Add File Manager / File Browser based on form.FileUpload

[stokito]

Luci needs for a file manager. The FileUpload CBI element allows to browse files and directories on a router, delete and upload. This already covers a basic needs. The only really missing features are:

• Download a file. Required.
• Edit right in a browser. Highly improves UX but not necessary. User can download, edit with a Notepad and upload.
• See and change permissions. Important.
• Copy\Move. Good to have.
• Compress, extract and browse archive. Often used.

So we can extend the FileUpload and add a "browser mode" when you don't select a file but just walking on directories. The PR is PoC of the idea: it adds a new menu item System / File Browser that opens a page with the FileUpload in a browser mode:

Here the directory listing was opened automatically and no Cancel or Select buttons.

It's ugly but just something that shows the idea (or even can be used today if you really need).

So my questions are:

• Would you accept a PR with a file browser?
• How do you feel about reuse of the FileUploader?

Some other existing solutions:

• https://github.com/giaulo/luci-app-filebrowser nice but based on Lua. Some redit discussion
• https://github.com/muink/luci-app-tinyfilemanager uses PHP
• https://github.com/helmiau/helmiwrt-packages/tree/main/luci-app-tinyfm for of the TinyFilemanager for HelmiWrt
• https://github.com/shidahuilang/openwrt-package/tree/Lede/luci-app-fileassistant also Lua based
• https://github.com/openwrt/luci/tree/openwrt-19.07/applications/luci-app-rosy-file-server was removed

CC @giaulo @muink @xiaozhuai @helmiau @ozon @stangri: You guys may be interested in the topic.

[stangri]

Looks good, I hope it gets implemented.

Tagging @jow- and @hnyman for feedback.

[hnyman]

I am not sure if I like OpenWrt/LuCI moving more toward functionality that is more typical to a full-scale desktop distro. I fear that it will add complexity and new error possibilities.

We already had a file browser "luci-app-rosy-file-server" a few years ago (more like a download site ), but the author disappeared rather soon and the app was left unmaintained. (And it initially had some security flaws.) That app was dropped a few years later.

The basic functionality might be ok, but when you start talking about moving files, compress archives and "browse archive contents", we are soon in a feature swamp, taking into account the various FS types and archive formats possibly in use.

I like the current situation, where LuCI is used for user-friendly high-level config, but if you need to manipulate individual files etc. tasks, you need to familiarize yourself with the SSH console and cmdline in general.

[stokito]

I agree with your concerns. Still many packages doesn't have a Luci app or is not merged yet like luci-app-sshtunnel, luci-app-tor ;) So having the ability to easily edit/upload configs will significantly reduce load on Luci team because users will be able to make many things themselves. Any video tutorial of HomeAssistant contains editing config files right in browser.

The Rosy File server may be just one bad example because it become unsupported. If the File Browser will be part of Luci itself that would be much better but this is an additional load to the team.

[hnyman]

If the File Browser will be part of Luci itself that would be much better but this is an additional load to the team.

Just be realistic: there is not much "LuCI team". Jow is the main guru, feckert has updated a lot, systemcrash recently something, polynomialdivision something, I have taken care of some apps and some general maintenance, but there is no large "LuCI team". There are then several active app maintainers like dibdot, who take care of their own apps. But for the "general LuCI functionality", Jow is (and has been) pretty much alone, especially regarding the more demanding tasks.

Thatswhy I am sceptical about introducing apps with complex functionality reaching to file permission changes, file moves, archive browsing, compression etc. Taking into account the diversity of the OpenWrt device/FS universe, the scope quickly grows pretty complex.

If a file browser is authored by you, the expectation is that you will take care of it for a few years. Hit-and-run introductions of new apps where the original author quickly loses interest, have gone pretty badly in history.

[muink]

Tiny File Manager meet most of your requirements, and only depends on php. You can introduce this package in openwrt/packages and maintain it as maintainer. So that it does not introduce complexity to existing systems and easy to maintain (Ignoring CDN issues even works out of the box). And can also be installed via the software center in a brand new OpenWrt device. @stokito

[muink]

Several other web file managers: @stokito https://github.com/filebrowser/filebrowser https://github.com/filegator/filegator https://github.com/cubiclesoft/php-filemanager

[stokito]

Ok, so even in the current state the simple file browsing will make life easier. I'll remove the separate module and make it just built-in into mod-system. I'll get back later to this and will try to implement features like download. I'm pretty sure that we can do that without significant increasing of complexity and size.

But if anyone interested you can go ahead yourself or call me and we can work together.

@muink thank you, the PHP is too big for most routers. But I fill take inspiration from file managers listed here. For sure I can at least grab translations :)

[shodanx2]

luci-app-tinyfilemanager looks great, but it's too difficult to install and if I did install it, I might have run out of space

But that would have been it, file manager, file editor and a proper terminal would grow openwrt's usability by leaps and bound.

[stokito]

I updated the PR and it's not draft anymore but a ready to merge thing. So please review it.

• New page System / File Browser that internally just uses the FileUpload
• To the FileUpload UI element added a browser mode that opens automatically the directory listing and doesn't close it when clicking on a file.
• Added a new Download button.

The button is hidden by default so existing file selectors won't be affected.

The main problem in the code remains this code:

if (this.options.browser) {
	setTimeout(function() {
			btnOpenFileBrowser.click();
		}, 1000
	);
}

Here I tried to click on the "Select file" button to open the directory listing automatically. I don't know how to do that in a nice way because the render function is called before the page initialization.

This is a most minimal and safe to merge changes without breaking existing UI pattern.

But ideally we need to change layout and move the Delete and Download button to a bottom toolbar. Same should be done for Select/Deselect and buttons. Then a user should select a folder or a file(s) and perform an operation. Something like this:

It looks ugly but just to get an idea.

This is a bigger redesign and we can make it later and test more carefully.

But this PR should be safe to merge and we can make the Luci better just today.

[rdragonrydr]

How do I help test this? I'm not sure I have the expertise to make code changes but I can try it out - this is in Snapshots branch?

This is something I've been looking for from OpenWRT for a long time, the ability to have a file browser (with upload/download) with minimal if any dependencies (my devices are small) so I can more easily use it as a network file backup or host media for sharing with DLNA.

I would love if I could set a default directory that the browser opens to each time, but what you have seems good enough (even if I look forward to the UI improvements).

Edit for more details: Apparently, installing Samba takes up ~8mb on 23.05, so this leaves me with about 0.7mb left out of my 16mb device! Meanwhile, installing a different web file manager requires PHP and usually SQL, and it needs separate password/user setup too, if you can even find one that is easily installed in such an unusual and constrained environment. I would expect a built-in manager to take merely a few hundred K on the other hand.

[stokito]

Sorry, if you wish to test it then you have to install a snapshot version and copy the files that I changed. This is better to make in VM e.g. VirtualBox. Basically the PR now adds only a Download button and a separate page with the FileUpload control.

If you just want to see how it looks you can open Network/Firewall/IP Sets then click on Add and click on Include File: Select file…. Then you'll see the exactly same file chooser dialog but without a Download button.

[shodanx2]

I look forward to try that on my openwrt running router running stable branch. Please post here how to accomplish when it becomes possible.

I think for the openwrt's most regular challenges, the following abilities are most important.

Upload a file to a place open a text file, read it and search it Open a text file, edit it and save it

Hopefully, this lowers the bar for the users which cannot cross the putty/winscp barriers

[stokito]

I managed to get rid off the setTimeout() to click on the Select button to open the file browser. The UIElement doesn't have a dedicated stage "after render" so I had to add a then() to a render promise. https://github.com/openwrt/luci/blob/5d2d52802229608d65ec973a1984194b8baa60fa/modules/luci-base/htdocs/luci-static/resources/ui.js#L2702

I think it would be better to introduce such method. Also load would be nice to add because now the file browser get a list of a directory fs.stat() in the render function https://github.com/openwrt/luci/blob/5d2d52802229608d65ec973a1984194b8baa60fa/modules/luci-base/htdocs/luci-static/resources/ui.js#L2671

Anyway, please merge the PR. Even the basic file browser can solve many problems for users not familiar (yet) with SSH and SCP/SFTP

[systemcrash]

OK - since other senior members are AWOL on this change-set, and it looks OK, I'll merge this soon.

Can this get picked for 22 and 23?

[jow-]

• You need to disable page actions (Reset, Save, Save Apply) on this page
• You also need to mark the JSON Map as readonly if there's insufficient ACLs (only read scope)

I am also not happy at all with having this by default, it will grant full write access to any file on the system for the ui user.

And no, please don't pick such a big feature addition + ui rework + permission relaxation into the stable branches, at least not as integral part of luci-mod-system.

Maybe it is better to introduce it as application.

[systemcrash]

@jow-

Maybe it is better to introduce it as application.

Does app segregation mean it can be handled by acl permissions?

[jow-]

It means it will not be installed by default and/or it is possible to have builds without it.

[stokito]

You need to disable page actions

Thank you, fixed and added to the filebrowser view:

	handleSave: null,
	handleSaveApply: null,
	handleReset: null

Force pushed.

mark the JSON Map as readonly

I made the form m.readonly = true but the FileUpload element looks like this:

it will grant full write access to any file for the ui user.

I fully removed the read access in the acl. With luci-app-acl I created a user with global permission readonly. In the mode the file browser is not even shown in menu.

Maybe it is better to introduce it as application.

It's small for now and should be nice to have out of the box.

[rdragonrydr]

My two cents is that I'd be fine with this as an application. I don't, personally, need this on a bridge or a router with tiny space, but if I'm building something with external storage or media it would be a must.

I'm not sure I'm following the permissions discussion, though. It's clearly important, but for an end user like myself, under what modes of operation is it read-only? Do I have to enable it to be editable or is it possible to lock it down and it's default writable?

[stokito]

Check luci-app-acl. It allows to create a read only user

[shodanx2]

I am excited to try this out !

How much space does it take and can you read a text file in the interface without downloading it ?

As I wrote in this thread https://forum.openwrt.org/t/adding-a-file-browser-file-text-editor-and-tty-command-shell-for-luci-openwrt/138930

File manager, along with a text editor and console, in luci will remove a major roadblock for new openwrt user to access the complex functions not available in the web interface.

[stokito]

Sorry for pushing, but can we merge it?

[jow-]

Not as part of luci-mod-system.

[stokito]

Ok, now this is a separate app. Made a force push. If anything needs to be changed please let me know.

[jow-]

Thanks for taking care of separating it. The only minor thing I see is that the ACL group name should be changed from "luci-mod-system-filebrowser" to "luci-app-filebrowser". Otherwise LGTM.

[stokito]

fixed, force pushed

[jow-]

Thanks, merged!

[stokito]

Thank you! Later I'll back to this and will try to change a design and add editing.

[stangri]

@stokito do you want to create a cherry-pick PR for release?

[stokito]

base files were changed (ui.js, form.js), so we can't cherry pick potentially breaking changes