Using The File Manager (v3)

Location: Files/File Manager

Note: If you want to use the Legacy File Manager (v2), please view the Legacy File Manager document.

Choose one of the following:

What is the File Manager?
How to get there
Using File Manager
Understanding The Directory/File Table

File Manager Functions

What is the File Manager?

The File Manager is a tool you can use to navigate your way through your web hosting account and view directories, create directories (folders), upload/delete/view/edit files, view the size of your directories/files, rename files/directories, and see the permissions of your files/directories.

How to get there:

Click on the "File Manager" link in the "Files" section on your cPanel dashboard.

Using File Manager

1. When you click on the "File Manager" link, a pop-up window will appear with the following path location options:

• Home Directory - /home/YOUR_USERNAME

• Web Root (public_html/www) - Viewable to the public.

• Public FTP Root (public_ftp) - FTP accounts only. See the Creating FTP Accounts document.

• Document Root for - A drop down menu to select the appropriate domain/subdomain.

2. Select the radio button beside the option of your choice.

3. Click on the "Show Hidden Files" check box if you want to display files that are hidden in your directory.

4. Click on the "Skip this question, and always open this directory in the future when opening File Manager" check box if you want to skip the path location selection.

Note: If you check this box, steps 1-4 will be omitted upon log in to the File Manager.

5. Click on the "Go" button.

Understanding The Directory/File Table

When the "File Manager" page loads, on your left you will see the "Current Directory" and the path to the current location you are viewing on your web hosting account. You can expand the directory tree by clicking on the "+" sign to the left of the directory icon. By default, the directory tree is in "collapsed" mode. Expand the tree by clicking on the "plus" sign. Once the tree has been expanded, find the directory you want to browse or use. For example, if you are currently in the /home/USERNAME/ directory and you want to browse the public_html directory, click on the "plus" sign next to the "public_html" directory icon or you can click on the "public_html" link. (Note: Clicking on the public_html link, or any other directory link, will load its associated files and folders in the four-column table to your right. Once you are in the directory you want to use, browse the File Manager Functions section to learn your options.

When the File Manager tool loads, you will see a four-column table consisting of the following information:

• Name - This entry shows the name of the associated directory or file.

• Size - This entry shows the size of the associated directory or file.

• Type - This entry contains an icon representing a directory, folder, file, or image.

• Permissions - This entry shows the permissions of the associated directory or file.

Once you learn how to navigate your account using the directory tree, you also have several tools available to help you navigate without using the directory tree:

• Home - Click on the "Home" button to return to the original, collapsed "Current Directory." Note: This option only works if you are in a directory other than your home directory.

• Up One Level - Click on the "Up One Level" button at any time to move up a directory regardless of your current location.

• Back - Click on the "Back" button at any time to move back a directory regardless of your current location.

• Forward - Click on the "Forward" button at any time to move forward a directory regardless of your current location.

• Reload - Click on the "Reload" button at any time to refresh the page.

• Select All - Click on the "Select All" button to select all of the displayed directories.

• Unselect All - Click on the "Unselect All" button to unselect all of the displayed directories.

File Manager Functions

File Manager Functions are displayed in the tool bar located at the top of the File Manager interface. To use the file or directory, click on the directory/file name in the "Name" column. Each function is described below:

New File

New Folder
Copy
Move File
Upload
Download
Delete
Rename
Edit
Code Editor
HTML Editor
Change Permissions
View
Extract
Compress

New File  
Click on this function to add a new file to your directory. A pop-up window will appear. Set the following:
 

• New File Name -  Enter the name of your new file.

• Select File Type - Choose (Text Document, HTML Document, Perl Script, Shell Script).

• New file will be created in - By default, the entry will be where you are currently located in the File Manager. For example, if you are viewing files in the /public_html directory, "public_html" will be shown in the line. You can set the path to where you want your file to be located.

• Create New File - Once you have completed the above, click on the "Create New File" button. After you click the "Create New File" button, the pop-up window will disappear and the File Manager screen will refresh. You will see your new file in the list.

New Folder
Click on this function to create a new folder. A pop-up window will appear. Set the following:
 

• New Folder Name -  Enter the name of your new folder.

• New Folder will be created in - By default, the entry will be where you are currently located in the File Manager. For example, if you are viewing files in the /public_html directory, "public_html" will be shown in the line. You can set the path to where you want your folder to be located.

• Create New Folder - Once you have completed the above, click on the "Create New Folder" button. After you click the "Create New Folder" button, the pop-up window will disappear and the File Manager screen will refresh. You will see your new folder in the list.
   

Copy
Click on this function to copy a file.

1. Type the path you want to copy the file to in the text box provided.

2. Click on the"Copy File(s)" button.

Move File
Click on this function to move a file.

    1. Type the path you want to move the SELECTED_FILE to in the text box provided.

    2. Click on the "Move File(s)" button.

Upload
Click on this function to upload a file.

1. By default, you have three (3) upload boxes. Click on the "Browse" button next to the first upload box.

2. If you want to overwrite existing files in your directory, click on the "Overwrite existing files" checkbox, otherwise, leave it unchecked by default.

3. When the pop-up window appears, find and select the file on your computer you want to upload.

4. Click on the "Open" button.

5. The pop-up window will disappear and a status bar will be shown.

6. To add an additional file, repeat Steps 1-5 above except this time start with the second upload box.
   
   Note: If you need more than three upload boxes, click on the "Add Another Upload Box" link.
    

7. Once you have uploaded all your files, click on the "Back to PREVIOUS_PATH" link.

Download
Click on this function to download a file.

1. A pop-up window will appear.

2. You will have the following two (2) options:

• Open with - Select "Windows Picture and Fax Viewer" or "Other" from the drop down menu.

• Save to Disk

     3.  Click on the radio button beside your selection.

     4.  Click on the "OK" button.

     5.  A pop-up window will appear with the newly downloaded file listed. You can click on the "Open" or "Remove"

          link(s) accordingly.

Delete
Click on this function to delete a file.

1. A pop-up window will appear.

2. The message will ask you to confirm the deletion of the file.

3. To proceed, click on the "Delete File(s)" button.

Rename
Click on this function to rename a file.

1. Type the new name for the file in the text box provided.

2. Click on the "Rename File" button.

Edit
Click on this function to edit a file.

1. The web-based editor will load. Your path will be displayed in the "Editing" box at the top of the page.

2. Edit your file accordingly and click on the "Save Changes" button.

3. To edit a different file, type YOUR_PATH in the "Editing" box at the top of the page and click on the "Open" button.

Code Editor
Click on this function to edit the code.

1. The web-based editor will load. Your path will be displayed in the "Editing" box at the top of the page. The lines of code will be sequentially numbered.

2. Edit your file accordingly and click on the "Save Changes" button.

3. To edit a different file, type YOUR_PATH in the "Editing" box at the top of the page and click on the "Open" button.

HTML Editor
Click on this function to edit the HTML.

Change Permissions
Click on this function to change permissions for a file. A pop-up window will appear.

Select the following for the Read, Write, and Execute Modes:
 

• User - Select the check box(es) for the appropriate Modes.

• Group - Select the check box(es) for the appropriate Modes.

• World - Select the check box(es) for the appropriate Modes.

Note: The three (3) Permission boxes (User, Group, World) will automatically update when you check/uncheck the corresponding Read, Write, Execute boxes. To learn more about what these numbers mean and Read, Write, Execute Permissions, visit http://www.comptechdoc.org/os/linux/usersguide/linux_ugfilesp.html

Notice! If you are not experienced with setting file permissions, do not modify the above or ask your system administrator to make the changes for you.

• Change Permissions - Once you have completed the above, click on the "Change Permissions" button. After you click the "Change Permissions" button, the pop-up window will disappear and the File Manager screen will refresh.

View
Click on this function to view a file.
 

1. When the page loads, your file name, type, and/or size will appear at the top.

2. The image or text will be displayed below the horizontal line.

Extract
Click on this function to extract a file.

1. A pop-up window will appear.

2. Type the path you want to extract YOUR_FILE to and click on the "Extract File(s)" button.

Note: If you enter a directory that does not exist, it will be created and the archive will be extracted in the new directory.  

Compress
Click on this function to compress a file.

1. A pop-up window will appear.

2. Under "Compression Type," you will see the four (4) following options:

• Zip Archive - According to WikiPedia, "The ZIP file format is a popular data compression and archival format. A ZIP file contains one or more files that have been compressed, to reduce their file size, or stored as-is." To learn more about Zip, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zip_(file_format).

• Tar Archive - According to WikiPedia, "A tar file is the concatenation of one or more files. As is common with Unix utilities, tar is a single specialist program. It follows the Unix philosophy in that it can "do only one thing" (archive), "but do it well". tar is most commonly used in tandem with an external compression utility, since it has no built-in data compression facilities. A .tar file is commonly referred to as a tarball, which is usually compressed to save disk space but increases the risk of corrupted data." To learn more about Tar, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tar_(file_format).
   

• GZipped Tar Archive - According to WikiPedia, "gzip is a software application used for file compression. gzip is short for GNU zip; the program is a free software replacement for the compress program used in early Unix systems, intended for use by the GNU Project." To learn more about GZipped Tar, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gzip.
   

• BZipped Tar Archive - According to WikiPedia, "bzip2 is a free and open source lossless data compression algorithm and program developed by Julian Seward. bzip2 compresses most files more effectively than more traditional gzip or ZIP but is slower. Bzip2 uses several layers of compression techniques stacked on top of each other." To learn more about BZipped Tar, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bzip.

     3.  Select the radio button beside the appropriate compression type.

     4.  Enter the name of the compressed archive to store YOUR_FILE to and click on the "Compress File(s)"

          button.