Skip to main content

File Browser

Web-based file management interface for uploading, downloading, and managing files with user access control and sharing capabilities.

File Management Interface

Video [IBRACORP Video Tutorial - Coming Soon]

Useful Links

Related Videos

  • Web File Management
  • User Access Control
  • File Sharing Solutions
Disclaimer

Thank you for choosing to collaborate with IBRACORP 🙏

Please read our disclaimer https://docs.ibracorp.io/disclaimer

Credits​

RoleContributor
Writer / ProducerSycotix
Video Recording and VoiceSycotix
ContributorNorth
Testing / ProofreadingHawks, DiscDuck

Feature List​

Comprehensive File Management

  • Web-Based Interface - Access files from any browser
  • File Operations - Upload, download, rename, delete, move
  • Directory Management - Create, organize, and navigate folders
  • File Preview - View images, videos, and documents
  • Text Editor - Edit text files directly in browser
  • User Management - Multi-user support with permissions
  • File Sharing - Create temporary download links
  • Search Functionality - Find files and folders quickly
  • Bulk Operations - Select and manage multiple files
  • Mobile Responsive - Works on phones and tablets
  • Custom Branding - Customize appearance and logo
  • Plugin Support - Extend functionality with addons

Installation​

Unraid Installation​

Community Applications Method

  1. Navigate to Apps: Go to Community Applications in Unraid
  2. Search: Type "File Browser"
  3. Install: Select File Browser from available templates
  4. Configure Settings: 
    Container Name: filebrowser
    Network Type: Bridge (or custom network)
    WebUI Port: 8080 (change if needed)
    Root Directory: /mnt/user (or specific path)
    Database Path: /config/filebrowser.db
  5. Apply: Click Apply and wait for container to start
  6. Access WebUI: Click WebUI button in Docker tab

Docker Installation​

Docker Run Command

docker run -d \
  --name=filebrowser \
  -p 8080:80 \
  -v /path/to/files:/srv:rw \
  -v /path/to/database:/database \
  -v /path/to/config:/config \
  -e PUID=1000 \
  -e PGID=1000 \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  filebrowser/filebrowser:s6

Docker Compose​

Complete Configuration

version: '3.8'

services:
  filebrowser:
    image: filebrowser/filebrowser:s6
    container_name: filebrowser
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "8080:80"
    volumes:
      - /mnt/user:/srv:rw
      - ./filebrowser/database:/database
      - ./filebrowser/config:/config
    environment:
      - PUID=1000
      - PGID=1000
      - TZ=America/New_York
    labels:
      - "traefik.enable=true"
      - "traefik.http.routers.filebrowser.rule=Host(`files.yourdomain.com`)"
      - "traefik.http.routers.filebrowser.entrypoints=https"
      - "traefik.http.routers.filebrowser.tls=true"
      - "traefik.http.services.filebrowser.loadbalancer.server.port=80"
    networks:
      - web

networks:
  web:
    external: true

Initial Setup​

First Login​

Default Credentials

Username: admin
Password: admin

⚠️ Important: Change default password immediately after first login!

Basic Configuration​

Initial Setup Steps

  1. Access Interface: Navigate to http://your-server-ip:8080
  2. Login: Use default credentials
  3. Change Password:
    • Click profile icon (top right)
    • Select "Settings"
    • Update password under "Change Password"
  4. Configure Settings: Adjust interface preferences

User Management​

Create Users​

Add New Users

  1. Access Users: Click "Settings" → "Users"
  2. Add User: Click "New" button
  3. User Configuration: 
    Username: john_doe
    Password: secure_password
    Scope: /srv/john (user's directory)
    Locale: en
    Role: User or Admin
  4. Permissions: Set file and admin permissions
  5. Save: Create the user account

User Permissions​

Permission Settings

File Permissions:
- Create: Allow file/folder creation
- Read: Allow file viewing and downloading
- Update: Allow file modification
- Delete: Allow file/folder deletion
- Share: Allow creating share links
- Download: Allow file downloads

Admin Permissions:
- Admin: Full administrative access
- Execute: Run executable files
- Modify: Change file permissions

User Roles​

Role-Based Access

Administrator:
- Full system access
- User management
- Global settings
- All file operations

Editor:
- File management within scope
- Limited settings access
- No user management

Viewer:
- Read-only access
- Download permissions
- No modification rights

File Operations​

Basic File Management​

Common Operations

Upload Files:
- Drag and drop files
- Click upload button
- Bulk upload support

Download Files:
- Single file download
- Multiple file selection
- Folder download as ZIP

File Actions:
- Rename: F2 or right-click
- Delete: Delete key or right-click
- Move: Drag and drop
- Copy: Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V

File Editing​

Built-in Editor

  1. Open File: Click on text file
  2. Edit Mode: Click "Edit" button
  3. Supported Formats: 
    Text Files: .txt, .md, .json, .xml
    Configuration: .conf, .ini, .yaml, .yml
    Code Files: .js, .py, .html, .css
  4. Save Changes: Ctrl+S or click Save

File Preview​

Preview Support

Images: JPG, PNG, GIF, SVG, WebP
Videos: MP4, WebM, OGG
Audio: MP3, WAV, OGG
Documents: PDF (basic viewer)
Text: All text-based files

Sharing Features​

Create Shares​

Temporary File Sharing

  1. Select File: Right-click on file/folder
  2. Share: Click "Share" option
  3. Configure Share: 
    Expires: Set expiration time
    Password: Optional password protection
    Allow editing: Permit modifications
  4. Generate Link: Copy shareable URL

Share Management​

Share Settings

Expiration Options:
- 1 hour
- 1 day
- 1 week
- 1 month
- Custom duration
- Never expire

Security Options:
- Password protection
- Download limit
- IP restriction
- Access logging

QR Code Sharing​

Mobile Access

  1. Create Share: Generate share link
  2. QR Code: Automatically generated
  3. Mobile Scan: Use phone camera to scan
  4. Instant Access: Direct file download

Customization​

Branding​

Custom Appearance

  1. Settings: Access global settings
  2. Branding: Configure custom branding
  3. Options: 
    Instance Name: Your Organization
    Logo: Upload custom logo
    Theme: Light or Dark mode
    Color Scheme: Custom colors

Interface Settings​

User Interface

Language: Multiple language support
Date Format: Customize date display
File View: List or grid view
Hidden Files: Show/hide dot files
Default Sort: Name, date, size

Advanced Configuration​

Custom Settings​

Configuration File

{
  "port": 80,
  "baseURL": "",
  "address": "",
  "log": "stdout",
  "database": "/database/filebrowser.db",
  "root": "/srv",
  "noauth": false,
  "signup": false,
  "commands": {
    "after_upload": ["echo", "File uploaded"],
    "before_delete": ["echo", "Deleting file"]
  }
}

Command Hooks​

Automated Actions

# Example: Auto-scan media after upload
after_upload:
  - /scripts/scan_media.sh
  - notify-send "File uploaded"

# Example: Backup before delete
before_delete:
  - /scripts/backup_file.sh
  - echo "File backed up"

Reverse Proxy Setup​

Nginx Configuration

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name files.yourdomain.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:8080;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;

        # File upload size limit
        client_max_body_size 500M;
    }
}

Security​

Access Control​

Security Best Practices

Strong Passwords:
- Enforce password complexity
- Regular password changes
- Unique passwords per user

Network Security:
- Use HTTPS with SSL certificates
- Restrict network access
- VPN access for external users

File Permissions:
- Principle of least privilege
- Regular permission audits
- Scope users to specific directories

SSL/TLS Setup​

HTTPS Configuration

# Docker Compose with Traefik
labels:
  - "traefik.enable=true"
  - "traefik.http.routers.filebrowser.rule=Host(`files.yourdomain.com`)"
  - "traefik.http.routers.filebrowser.tls=true"
  - "traefik.http.routers.filebrowser.tls.certresolver=letsencrypt"

Troubleshooting​

Common Issues​

Permission Problems

# Fix file permissions
sudo chown -R 1000:1000 /path/to/files
sudo chmod -R 755 /path/to/files

# Fix database permissions
sudo chown -R 1000:1000 /path/to/database

Upload Issues

  1. File Size Limits: Check container memory limits
  2. Disk Space: Verify available storage
  3. Network Timeout: Adjust proxy timeout settings

Database Issues

# Reset database (loses users and settings)
rm /path/to/database/filebrowser.db

# Backup database
cp /path/to/database/filebrowser.db /backup/location/

Best Practices​

Organization​

File Structure

/srv/
├── public/          # Shared files
├── users/           # User directories
│   ├── john/
│   ├── jane/
│   └── admin/
├── uploads/         # Temporary uploads
└── shared/          # Team folders

Backup Strategy​

Data Protection

#!/bin/bash
# Backup script
DATE=$(date +%Y%m%d)

# Backup database
cp /path/to/database/filebrowser.db /backup/filebrowser_${DATE}.db

# Backup configuration
tar -czf /backup/filebrowser_config_${DATE}.tar.gz /path/to/config/

Special Thanks​

  • File Browser Development Team for creating this excellent file management solution
  • Community Contributors for ongoing development and support
  • To our fantastic Discord community and our Admins DiscDuck and Hawks for their input and testing

Please support the developers and creators involved in this work to help show them some love. ❤️

Final Words​

We hope you enjoyed this guide. It was conceptualized, written, and implemented by our Admin Sycotix.

Support Us​

Our work sometimes takes months to research and develop.

If you want to help support us please consider:

Thank you for being part of our community!