Using the File Manager

File Manager#

The built-in File Manager gives you a powerful web-based interface to browse, edit, upload, and manage your website files directly from your browser. No FTP client or SSH access needed — everything is just a click away.

Navigating Files#

When you open the File Manager from the sidebar, you’ll see the directory tree starting from /rknix/www/ — the root directory where all your websites live. Each website has its own folder named after its domain.

The interface has two main panels:

• Left Panel (Directory Tree) — Click folders to expand and navigate the directory structure. This gives you a bird’s-eye view of your file hierarchy
• Right Panel (File List) — Shows the contents of the currently selected folder with file names, sizes, permissions, and modification dates

A breadcrumb path at the top shows your current location and lets you quickly jump back to any parent directory.

File Operations#

The File Manager supports all the operations you’d expect from a full-featured file management tool:

Creating Files and Folders

• New File — Create a new empty file in the current directory. Specify the filename including extension (e.g., config.php, .htaccess)
• New Folder — Create a new directory. Useful for organizing assets, creating plugin directories, etc.

Uploading Files

• Click the Upload button or simply drag and drop files from your computer into the file list area
• Multiple files can be uploaded simultaneously
• Large files are handled with progress indicators

Editing Files

• Click on any text-based file to open it in the built-in code editor
• The editor supports syntax highlighting for PHP, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, JSON, YAML, XML, Python, and configuration files
• Line numbers, search and replace, and basic code formatting are included
• Save changes directly to the server with Ctrl+S (Cmd+S on Mac)

Other Operations

• Rename — Change the name of any file or folder
• Move — Move files between directories
• Copy — Duplicate files to the same or different directory
• Download — Download individual files or entire folders (compressed as ZIP)
• Delete — Remove files or folders permanently
• Extract — Extract ZIP and TAR.GZ archives directly on the server
• Compress — Create ZIP archives of selected files/folders

File Permissions#

Right-click any file or folder to view and modify its permissions (chmod). Correct file permissions are critical for both security and functionality. Here are the recommended settings:

• 755 — Standard for directories (owner can read/write/execute; group and others can read/execute)
• 644 — Standard for files (owner can read/write; group and others can read only)
• 600 — Restricted access for sensitive files like wp-config.php or .env (owner only)
• 666 — Writable by everyone (avoid this in production — only use temporarily for debugging)

⚠️ Warning: Never set permissions to 777 on production files. This allows anyone on the server to read, write, and execute the file, creating a serious security vulnerability.

Common File Locations#

Here’s where to find commonly needed files for different frameworks:

WordPress:

• Configuration: /rknix/www/yourdomain.com/htdocs/wp-config.php
• Themes: /rknix/www/yourdomain.com/htdocs/wp-content/themes/
• Plugins: /rknix/www/yourdomain.com/htdocs/wp-content/plugins/
• Uploads: /rknix/www/yourdomain.com/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/

Laravel:

• Environment: /rknix/www/yourdomain.com/htdocs/.env
• Routes: /rknix/www/yourdomain.com/htdocs/routes/web.php
• Controllers: /rknix/www/yourdomain.com/htdocs/app/Http/Controllers/
• Storage: /rknix/www/yourdomain.com/htdocs/storage/