Files
Browse, edit, upload and fix the permissions of an application's files from the browser, without an SSH or SFTP client.
Files is a file manager scoped to one application's folder. It runs as that application's system user, so it can see exactly what the application can see and nothing else.
Getting around
The breadcrumb starts at Application folder and grows as you open
directories. Jump to offers shortcuts that depend on the application type
— for WordPress, straight to Uploads, Themes, Plugins and
wp-config.php.
Search this folder… filters the current directory. Hide hidden files
toggles dotfiles. The columns — Size, Modified, Owner / Group,
Permissions — all sort, and permissions are shown both as the symbolic
string and the octal mode, which is what you actually need when something is
600 and should not be.
Folder sizes are measured on demand, not continuously; the header says when they were last measured and offers to redo it.
Acting on files
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| New folder / New file | Creates them in the current directory, owned by the application's user. |
| Upload | Uploads into the current directory. You can also drag files from your desktop onto the list. |
| Fix permissions | Resets ownership and modes across the application folder to what the panel expects. |
| Trash | Opens the trash, where deleted files go first. |
| Row … | Rename, move, copy, change permissions, delete. |
| Row download / copy | Download the file, or copy its path. |
Clicking a file's name opens it in an editor with syntax highlighting. The editor keeps a backup before each save — "Changes are backed up automatically before each save" — so a bad edit to a config file is recoverable.
Fix permissions is the answer to most 403s
An upload made over SFTP as the wrong user, or a file created by a script
running as www-data, produces a file the application cannot read.
Fix permissions repairs the whole tree in one pass.
On a Git application, Files is temporary
Editing a file that lives in the repository works, and then the next deploy discards it — a deploy resets the application to the branch. Change the repository instead, and keep Files for the things that are not in it.
Storage
Storage breaks down what is using the application's disk space, which is usually the fastest way to find the log file or cache directory that grew overnight.