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file manager improvements [message #18102] Sat, 08 May 2004 07:02 Go to next message
lahoo is currently offline  lahoo   Sweden
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This message is primarily intended for the developers but I would be glad if you, fellow user, would share your thoughts as well.

Managing forum files (themes, templates, translations, etc.) when running FUD under safe_mode is really inconvenient since I'm forced to use the iuilt-in file manager.

What are the plans for improving the file manager?

My WSP uses H-sphere for their product offering and control panel. H-sphere has a really nice web-based file manager. Unfortunatly I cannot use it to manage the directory where FUD is installed due to httpd ownership of all files and directories.

So, what I'd really like to see in the FUD file manager is:
  • Download action for directories. Downloading a directory should put all the contents of that directory structure into an archive (.zip/.tar.gz/whatever) and send the archive file to the client.
  • Archive file upload. Analogous with downloading whole directories. When the archive has been uploaded the user shall see a side-by-side comparison of the current contents on the server and that in the archive. Only parts (files/directories) of the archive contents selected will be overwritten. A diff function for files would be nice to have here.
  • View action on files. For all files other than images send the contents as text/plain.
  • Edit action for non-binary files. It would be of great convenience if given the possibility to edit the contents of a file by displaying it in a big <textarea> and then quickly posting it back.
  • Diff - when diff is chosen for a text file the user shall be prompted for a file to upload and the result shall be a diff of the two files.
  • Patch - when patch is chosen for a text file the user shall be prompted for a file to upload and the result shall be a preview of the patch file applied to the current file. Accepting this pacth result shall replace the file chosen.
  • Easier replaceing of files. If I want to replace a file today I, at the top of the page, have to select which file to upload and what name it shall have once uploaded. It would be way much more convenient to also have a action "replace" for files. The user wanting to replace a file woud then locate the file in the list, click replace, get to a file uplad page and there select the file to upload. This behaviour is way more intuitive and user friendly than what's possible today. Maybe it would be nice to have a side-by-side preview and/or diff output prior to accepting the new file to replace the current one.


Please give me feedback on what you think of these suggestions.

The directory/archive download/upload feature would be really nice since it would allow safe_mode users to back up and restore all the forum files.

Maybe there's such file managers available under GPL out there. If so it would not require too much develompement efforts.

For another example containing some of the functionality above see http://webftp.php.maxg.info/

[Updated on: Sat, 08 May 2004 07:42]

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Re: file manager improvements [message #18105 is a reply to message #18102] Sat, 08 May 2004 17:06 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Ilia is currently offline  Ilia   Canada
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Not interested. This is a forum not a file manager, the file manager is primarily avaliable for occasional maintenance.

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Re: file manager improvements [message #18106 is a reply to message #18105] Sun, 09 May 2004 07:59 Go to previous messageGo to next message
lahoo is currently offline  lahoo   Sweden
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I'm sorry to hear those words from you.

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't you previously state that the file manager part of FUD forum is the (only) way we safe-moders have to perform changes?

Due to the limitations in the current file manager I'm getting reluctant to build a template-set of my own.

I'm quite aware that some of the items in my wish-list are labour intensige but some of them aren't.

Would any of the following set of basic changes require an intensive effort to accomplish? From my own experience of developing enterprise web solutions I think they should be quite easy to perform.
  1. Download action for directories. Downloading a directory should put all the contents of that directory structure into an archive (.zip/.tar.gz/whatever) and send the archive file to the client.
  2. View action on files. For all files other than images send the contents as text/plain.
  3. Edit action for non-binary files. It would be of great convenience if given the possibility to edit the contents of a file by displaying it in a big <textarea> and then quickly posting it back.
  4. Easier replaceing of files. It would be way much more convenient to have a action "replace" for files. The user wanting to replace a file would then locate the file in the list, click replace, get to a file uplad page and there select the file to upload. This behaviour is way more intuitive and user friendly than what's possible today.


So, please, please.

If I supplied you with the code for a file manager with additional features would it then be possible to have it included in FUD?
Re: file manager improvements [message #18110 is a reply to message #18106] Sun, 09 May 2004 17:12 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Ilia is currently offline  Ilia   Canada
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File Manager is a convenient tool for people restricted by safe_mode, but it is certainly not the only means to edit files. You can unlock the forum files and edit them via a regular FTP client or you could edit them with another PHP script.

As far as editing templates you already have a web template editor to do that.

That said you are welcomneophytese to submit patches Smile


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Re: file manager improvements [message #18133 is a reply to message #18110] Mon, 10 May 2004 21:21 Go to previous messageGo to next message
lahoo is currently offline  lahoo   Sweden
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Citat:

File Manager is a convenient tool for people restricted by safe_mode, but it is certainly not the only means to edit files. You can unlock the forum files and edit them via a regular FTP client or you could edit them with another PHP script.


Just out of couriosiry I wonder about the following scenario.
Assume that I've found a bug and wish to apply a patch to it. I then unlock the forum files and, via a FTP-tool, upload a patched version. This new file might then have ownership set to myuser:mygroup and not httpd:httpd. A while later you release a script to upgrade the forum to a new version. Isn't there then the risque that the upgrade script will get into trouble when trying to overwrite a file that httpd:httod isn't the owner of?

Some other scenarios exists but they're quite similar so I won't mention them.

No, I've not tried what actually happens since I'm not willing to screw everything up another time.

What's your verdict as an expert?
Re: file manager improvements [message #18135 is a reply to message #18133] Mon, 10 May 2004 21:30 Go to previous message
Ilia is currently offline  Ilia   Canada
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Ftp client should not replace the file but rather overwrite it, this will keep the ownership of the file unchanged. If you do not have such an FTP client then use the forum's file manager.

Your forum should not have any files (related to the forum) in it's directories not owned by httpd:httpd, since all of forum's files are created by the forum itself.


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