Remote Files Server Edition 2.4 and My Remote Files 2.4 got the following new features:
- upload from online servers (http and ftp)
- inline comments to any file in the directory listing
- simplified web interface (Remote Files SE 2.4 only)
Upload from online http and ftp servers
Remote Files SE and My Remote Files can upload files from any external http or ftp server by remote user request. This option is configurable and is switched off by default.
To allow a remote user uploading files from external server, check ‘allow upload from online’ in the account settings (‘Create new account’ or ‘Modify account’ windows in the administration module, or corresponding pages in remote administration web interface). This checkbox works together with ‘enable upload’ option. If ‘enable upload’ checkbox is not checked, upload is not permitted at all. If ‘enable upload’ is checked, but ‘allow upload from online’ is not, then remote user can upload files from his/her local computer only.
If both ‘enable upload’ and ‘allow upload from online’ are checked, remote user can type URL of any file on external http and ftp server to the corresponding field in the ‘Upload’ window. If file exists, the program will download and save it. ‘Overwrite duplicated files’ or ‘save duplicated files with new names’ options are supported.
When download starts, uploading file appears in the directory listing page. Unlike upload from local computer, the server shows the file in directory listing even while it is loading. User can control upload progress by refreshing directory listing until file size stops increasing for a some period of time. During upload the server blocks any attempt to delete this file.
One remote user can start any number of online uploads. Several users may start uploads at the same moment. Files are loaded simultaneously and available bandwidth is divided between tasks equally. This is not a problem for http, but may be such if a user starts simultaneous uploads from one ftp server that does not allow several active sessions from one IP address.
Both products supports ftp or http authorization. They can take account information from file URL as follows:
ftp://username:userpassword@ftpserver.com/path/filename
or http://username:userpassword@httpserver.com/path/filename
How to add an inline comment to a file
Remote Files SE and My Remote Files can show inline comment to any file in the directory listing page. A comment appears as a specially formatted string under a file name in the file name column. Comments can be shown in both simplified (Remote Files SE only) and extended (both products) web interface. Any file may have its own comment, or may be no such comments at all.
The server takes the comment from a special file with rdf extension. Its name must be the name and extension of the file, you want to add comment to. For example, if you want to add comment to file ‘file.txt’, you should create a file ‘file.txt.rdf’ and save text to it. Files with rdf extension are not displayed in directory listing.
Content of comment file may be any text. If you use simple text, then the server displays it with 20px indent with default style4 that is defined in the heading of listing.htm page. If you use any html formatting, then the server places this text without changes to corresponding table cell.
Simplified web interface (Remote Files SE only)
Remote Files SE can display simplified or extended web interface for remote user depending on one’s account settings. Extended interface is default and provides access to all online commands of the server (that are allowed for a user). Simplified web interface is turned on by ‘use simplified web interface’ checkbox on the ‘Create new account’ or ‘Modify account’ windows (or corresponding pages in remote administration web interface).
The server does not display ‘New folder’, ‘Search’, ‘Add bookmark’ and ‘Paste’ icons in the toolbar, bookmark and virtual archive sections in the left column and ‘More…’ links in the directory listing in the simplified web interface. Therefore it is optimized for download and upload operations only.
The server uses listing_simple.htm template to generate output in the simplified interface. You can further restrict functionality by deleting some icons like ‘Upload’ or ‘Upload and Unzip’, or deleting left column at all. From the other hand, it is possible to add some deleted by default commands like ‘Search’. This can be done by copying corresponding icons with links from extended template (listing.htm).
Note. The program does not display some commands mentioned above in the simplified web interface. But it does not block access to corresponding pages if remote user knows site organization and requests them manually from the address bar. Therefore, block any function that you do not allow doing for remote user in account settings even in the simplified web interface to be sure that one can not perform any unexpected operation directly from the address bar.
According to this note, you may configure account in the simplified web interface as follows:
| Make this account active |
Checked |
| Enable upload |
Checked |
| Enable download |
Checked |
| Enable creating subdirectories |
Not checked |
| Allow several simultaneous connections for this user |
As needed |
| Allow deleting files and folders |
Not checked |
| Enable duplicating account |
Not checked |
| Allow searching |
Not checked |
| Allow viewing user’s logs online |
Not checked |
| Inform Administrator about connection of this user |
As needed |
| Allow upload from online |
As needed |
| Use simplified web interface |
Checked |
