web-dir

Target a directory for easily sharing files using HTTP.

Description

A simple Express.js 5 web server that allows remote anonymous users to view and download files from a local directory. Designed for use on completely private networks with no authentication required.

Features

• List all files in a shared directory with filename and creation date
• Download files by clicking on them
• Clean, simple web interface
• No external dependencies beyond Express.js
• Configurable via environment variables

Requirements

• Node.js (version 14 or higher recommended)
• npm

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/nojronatron/web-dir.git
cd web-dir

2. Install dependencies:

npm install

3. Configure the server by creating a .env file:

cp .env.example .env

4. Edit the .env file and set the DIR_SHARE variable to the directory you want to share:

DIR_SHARE=/path/to/your/shared/directory
PORT=3000

Development

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build the project
npm run build

# Run in development mode
npm run dev

# Run tests
npm test

# Lint code
npm run lint

# Fix lint issues
npm run lint:fix

Usage

Start the server:

# Start the server (default port 3000, serves current directory)
npm start

# Specify custom directory and port
PORT=8080 SERVE_DIR=/path/to/directory npm start

The server will start on the port specified in your .env file (default: 3000).

Access the file listing by opening a web browser and navigating to:

http://localhost:3000

Click on any filename to download the file to your browser's default download directory.

Running as a Systemd Service

To run the web server as a service on Debian Bookworm (Raspberry Pi):

1. Create a systemd service file:

nano /etc/systemd/system/web-dir.service

2. Add the following configuration (adjust paths and environment variables as needed):

[Unit]
Description=Web Directory Server
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=root
WorkingDirectory=/workspaces/web-dir
Environment="NODE_ENV=production"
Environment="PORT=3000"
Environment="SERVE_DIR=/path/to/your/shared/directory"
ExecStart=/usr/bin/node /workspaces/web-dir/server.js
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=10
StandardOutput=journal
StandardError=journal

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

3. Reload systemd to recognize the new service:

systemctl daemon-reload

4. Enable the service to start on boot:

systemctl enable web-dir.service

5. Start the service:

systemctl start web-dir.service

6. Check the service status:

systemctl status web-dir.service

7. View service logs:

journalctl -u web-dir.service -f

Service Management Commands

• Stop the service: systemctl stop web-dir.service
• Restart the service: systemctl restart web-dir.service
• Disable auto-start on boot: systemctl disable web-dir.service
• View recent logs: journalctl -u web-dir.service -n 50

Uninstalling the Service

To completely remove the web-dir service:

1. Stop the service:

systemctl stop web-dir.service

2. Disable the service:

systemctl disable web-dir.service

3. Remove the service file:

rm /etc/systemd/system/web-dir.service

4. Reload systemd:

systemctl daemon-reload

5. Reset any failed states:

systemctl reset-failed

Note: Ensure Node.js is installed at /usr/bin/node. Check with which node and adjust the ExecStart path if necessary.

Configuration

The server is configured using environment variables in a .env file:

• DIR_SHARE (required): The absolute or relative path to the directory containing files to share
• PORT (optional): The port number for the web server (default: 3000)

Environment Variables

• PORT - Server port (default: 3000)
• SERVE_DIR - Directory to serve files from (default: current working directory)

Security Notes

This server is designed for use on completely private networks only. It has:

• No user authentication or authorization
• No rate limiting
• No caching or proxy support

Do not expose this server to the public internet.

License

See LICENSE file for details.