Merge pull request #1053 from TOMToolkit/633-explain-the-role-of-the-…

…anonymous-user

update docs with a brief description of AnonymousUser

docs/common/customsettings.rst

@@ -86,6 +86,8 @@ documentation on `Adding Custom Fields to
 Targets </targets/target_fields>`__ for an explanation of how to use
 this feature.
 
+.. _custom_facility_settings:
+
 `FACILITIES <#facilities>`__
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

docs/common/permissions.rst

@@ -2,14 +2,28 @@ The Permissions System
 ======================
 
 The permissions system is built on top of
-`django-guardian <https://django-guardian.readthedocs.io/en/stable/>`_. It has been
+`django-guardian <https://django-guardian.readthedocs.io/en/stable/>`__. It has been
 kept as simple as possible, but TOM developers may extend the capabilities if
 needed.
 
 The TOM Toolkit provides a permissions system that can be used in two different modes. The mode is controlled by the
 ``TARGET_PERMISSIONS_ONLY`` boolean in ``settings.py``.
 
 
+`AnonymousUser`
+---------------
+
+When you first establish your TOM, ``django-guardian`` will create an ``AnonymousUser`` as the default user for the
+TOM. ``AnonymousUser`` is a special user that is used to represent users who are not logged in and only has permission
+to see targets that are associated with the ``public`` group by default. This user is important for establishing what
+permissions are available to users who are not logged in and should not be removed. You can modify the permissions of
+``AnonymousUser`` by using the Django admin interface or the methods described below.
+
+*Note:* This ``AnonymousUser`` is not the same as the ``AnonymousUser`` object that is part of
+`Django's authentication system. <https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/5.1/ref/contrib/auth/#anonymoususer-object>`__
+
+
+
 First Mode -- Permissions on Targets and Observation Records
 ------------------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -25,18 +39,13 @@ button found at the top of the groups table:
 
 .. image:: /_static/permissions_doc/addgroup.png
 
-![](/_static/permissions_doc/addgroup.png)
-
 Modifying a group will allow you to change it's name and add/remove users.
 
 When a user adds or modifies a target, they are able to choose the groups to
 assign to the target:
 
 .. image:: /_static/permissions_doc/targetgroups.png
 
-![](/_static/permissions_doc/targetgroups.png)
-
-
 By default the target will be assigned to all groups the user belongs to.
 
 There is a special group, "Public". By default, all users belong to the Public

docs/introduction/faqs.rst

@@ -40,8 +40,8 @@ I try to observe a target with LCO but get an error.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 You might not have added your LCO api key to your settings file under
-the ``FACILITIES`` settings. See :doc:`Custom
-Settings </common/customsettings#facilities>` for more
+the ``FACILITIES`` settings. See :ref:`Custom
+Settings <custom_facility_settings>` for more
 details.
 
 How do I create a super user (PI)?
@@ -103,12 +103,15 @@ This will make the contents of ``newpage.html`` available under the path
 Who is AnonymousUser?
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
-AnonymousUser is a special profile that django-guardian, our permissions
+`AnonymousUser` is a special profile that django-guardian, our permissions
 library, creates automatically. AnonymousUser represents an
 unauthenticated user. The user has no first name, last name, or
 password, and allows unauthenticated users to view unprotected pages
-within your TOM. You can choose to delete the user if you don’t want any
-pages to be visible without logging in.
+within your TOM. Do not delete this user, as then an unauthorized user will not
+have access to the login page.
+
+*Note:* This ``AnonymousUser`` is not the same as the ``AnonymousUser`` object that is part of
+`Django's authentication system. <https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/5.1/ref/contrib/auth/#anonymoususer-object>`_
 
 How can I display an error message when authentication to an external facility fails?
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~