu, or run the updater from the install directory:

bash scripts/update.sh --modules-only --makerspace my-space

Add --areas=inventory,machines to select an exact set, --all-makerspaces to apply to every makerspace, and --confirm-removals to accept unticked areas without a prompt. The menu shows each area as on, partial or off, and only asks follow-up questions for newly enabled areas. Unticking an area uninstalls its optional modules and keeps their data.

Common features

Features are switched by a Space Manager in Settings → Feature settings. A few you are likely to look for:

Feature	Inside	Default	What it does
Hardware loans (`loans.enabled`)	`staff_admin`	On	Shows the loan catalogue, borrowing and staff loan consoles
Self checkout (`inventory.self_checkout`)	Standalone	On	Member QR self-checkout and staff direct handouts
Kiosk (`inventory.kiosk`)	Standalone	Off	Scanner and handover kiosk stations
Loan renewals (`loans.renewals`)	`request_workflow`	Off	Policy-bound loan extensions
Borrow limits (`loans.limits`)	`request_workflow`	Off	Caps on active loans and outstanding items
Kit checklists (`loans.kit_checklist`)	`containers`	Off	Count kit components at issue and return
Track money owed (`charges.enabled`)	Standalone	On	Master switch for recording charges
Certification gating (`machines.certifications`)	`machines`	Off	Members need a current certification for a machine type
Offline & station check-in (`events.offline_checkin`)	`events`	Off	Offline event roster and PIN check-in stations
Space packs (`packs.import`)	`staff_admin`	Off	Export and import configuration packs
Require MFA for staff (`security.staff_mfa_required`)	Standalone	Off	Staff with actions here must use an authenticator app

The guided installer switches on most features of the areas you pick, so a makerspace set up that way may differ from these defaults.

Install, uninstall and purge

In the console, a superadmin opens Admin → Modules, expands an area and installs or uninstalls a module. Core modules show as always on, and modules this deployment does not ship are marked.

From the command line, run these from your install directory:

docker compose run --rm --no-deps backend --role management python manage.py list_modules
docker compose run --rm --no-deps backend --role management python manage.py install_module bookings --makerspace my-space
docker compose run --rm --no-deps backend --role management python manage.py uninstall_module bookings --makerspace my-space

--makerspace can be left out when the deployment has only one makerspace.

Uninstalling only hides. The API refuses the module’s endpoints and the console stops showing its screens, but every row, upload and history entry stays. Reinstalling brings it all back.

Purging deletes, and is deliberately a separate second step:

docker compose run --rm --no-deps backend --role management python manage.py purge_module_data --list
docker compose run --rm --no-deps backend --role management python manage.py purge_module_data bookings --makerspace my-space

A deployment that will never use an area can also drop that code entirely with the TOMBSTONED_APPS setting; the suggest_tombstones command names the apps that are safe to remove. That is an operator decision; see Environment variables.

Editions

An edition says what a whole deployment is for. It is set once per deployment with SPACEWORKS_EDITION, not per makerspace.

Edition	What it hides	Public home
`makerspace` (default)	Nothing	The catalogue
`events`	Every lending, inventory and machine module, plus `bookings`	The events page
`bookings`	Every lending, inventory and machine module, plus `events`	The bookings page
`organization`	Nothing; one makerspace is presented as “the organization”	The catalogue

An edition only hides public screens (their routes answer “not found”). It deletes nothing, and staff screens keep working so no data becomes unreachable. The installer picks the events or bookings edition only when that is the single primary area you choose.

Space packs

A space pack copies a makerspace’s configuration (not its data) so you can reuse it for another space. Turn on the Space packs feature, then use the Space packs panel in Admin → Settings.

Export downloads a JSON pack: enabled modules and features, settings, opening hours, custom roles, loan policy, membership plans and admission settings, the current waiver text, booking rules, notification defaults, email and chat templates, categories and item templates.
Import always previews first, listing every change. Applying it adds or updates entries and never deletes anything already there. New catalogue items start with zero stock.
Packs never carry members, loans, bookings, stock counts, QR codes, credentials, or anything that identifies a person.

A superadmin can save a pack as a named install profile and apply it when creating a new makerspace. Only a superadmin can change the module set through a pack.