Knowledgebase

Overview

File Manager allows cPanel users to manage and edit their files.

When you open File Manager:

1. The File Manager Directory Selection window will appear. Select which of four main directories you wish to view in the file window when File Manager opens:
   • The home directory (home/user)
   • Web Root (public_html/www)
   • Public FTP Root (public_ftp)
   • Document Root (public_html)
2. If you wish to see hidden files, select the Show Hidden Files checkbox.
3. If you do not wish to see the File Manager Directory Selection window again, select the Skip this question checkbox.
4. Click Go.

The File Manager interface opens in a new browser window with the selected directory displayed in the file window.

The File Manager toolbar

The File Manager toolbar shows the following functions available to manage your files:

Feature	Icon	Description
New File		Creates a new file with a user-defined file extension.
New Folder		Creates a new folder in the current directory.
Copy		Copies selected items to a user-specified directory.
Move File		Allows you to move the selected files to a new directory.
Upload		Allows you to upload files to the selected directory.
Download		Downloads selected files to your computer.
Delete		Deletes selected files from the server.
Rename		Allows you to rename the selected file or folder.
Edit		Opens a text editor for the selected HTML or text files.
Code Editor		Opens a code editor for the selected HTML or PHP files.
HTML Editor		Opens the selected file in an editor specifically intended for HTML files.
Change Permissions		Allows you to change the read, write, and execute permissions for selected files.
View		Opens the selected file so that you can view the code.
Extract		Extracts the selected *.zip, *.Gz, or *.Bz2 archive and stores the files in a directory.
Compress		Compresses the selected files to a single *.zip, *.Gz, or *.Bz2 archive and stores the compressed file in a specified directory.

 Notes:

• When a toolbar action is not available, the function icon turns gray.
• Certain File Manager functions are designed for use with one file at a time. Select the desired file in the file window before you attempt these actions.
• Any attempt to rename, edit, or view multiple files at once will only affect the file listed first in the directory.
• The Extract and Compress functions will only work with the .zip format if Zip is installed on your server. Your system administrator can install the Zip moduleat the command line with the following command: yum install zip

Character encoding verification dialogs

When you edit a file with Edit, Code Editor, or HTML Editor, a window will appear to confirm the file's character encoding. Use the menu to select the correct character encoding for the file. Then, click Edit to continue.

• Click Toggle Help to display more information about how to select the correct character encoding.
• Click Disable Encoding Check to turn off future verification dialogs.

You can also turn Character Encoding Verification Dialogs on or off through Settings:

1. Click Settings in the top left corner of File Manager. A new window will appear.
2. Enable or disable Character Encoding Verification Dialogs:
   • To turn the encoding verification off, select the Disable Character Encoding Verification Dialogs checkbox.
   • To turn the encoding verification on, unselect the Disable Character Encoding Verification Dialogs checkbox.
3. Click Save

 Warning: If you choose the wrong initial encoding, your file may become corrupt. If your file displays as a series of special characters, immediately abort the edit and select the correct encoding. Do not save the file.

Select a directory

You can use the file tree or the location text box to navigate your files and folders.

To use the file tree to the left of the file window to browse your files, click on the name of the folder you wish to view, or click on the  next to the  icon to view a list of subfolders in that folder. You can click on the  next to an expanded directory to collapse it.

 Note: After you expand a list of subfolders, click on the folder name to view the folder's contents.

To use the location text box directly above the file tree:

1. Enter the path of the folder you wish to view.
2. Click Go. The file window will display the contents of the chosen folder.

The file window

The file window displays the contents of the selected directory. If there are no files or folders in the selected folder, the file window will display the message This directory is empty.

Information about files and subfolders will display in the following columns:

Feature	Description
File Icon	Files will display an icon that corresponds to the file type. Folders will display the  icon.
Name	The filename.
Size	The size of the file, displayed in bytes, KB, MB, etc.
Last Modified	The date and time the file was last modified.
Type	The media (MIME) type and subtype.
Perms	The permissions setting for the file, in octal notation. The default permission setting is 0644.

You can click on a column's heading to sort the file list by that column's value.

The navigation toolbar

You can use the toolbar at the top of the file window to navigate between folders in the file window.

Feature	Description
Home	Navigates directly to the home directory (/home/user).
Up One Level	Navigates to the folder that contains the currently selected folder. This option is greyed out when the home directory is selected.
Back	Returns to the folder viewed immediately before the currently selected folder.
Forward	Navigates to the next folder that you viewed, after you use Back.
Reload	Refreshes the displayed list of files and folders.
Select all	Selects all displayed files and folders.   Remember: Any attempt to rename, edit, or view multiple files at once will only affect the file listed first in the directory.
Unselect all	Unselects all files and folders currently displayed.

File and folder actions

You can right-click on files or folders in the file window to choose from a menu of actions customized to the file's type.

Feature	Displays for	Description
Download	Files, Compressed Files	Downloads the selected file to your computer.
View	Files, Compressed Files	Opens the selected file so a user can view the code.
Edit	Files	Opens the selected HTML or text files in a text editor.
Code Edit	Files	Opens the selected HTML or PHP files in a code editor.
Move	Files, Compressed Files, Folders	Allows you to move the selected file or folder to a new directory.
Copy	Files, Compressed Files, Folders	Copies the selected file or folder to a user-specified directory.
Rename	Files, Compressed Files, Folders	Allows you to rename a selected file or folder.
Change Permissions	Files, Compressed Files, Folders	Allows a user to change the read, write, and execute permissions for selected files or folders.
Delete	Files, Compressed Files, Folders	Deletes the selected files or folders from the server.
Extract	Compressed Files	Extracts the selected *.zip, *.Gz, or *.Bz2 archive and stores the files in a directory.
Compress	Files, Compressed Files, Folders	Compresses the selected files or folders to a single *.zip, *.Gz, or *.Bz2 archive and stores the compressed file to a specified directory.
Password Protect	Folders	Allows you to set a username and password to restrict access to a folder.   Note: Your service provider must enable this feature.
Leech Protect	Folders	Allows you to redirect users who may have shared the password to a restricted area of your site with others. Accounts that exceed a set number of logins in a two hour period will be redirected to a selected URL, or receive an internal server error message.   Note: Your service provider must enable this feature.
Manage Indices	Folders	Allows you to customize the way users view a directory on the web.   Note: Your service provider must enable this feature.

Search for a file

The Search tool, located at the top right corner of the interface, allows users to search for a specific file. By default, Search will search all files in the homedirectory. You can also limit the search to the document root at /home/user/public_html, or to the directory displayed in the file window.

To search for a file:

1. Use the Search menu to choose the directory to search: All Your Files, only public_html or Current Directory.
2. Enter the desired file name in the text box.
3. Click Go.

A new window displays the filenames that match your search. To go to a folder, or to the containing folder for a file, double-click on the desired item in the list. If there are no files that include your search term, you will see the message No records found.