FileBrowser

A lightweight, zero-dependency file browser for Node.js. Serve and browse your local files securely over HTTP/2 with a clean and simple UI built with nothing but vanilla HTML and CSS.

✨ Features

• Zero Dependencies: Built entirely with native Node.js modules. No node_modules, no npm install.
• Unique Visuals: Features a custom-made SVG icon set for a clean and cohesive look.
• Secure by Default: Uses the native http2 module to serve content over a secure connection.
• Lightweight UI: A clean and responsive user interface built with pure HTML and CSS. No JavaScript is sent to the client for the UI.
• Efficient File Handling: Uses a custom pre-compiled binary (read_dir) for fast directory reading.
• Streaming Support: Natively streams files and supports Range requests for partial content, making it great for audio and video playback.
• Easy Configuration: Configure via command-line arguments or a simple FBrowser.config file.
• Dynamic DNS Support: Built-in support for Dynu to easily expose your file browser to the internet.
• Cross-Platform (WIP): Designed to work on multiple platforms, with current support focused on Linux.

The goal of FileBrowser is to provide a simple, transparent, and lightweight tool for browsing local files from a remote device. In an ecosystem often heavy with dependencies, this project is an experiment in minimalism, relying solely on the powerful standard libraries provided by Node.js.

📋 Requirements

• Node.js (v18.x or newer recommended)
• SSL Certificates: Since the server uses HTTP/2, a key.pem and cert.pem file are required in the /Assets directory.
• read_dir Binary: This project uses a pre-compiled binary to list directory contents. The repository currently includes a binary for Linux only. Support for other platforms like Windows is planned.

Generating a Self-Signed Certificate (for local testing)

If you don't have a certificate, you can generate a self-signed one for local development using OpenSSL:

mkdir -p Assets
openssl req -x509 -newkey rsa:2048 -nodes -sha256 -subj '/CN=localhost' \
  -keyout ./Assets/key.pem -out ./Assets/cert.pem

🚀 Getting Started

1. Installation

Clone the repository to your local machine:

git clone https://github.com/your-username/FileBrowser.git
cd FileBrowser

2. Permissions (Linux/macOS)

You may need to make the read_dir binary executable:

chmod +x ./Assets/read_dir

3. Usage

Run the server with Node.js:

node .

By default, the server will start and serve the current directory on https://localhost:3000.

⚙️ Configuration

You can configure the server using command-line flags or a configuration file.

Command-Line Flags

Flag	Alias	Description	Example
--help		Show the help message.	node . --help
-f <PATH>		Path to the folder to host.	node . -f /home/user/documents
-p <PORT>		The port to host on (default: 3000).	node . -p 8080
-l	-local	Host on local address only (::1).	node . -l
-c <PATH>		Use a predefined config file.	node . -c ./my.config
-generate		Generate a config file in the target folder and exit.	node . -f ./shared -generate
-d	-dynu	Enable updating IP on the Dynu dynamic DNS service.	node . -d
-durl <URL>		Your Dynu hostname.	node . -durl my-files.dynu.net
-dpwd <PASSWORD>		Your Dynu password/hash. (See security note below)	node . -dpwd YOUR_HASH

Security Note: For Dynu, it is highly recommended to use the DYNU_PASSWORD environment variable instead of the -dpwd flag to avoid exposing your password in your command history.

export DYNU_PASSWORD="YOUR_PASSWORD_HASH"
node . -d -durl your-site.dynu.net

Configuration File (FBrowser.config)

You can generate a configuration file to avoid typing flags every time.

1. Generate the file:

   # This will create FBrowser.config in the current directory
   node . -generate

2. Edit the FBrowser.config file:

   folder=./
   useDynu=false
   dynuUrl=
   dynuPassword=
   onlyLocal=false
   port=3000

3. Run the server using the config file:

   # The server will look for FBrowser.config in the folder it is serving
   node . -f /path/to/your/folder
   
   # Or specify a config file path directly
   node . -c /path/to/your/FBrowser.config

🗺️ Roadmap

Here is a list of planned features and improvements:

• Cross-Platform Binaries: Provide pre-compiled read_dir binaries for Windows and macOS.
• HTTP Support: Add an option to run the server over standard HTTP for environments where HTTPS is not needed.
• Asset Auto-Creation: Automatically generate self-signed certificates if they are not found.
• UI Enhancements:
  • Add breadcrumb navigation.
  • Implement a dark mode.
• Error Handling: Create custom, user-friendly pages for 404 Not Found and other errors.

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! If you have ideas for new features, bug fixes, or improvements, please feel free to open an issue or submit a pull request.